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Proposals

A proposal is a document of confirmation. It should confirm

everything that has transpired to this point. It should reprise all of the

elements all of the incentives to change and the confidence to invest

that you have already established. It connects all of the elements of

value into a single column up formal document.

The purpose of a proposal is to document the series of decisions that

have already been made. The proposal supports the rationalization of

the decision and should confirm everything that you have done with

the customer to this point. The goal of a proposal is to reinforce

decisions that have already been made. Following are the guidelines

for creating and delivering a great proposal:

No Surprises

The proposal is the official version of the discussion document. It is

no longer a pencil's catch, is now being rewritten unique. The power

of the proposal isn't in its multimedia, or its flowery prose, it is in the

fact that our customers have actively collaborated in its preparation

and are ready to agree with its conclusions.

Use The Customer's Fingerprints

We want to make sure the customer’s scenarios are on the proposal.

Use the customer's exact terminology and ideas as often as possible.

Eliminate all verbal distinctions that separate you from the customer.

Everything must be "us" and "we". It shows that you and the customer

working together. The more your proposal reads like a document that

might have been produced within the customer's organization, the

higher the comfort level.

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*Do not make your customers translate your terms into their language. Customers will

choose the solution that sounds most relevant and familiar to them. Your client will be

delighted to see that their ideas were brought to life by you. The best word to describe it is

synergy. You are combining the best of your company's experience and knowledge with the

best of your customers, and you were describing the desired results in terms the customer is

familiar with.

Solicit Presentation Feedback

One of the main goals of an affected decision process is to service

and eliminate sticking points before they can knock the sale off-track.

You need to solicit feedback on your proposal from a member of the

senior decision team before the formal presentation.

The Participative Presentation

The typical sales presentation is often a sterile event. A sales team

delivers a canned performance while searching for the smallest and

approval from its audience. The customer's team sits back, poker

faced and noncommittal, silently acting as judge and jury. Most often

there is little interaction between the customer and the sales team,

and what does exist is usually stilted and formal, as if real

communication is somehow prohibited under the rules of

engagement. This would be a very unfortunate way to end the sales

engagement.

Anchor The Larger Solution In The Presentation

It is always easier to sell one piece of the solution than the full

package. The initial cost is lower, implementation is less complex, and

there is less change and fault. At the same time, you have to be

careful not to lose the larger sale. You need to identify the links

between the solution you are discussing today and future sales. Often

these links will appear in the outcomes section of the presentation as

you talk about the value the solution delivers, you can also mention

opportunities for future added value.