The Milk Tray Syndrome
We’ve all seen the classic Milk Tray adverts: the sexy, smouldering type, dressed all in black, dramatically jumps off a cliff onto a moving yacht, fights against a hurricane while flying a helicopter and drives a car over a collapsing bridge during a thunderstorm… all for what? Because the lady loves chocolates?
Sure, most of us love a good box of chocolates, but honestly, why go through all that life-threatening drama just to leave a box of Milk Tray on a chair? It does make you wonder—was it really all worthwhile?
The Milk Tray Syndrome at Work
How many times have you experienced something similar in your work life? Not literally jumping off cliffs, of course, but how often have you poured your heart and soul into something important, only to get little or no response in return? Think about the last time you worked on a detailed proposal or tender. You spent hours slaving over your keyboard, checking and rechecking the brief, crunching numbers, asking colleagues to sanity check your work, proof-reading every detail and finally firing it off into the ether. And then… silence.
All that hard work, time and effort—only to hear nothing back. It’s enough to make you wonder whether the effort was even worth it.
But here’s the thing: what if you followed up on the proposal? What if you picked up the phone or sent a quick email to ask what they thought about your submission? What if the recipient is waiting for someone to show they care enough about the project to reach out?
The Importance of Following Up
In business, too many of us fall victim to the Milk Tray Syndrome—working tirelessly on proposals, presentations and tenders, only to send them off and hope for the best. But hoping isn’t enough. By following up, you give yourself the opportunity to connect, get feedback and improve your chances of success.
Let’s say you follow up with a phone call or an email, and that simple gesture opens a dialogue. You could discover vital, previously undisclosed information that allows you to revise your proposal and win the project. Even if the outcome doesn’t change, at the very least, you can ask for feedback. Knowing why you didn’t win a contract can be invaluable for improving your next submission.
Don’t Let Silence Be Your Answer
If you don’t follow up, you’ll never know what might have stopped you from winning that contract or customer. Was it price? Or perhaps something else entirely? People often assume they’ve lost out because of price, but it’s not always the case. Often, it comes down to other factors, like understanding the client’s needs better or showing more enthusiasm for the project.
The point is, you won’t know until you ask.
The Business Lesson from the Milk Tray Man
We all strive for success, but it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that effort alone is enough—that, like the Milk Tray man, your dramatic delivery will be appreciated just because it looks impressive. But in business, it’s not just about making the effort—it’s about getting results. And if you don’t get the result you want, you need to find out why and try again.
Your proposal might look and sound amazing, but does it hit the mark with the recipient? The only way to know is to follow up. Ask the right questions:
- Was your offer what they were expecting?
- Did it meet their needs, or could it be improved?
- What made them choose another supplier?
Sometimes, just by showing that you care about the outcome, you can make a lasting impression that others won’t.
Don’t Leave Without Enjoying the Chocolates
If Mr Milk Tray had stuck around, perhaps he could have enjoyed the chocolates with the lady. In the same way, following up on your proposals and tenders could be the difference between winning and losing a contract. So don’t just disappear into the night after sending off your hard work—stick around, follow up and find out what happens next.
At The Last Hurdle, we believe that working hard is essential, but we also know that following up is just as crucial. If you’re investing time and energy into proposals and tenders, make sure you’re getting the results to match. And if you’re not, ask why, learn from it and go after your next opportunity armed with the insights you need.
