win new consulting business: the four keys to writing a successful proposal
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WIN NEW CONSULTING BUSINESS:THE FOUR KEYS TO WRITING A SUCCESSFUL PROPOSAL
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MODERATOR
STEVE ARHANCETDirector of Consultant Services
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WEBINAR CONTROLS
The full screen iconmaximizes thepresentation area.
The chat box allows you to send a question to the presenter.
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ABOUT SPEAKER“America’s foremost practitioner of proposal writing”
– American Management Association
Dr. Tom Sant• Co-founder of Hyde Park
Partners• Over 25 years experience• Areas of expertise: proposal
writing, presentation delivery, communication management
• Author of 3 books• Named “One of the ten best
sales trainers in the world ” by Selling Power Magazine
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What is a
SUCCESSFUL PROPOSAL?
THE FIRST QUESTION…
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“ONE THAT’S DONE!”
THE VOICE FROM THE BACK OF THE ROOM…
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How about:
“ONE THAT WINS!”
MAYBE A SLIGHTLY HIGHER STANDARD?
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It’s a matter of delivering
the right message
the right way.
AND TO MAXIMIZE THE CHANCE OF WINNING?
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WHAT IT’S NOT…
Self-centeredCommodity
Transaction, not a solution
Price Quote Product Spec Company History
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Unfortunately,
Those approaches are pretty
typical.
For example, does this look familiar?
Albion Technologies
Recommendation for an Integrated Communications
and Collaboration Strategy
15 September 2012
L. J. Fremmer
Account Manager
IntroductionsThe Albion Team:
• Thomas Martinson – COO, EMEA• Peter Campbell – Regional Relationship Manager • Jim Thorslev-Slater – Regional Technical Manager EMEA• Sallie Mae Park – Proposed Account Director • Nigel Bentley–Transition Manager EMEA
© 2012 ALBION, Inc. All rights reserved
Who is Albion?
© 2012 ALBION, Inc. All rights reserved 14
An $11 Billion Global IT services company that builds, integrates and supports applications and infrastructures for business and government
• More than 80,000 employees• NYSE: ALBN- Headquartered in Liverpool, England• 85 Offices in 50 countries• Leader in communications infrastructure implementation and
support, government solutions, and higher education solutions• Distributed Delivery Framework
– Domestic development centers– IT Operations outsourcing– Offshore development and support
• ISO 9001 certified
Global Strength, Local Touch
© 2010 ALBION, Inc. All rights reserved
Welcome to “A World of Innovation”
Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Chile, China & Hong Kong, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark & Greenland, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, Uruguay, USA
More than 85,000 Employees
Represented in more than 50 Countries
Provisional Revenue 2011: USD 11.5 billion
Operating Margin 2011: 8.5%
Growth 2011: 15%
Gartner Magic Quadrant 2009, 2010
Delivering Leading Edge Solutions
Innovation leader since 1994
Over 1,000 Clients
World Class Consulting Experience
Uniquely Qualified in Service Offerings to our Clients
State of the Art Technology Solutions
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Blah, blah, blahdee, blahMeMore about meSomething else about meDo you love me yet as much as I love me?
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HERE’S A DISTURBING FACT…
Why??!!
Nearly 1/3 of all sales proposals
and pitches start with the
vendor’s company history.
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Proposal writing is hard.
Business owners, sales people, marketing professionals, and proposal writers often look for a quick way out.
THE GRIM REALITY
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ESCAPE ROUTE #1
Cloning previous proposals
Cutting and pasting can result in embarrassing errors!
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ESCAPE ROUTE # 2
“Data Dumps” or “More is Better!”
Nobody buys based on the “thud factor.”
If it’s not meaningful to the customer, leave it out!
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ESCAPE ROUTE # 3Talking about what we know and love best.
Focus on your prospect, not on yourself!
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EXECUTIVES EXPECT A DIFFERENT MESSAGE
Information Evaluation Persuasion
Expert
Highly informed
Somewhat informed
Lay
Comfort Zone
Persuasion Zone
Peer-to-Peer * Outcome Oriented * Bottom-Line Focused
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THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS…
1. No focus on the client’s business problems and payoffs
2. No persuasive structure
3. No clear differentiation
4. Failure to offer a compelling value proposition
5. Key points are buried--no highlights, no impact
6. Difficult to read--full of jargon, too long, too technical
7. Credibility killers--misspellings, grammar errors, wrong client name, inconsistent formats, etc.
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WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU COMMIT THESE SINS?
You lose.
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FOUR KEYS TO BETTER PROPOSALS WINNING MORE, WORKING LESS
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Proposing to Win
2Pack Your Case
1Get a NOSE Job
3Show Me the Money
4A KISS for Luck
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GET A N-O-S-E JOB
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THE RIGHT NOSE CAN HELP YOU WIN
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STRUCTURE IS THE SECRET
TO MAXIMIZE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING
Present the right information Present it in the right orderCreate the right impression
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WHAT DO WE MEAN BY THE “RIGHT ORDER”?
Consciousness is intentional.
We focus on finding specific content, dependingon our purpose:
• Getting the facts we need • Obtaining an expert opinion• Making a decision
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THE STRUCTURE OF PERSUASION
• Needs: The customer’s key business needs, problems, issues, pains, or opportunities: the drivers behind the deal.
• Outcomes: The positive impact that will come from meeting those needs: the motivation to move forward.
• Solution: A recommendation for a product or service that will solve the problem and deliver the outcomes
• Evidence: Proof you can do the job on time and on budget: your differentiators.
The Persuasive Paradigm
N
O
S
E
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PACK YOUR CASE
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OUR JOB…
Create a specific, client-centered
business casethat answers the client’s three most important questions:
Am I getting what I need?
Is it good value?
Can they really do it?
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PEOPLE BUY FROM PEOPLE THEY TRUST
C x RS
Where:
T = trust
C = credibility
R = rapport
S = risk of self-serving behavior
T =
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T = C x RS
SELLING ON TRUST
Where most
sales
messages
focusWhere:
T = trust
C = credibility
R = rapport
S = risk of self-serving behavior
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T = C x RS
SELLING ON TRUST
Where:
T = trust
C = credibility
R = rapport
S = risk of self-serving behavior
The right
focus
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WHY DO RAPPORT AND CLIENT FOCUS MATTER?
The Primacy Principle
The Principle of First Impressions
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WHAT KIND OF FIRST IMPRESSION ARE YOU MAKING?
• Title— “Proposal”
• Initial focus?
• Your name or the client’s?
• Are you pushing a product or proposing a solution?
“Don’t waste my time with a bunch of
boilerplate!”
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SEVEN CLIENT-CENTERED QUESTIONS
1. Client’s problem, issues?
2. Why is it a problem?
3. Desired outcomes?
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FOUR AREAS OF GOALS
Business / Financial· Budgetary compliance· Profit improvement· Downsizing· Mergers / acquisitions· Market share· Reduced risk· Better clinical outcomes
Technical / infrastructure goals
· Introducing best practices
· Adding flexibility· Improving QC
Social goals· Internal
- Improve morale-Reduce absenteeism-Decrease turnover
· External-Gain public support-Win approval-Enhance recognition
Personal goals
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SEVEN CLIENT-CENTERED QUESTIONS
1. Client’s problem, issues?
2. Why is it a problem?
3. Desired outcomes?
4. Most important?
5. Potential solutions?
6. Probable results?7. Why are we the right
choice?
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SHOW ME THE MONEY!
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FACT: WITHOUT VALUE, WINNING IS JUST LUCK.
You must establish superior value
based on technical, contractual, managerial, quality, or service differentiators,
Or the customer will choose based on
PRICE
or may choose to do
NOTHING
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SMART BUYERS DO LOOK FOR POSITIVE IMPACT
• Revenue generation• Operational efficiency• Reliability of mission-critical operations• Quality• Worker productivity• Customer satisfaction• Regulatory compliance• And other key performance indicators
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THE VALUE PROPOSITION
(Values - Costs) > (Valuea - Costa)
Where:
Values = the value of your offering
Costs = the cost of your offering
Valuea = the value of the next best alternative
Costa = the cost of the next best alternative
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FOUR PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE VALUE
1. Make sure the client cares
2. Measure it
3. Picture it
4. Link it to your differentiators
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COMMUNICATING VALUE THAT HAS VALUE
Differentiators
Proof
ValueProposition
Value That Has Value.
What you do that no one else does. What you do differently from anyone else.
Verifiable claims you make about yourself. Claims your clients make about you.Third-party evidence.
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A KISS FOR LUCK
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KISS: KEEP IT SHORT AND SIMPLE
The first principle of persuasive writing:
Do not confuse the reader. Live by the “first time right” rule.
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FOUR PSEUDO-LANGUAGES TO AVOID
Fluff
Guff
Geek
Weasel
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Fluff:1. Grandiose claims
2. Vague generalities
3. Clichés
4. No proof
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FORGET THE FLUFF!
World class
Best of breed
Leading edge
State of the art
Quality focused
Uniquely qualified
Innovative
High performance
Synergy
User friendly
Integrated
Partnership
Seamless
Robust
Here are a few examples…. Anything look familiar?
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Guff.
Guff:1. Long sentences
2. Too many big words
3. Too much passive voice
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Geek:1. Disregard for the
audience
2. Overuse of jargon and acronyms
3. A focus on technical details instead of business fit or impact
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AVOID THE WEASEL!
Weasel:1. Unnecessary use of
weasel words
2. Hyperqualification of every statement
3. Passive voice
4. Subjunctive constructions
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WEASEL WORDS“can be”“might”
“helps”
“could”
“may be”
“enable”
“allow”
“up to”
“like”
“virtually”
“significantly”
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Fi ve ways to a chieve clarity:
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Five ways to achieve clarity:
1. Short sentences
2. Short words
3. Passive voice ≤ 10%
4. Readability index ≤ 10
5. Minimal jargon and acronyms
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LET YOUR WORD PROCESSOR DO THE WORK
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1. Short sentences
Average sentence length
15 to 17 words per sentence is a good average sentence length.
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2. Short words
Average word length in characters
5 characters or less means your words probably aren’t too long.
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3. Passive voice ≤ 10%
Percentage of passive voice
Keep passive voice below 10%.
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4. Readability level ≤ 10
Readability Scores
Aim for a Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level index of 10 or less.
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5. Minimal Jargon and Acronyms
Ask your mum.
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Proposing to Win
2 Pack Your Case
1 Get a NOSE Job
3 Show Me the Money
4 A KISS for Luck
IN SUMMARY…
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THANK YOU
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