When entering a business competition, you will have looked to see if your company fits all the entry requirements, you have the time (and patience) to complete all the entry criteria, but most of all you will have looked at the prizes and determined if they are something your business wants or needs. Obviously, you want to win. You think your business is capable of winning and to win you need to persuade the judges that you are a worthwhile winner. 

But what happens if you lose?

In this blog we are going to tell you how to spot a behavioural style based on how they act when they win in comparison to how they behave when they lose. 

D style: The Doers

D styles expect to win. Plain and simple. They will have done what is necessary and they will believe that they have done it well. They are not surprised when they win a competition because they know they deserve it and will not have entered if they did not think they would.  

Donald Trump is an example of an exaggerated D style when it comes to winning and losing. When he won the presidential election in 2016, he didn’t thank anyone for helping him, he believed he was the best candidate and that is the only reason he won. On the other hand, when he lost the election in 2020, Trump demanded a recount and made things difficult for the new president. He just couldn’t believe he didn’t win.  

Obviously, Donald Trump is an example of an extreme case and not all D styles will be quite so blatant in their reactions.

I style: The Influencers 

I styles absolutely love to win! They become the centre of attention and enjoy showing off their success on social media. They will celebrate flamboyantly and often over the top (like a footballer when they’ve scored a goal!).  

If a competing I style doesn’t win the prize, then often they will still be genuinely as delighted as the person who did – as long as the experience and competition was worthwhile and fun for them! However, sometimes, if they are not delighted then they could also throw a little tantrum. 

S style: The Supporters

An S style will often be surprised that they’ve won a competition. Their behaviour won’t change that much, and they will often point out other worthy winners. They are the Oscar winners who give long, tearful speeches, thanking everyone from their primary school teachers to their neighbour’s best friend’s dog for inspiring them in their role. In winning a competition, they may be more concerned about people they forgot to thank than the time it takes them to complete their speeches! 

If an S style were to lose a competition, then, they will often acknowledge that the better person won and the winner deserved it more than they did, saying things like ‘it’s an honour just to be nominated.’

C Styles – The Considerers

C styles, like the S’s, are not big on the limelight and will downplay their win and don’t believe in luck. Our very own DISCsimple founder, Sarah Owen, claims that her many raffle wins are down to simply entering the competition and buying multiple raffle tickets. If she didn’t enter, she wouldn’t have won.

It is unlikely that you will know a C style has lost a competition as they probably won’t announce they entered the competition in the first place.  

How do you think you’d react if you won One Good Turn… as Sarah says, ‘you won’t know if you don’t enter’ so download our application form here! 

It is very simple to enter:

Complete our 1-page business plan template and tell us in 250 words your vision for the future and why you deserve to win. Please use our template so that it’s a level playing field for everyone and ensures we score each plan fairly, but if you want to provide additional documents, please feel free to do so. You can record your 250 words as a video, a sound file or simply write them as a document – it is your choice.

The competition is now open, and the deadline for entries is January 14th, 2022. We will judge and announce the winners at an awards ceremony on January 28th, with prizes on offer starting in February.

Send your application to hello@hgkc.co.uk by midnight January 14th 2022. Please be sure to include your contact details.

By entering, you agree to hgkc and DISCsimple following up by email or telephone to discuss your entry and – if you do not win – our services.

We hope to hear from you and look forward to reading your brilliant business plans and applications!