The phantom victory: When winning feels like losing.

In a recent new business webinar with agency leaders, there was a major frustration with projects and tenders being awarded only for them to be stalled by weeks, months and forever.

The green light never comes.

A phantom victory is horrible. You invested all that time, money and energy but it was worth it because the client gets in touch to let you know that you’ve won. The team is delighted, especially the finance department. There’s relief. The pipeline looks better again.

And then the ghosting starts. There are delays and excuses. And that project you were so happy about winning disappears.

This scenario is all too common, and it's worse than losing a pitch because it leaves you hanging, wondering if you'll ever see that green light.

It made me think perhaps there’s a question we could be asking our potential clients in those first qualifying calls that we probably don’t ask.

Instead of just asking about the project's scope and budget, inquire about their project graveyard.

“How many times in the last two years has your company green lit a project only for it to be stalled or permanently postponed?”

Imagine a car insurance company asking about your accident history or a finance company inquiring about your credit rejections. We should be equally cautious when dealing with potential clients who have a knack for awarding phantom victories.

If their answer is more than zero, you might want to reconsider pursuing the project. A history of stalling or not starting projects is a major red flag.