Likeonomics: The Unexpected Truth Behind Earning Trust, Influencing Behavior, and Inspiring Action

Prologue: How a Lard Salesman, an NFL Agent, and a YouTube Star Explain Likeonomics

Just over 10 years ago, I was part of a pitch that I knew we would win. I was leading of one of the hottest and fastest growing digital production teams in Australia. We had built a glowing reputation in our market, won tons of creative awards, and boasted a long list of top-notch references.

More importantly, our creative concept and strategy for the potential client we were about to meet was perfect, and we knew it. We had such an original approach, in fact, that we knew none of our competitors would even come close.

By the pitch day, our team had rehearsed for two days straight and we were supremely confident. It showed. The meeting went almost perfectly. Everyone knew their part, and the client asked the right questions. As we walked out, we allowed ourselves to enjoy a momentary feeling of triumph.

We were ready to take a victory call the next day and accept the client’s business. It was just a matter of time. Like clockwork, we got the call the very next day, as expected. Only the outcome wasn’t what we expected. We had lost.

In the weeks afterward, our team went back over every step. What did we get wrong? How could we have lost? We simply couldn’t understand. It was one of those rare situations where if we had the chance to go in and pitch again, we wouldn’t have done anything differently. We longed to know the amazing idea that we lost against. Unfortunately, we never got a good answer. ...