Positioning Reset: How a Regional Firm Doubled Its Win Rate
How a regional engineering firm narrowed its focus, rewrote its pitch and doubled its proposal win rate in a year.
By Maia Lafortezza, Founder and managing partner , 1 min read
How a regional engineering firm narrowed its focus, rewrote its pitch and doubled its proposal win rate in a year. How a regional engineering firm narrowed its focus, rewrote its pitch and doubled its proposal win rate in a year.
From generalist to specialist
The firm had been bidding on almost everything. Analysis of five years of wins showed it was strongest in water infrastructure for municipalities. It made that its headline, while still accepting adjacent work.
Proof in every proposal
Proposals were rebuilt around three similar projects, named references and measured outcomes. Win rate on targeted bids rose from 18 to 37 percent, and average project size grew.
How we apply this with clients
In client work this usually becomes one priority on the quarterly plan, with a named owner and a measure the leadership team reviews every month. Our growth partners start with a short diagnostic of where the business is today, then agree the smallest change that will make a visible difference within ninety days.
Key takeaways
- Analyse past wins to find where you are strongest.
- Lead with that specialism without refusing adjacent work.
- Put similar projects and outcomes at the front of proposals.
Want to apply this in your business? Book a discovery call with a Maia Lafortezza partner.
Maia Lafortezza
Maia Lafortezza founded the firm in 2019 after nearly two decades across corporate finance, strategy consulting and operations. She began her career in transaction advisory, led growth and operating-model projects for mid-market and family-owned companies, and then served as chief operating officer of a European industrial group through a period of rapid expansion. Today she leads the firm's strategy and leadership practices, advises founders and boards directly, and writes on operating models, decision rights and building companies that last. She works in English, Italian and French.
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