How To Construct Winning Proposals

Written by Jonathan Farrington

A professionally prepared proposal is an essential part of the overall sales cycle and is often the only way some members of the customer’s decision making unit (DMU), find out about you, your company and your proposed solution. If you fail to adequately represent what you have to offer, all of that time invested in first locating the opportunity, initial meetings, qualifying etc, will have been totally wasted.

Here are the essential ingredients of a professional proposal.

The Contents:

A well laid out Contents page shows how your thoughts are organised and supplies a ready guide to your in-depth review of the selling argument. If your document is so short as to not require a contents page, then you are showing how little information you have.

The Objective
The Current Situation
Current Constraints
Recommended Benefits
Recommendation of Products
The Final Justification
Supporting Documentation:
    a) Product Guarantees
    b) Service Information
    c) Cost Breakdowns
    d) Third Party References
    e) Training
    f) Timetable For Implementation
    g) Appendix

The Objective:

An objective is a statement that can be looked at in terms of measurable change once the decision is taken.

If your objective offers no change from the present situation then this is not an objective at all.

The Current Situation:

A clear statement of what is currently taking place within the prospective customers own work environment.

This should cover equipment, volumes, work practices and anything to do with the department or departments that are involved.

Current Constraints:

As with an Explicit Need, a clear statement of desire to solve a perceived problem, the listed problems should be the statements of the decision maker and not your own.

You must gain the agreement of the decision maker as to the exact wording of the Explicit Need so that it is their statement and not your interpretation.

Recommended Benefits:
This is not the products or the service!!!

It is what the total package will do to resolve the existing problems. It is more than likely that issues such as service and finance may play a major role, perhaps even customer training.

Recommendation Of Products:

This is the product or products that match the criteria that you have set for the solution to be effective and should describe clearly the facilities that match the solution.

The Final Justification:

The total cost of the recommendation can be summarised first, followed by a statement of what is being offered into that overall cost.

It may be helpful to then break down, in simple terms, how that cost is arrived at.

Unless you have previously agreed the terms and cost of trading it hardly seems worth the effort when the customer might object!! Agree terms that will satisfy the decision maker before you put your selling argument at risk.

Supporting Documentation:

Back up your arguments with any guarantees or third party references that support your claims.

Remember it is likely that other people will be consulted in the decision process and your document will become the sight-seller in the hands of an inexperienced salesperson. Give them as much support as you can to back their case.

What Functions Do Proposals Perform?

An organisational tool that provides a complete listing of all buying reasons: Full justification.
A statement of your professionalism - You are a consultant.
Written support of your verbal claims.
A selling tool: A proposal sells when you are not there.
Provides firm price commitment.
Proposal = A Closing Tool

Have Proposals Become More Important Over The Years? Yes... Yes...Yes...

Internal justification process is more complicated.
The decision maker usually is not the primary contact person.
Increased Professionalism (O + M, Purchasing, Financial Managers).
Shift in competition
Volume - Segments

What Should Good Proposals Contain?

Covering Letter
Introduction
Objectives
Current System: Constraints
Recommended System: Benefits
Proof: Current System Costs & Proposed System Costs
Investment & Pay Back Periods
Timetable For Implementation
Summary & Conclusion
Quotation & Enclosures

Questions:

Do your proposals have this structure?
After you have written your proposal, what do you do with it?
Proposals create impressions, (amount of research/time spent)
First Impressions = Visual
Does your proposal stand out among the others?

Rules For Presenting Proposals – if possible!

Never, ever mail a proposal.
Never leave a proposal with a prospect without presenting it first.
Practice for Presentation
- (try to) Make Your Presentation to all decision makers.
Do not rush through the Presentation.
Use graphics to aid the Presentation.
Commit the prospect on each point.
Tell them what you are going to tell them
- tell them
- tell them what you have told them
- Structure/Summarise
Always be in control.

Jonathan Farrington -
	Jonathan Farrington is a globally recognized business coach, mentor, author and consultant, who has guided hundreds of companies and thousands of individuals around the world towards optimum performance levels. He is Chairman of The JF Corporation, CEO of Top Sales Associates and Senior Partner at The JF Consultancy Read More >>
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