BUSINESS
Outwitting Pyrrhus
By Mary Elizabeth Murphy
Pyrrhus of Epirus is probably not high on your list of memorable world rulers. But as the commander of the Epirian, Molos- sian and Macedonian armies, he was one of the Roman Empire’s earliest and most powerful and successful opponents. He is also the namesake of the Pyrrhic victory, a victory that comes at the expense of most of one’s resources, both material and human. After losing 13,000 soldiers – over half of his 25,500-soldier strong army – in two victo- ries over the Romans, Pyrrhus was famously quoted as saying, “Another such victory over the Romans and we are undone.”
Why the history lesson? Those of you who have been in the sales game for years know that it is common – and many times helpful – to think of prospects as battles to be fought and of new clients as hills taken and lands conquered. There are always situations in which it is more helpful to walk away than to throw all of your resources at one prospect. Victories, after all, must be worth their cost.
Primary among the “costs of war” is that of
time and effort. While you sometimes come across a huge account that would, if won, be worth several other accounts in terms of income, this is not the case most of the time. When you devote the vast majority of your time and effort to winning a stubborn pros- pect, you neglect other prospects, your own company and your current clients. Believe me, even winning that huge account I spoke of earlier is not worth losing a longtime cli- ent because you failed to meet their needs for an extended period of time while working towards your Pyrrhic victory.
The second major cost of fighting Pyrrhus’ style of battle is more personal. It comes at the expense of your own mental and emo- tional health. The frustration of battling with this prospect, coupled with your own exhaus- tion springing from working round-the-clock on the account, eventually combine to create that most feared of all war injuries: burnout.
When battling for a difficult account, take stock of your mental and emotional resourc- es. Check to ensure that, once you’ve done
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