Proposals that convert prospects into buyers

As a customer, you’ve no doubt received scads of sales pitches from companies trying to sell you something; the vast majority of which you ignore, tune-out, or reject outright.  When the tables are turned, and you are the one making the proposal, there are three key elements that will make your offer more compelling.  These three components make-up what’s known as your Unique Selling Proposition or “USP”.  When I speak at conferences and for sales and service teams, this is one of the simple tips I share for converting prospects into buyers.  Whether you’re making your proposal in person, through a brochure, or on your website, you’ll have more impact by including these three elements…

Translate Features into Benefits

Sales often get bogged down in detail when a product or service is overly-described in terms of features rather than benefits.  A feature is a physical characteristic of a product or service.  A benefit is what that feature does for the user.  For example, a feature of an automatic garage door opener is when you push a button, the garage door goes up or down.  A benefit is since you no longer have to get out of your car and be exposed to the weather, you save time, possible back injury, and maybe even reduce dry cleaning bills.

In your proposal, be sure to translate your product or service features into benefits.  Here’s an easy way.  Briefly mention the feature, then use these six magic words: “What that means to you is…”  Then describe the benefit. 

You can even use shorter phrases to translate features into benefit with phrases like ‘which means’, and ‘so that’.  For example, you might describe your product as a merely white ceramic coffee cup. Or you’d instead say the coffee cup is white ‘so that’ you can easily see the level of the coffee as your pouring ‘which means’ you are less likely to overfill. It is ceramic ‘so that’ it will keep the coffee hotter longer, ‘which means’ you’re less likely to end up throwing out cold coffee and wasting money. Translating features into benefits helps potential buyers fully appreciate the value you’re providing.

Describe your Difference

Chances are, there are other suppliers of your kinds of products or services so it’s important for customers to know what makes you unique.  Rather than trying to explain what you do better than your competition, instead describe what makes you different.  

That takes you to the third element of crafting your unique selling proposition…

Prove it!

Provide facts, statistics, examples, and testimonials that verify your claims.  If your evidence is in the form of a client testimonial, be sure to include the client’s full name and company.  Otherwise, the ‘fact’ looks like fiction.  Obtaining customer endorsements is easy when you do good work.  Simply ask for permission from your happy customers to feature their comments.  Most people are flattered and will happily consent.

Finish with What’s Next

If your proposal is in writing, be clear about the next step.  Tell the customer what you want them to do; visit your website, phone you, stop in.  If appropriate, also explain what they’ll gain by doing this sooner rather than later.  Perhaps there’s a limited supply, or the offer ends at a certain date.  You can also outline options for implementing.  I don’t recommend however, getting too detailed with implementation plans at this phase.  Better to do that after the customer decides they want to move to the next step.

There are lots of other pieces of information you can include proposal.  Certainly, your knowledge of your customers’ circumstances and challenges is a good place to start.  Just make sure that when you get into the substance of your proposal that you add the three elements of the USP.  Chances are you’ll address a lot of the buyers’ unexpressed objections and make them more comfortable doing business with you.

Comments (1)

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Gaining a Commitment
written by Dana Bourke, November 22, 2010

Great advice! It is of the utmost importance to portray your product from the perspective of benefits rather than features. In this economy, the make it or break it factor will be if you are communicating with a true decision maker or influencer. If you can express the benefits to a decision maker, they will champion the sale through for you. If not, you may be wasting your time. http://betterwaystrategies.com/blog/?p=33

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