Receiving a RFP (request for proposal) is both an exciting and a frightening moment. It's exciting because it means you've got a chance to win this sale. But it's frightening because you'll be competing with other bidders, some of whom are probably larger companies with plenty of resources. The solution is to create such a powerful proposal that you'll stand out from the rest of the pack. A strong proposal can get you the sale even if you're against competitors who offer a better deal.
Most sales proposals start with a “brag sheet” where the salesperson talks about how great his company is, how long it's been in business, what big customers you have, etc. Don't do this. The first page should be about the prospect, not about you. Your prospect doesn't really care how long your company has been in business; he's far more interested in what your company can do for him. Instead of talking about yourself, use the first page of your proposal to summarize the prospect's objectives and why those objectives are important. This proves that you have a clear understanding of his situation and that you are considering the purchase from his point of view.
Make your proposal easy to read by breaking it up into small chunks under a series of headers. This is especially important if the material is highly technical or otherwise difficult. Good headings also make it easy for your prospect to find the information he needs right away when he re-reads your proposal. And don't think that you need to include every little detail about your product and its implementation. Aim for more of a big picture view of how your product will accomplish what the prospect needs.
If you can, present two or three different options in your proposal. These might be different product offerings, different implementation plans, product add-ons, or so on. If you give the prospect a choice you'll make him feel more in control of the process and will thus be less fearful about purchasing. But don't go overboard and offer a huge number of options, either – this will make the process far more complicated than it needs to be and will bog down the prospect's decision-making.
Always work in a few brief testimonials or case studies that back up your claims. Ideally, your testimonials should be from customers who were in the same situation as your prospect. The more like your prospect those customers are, the more seriously he will take your claims. Testimonials can be just a paragraph or two reinforcing your key points.
Don't talk about specific numbers, e.g. fees and delivery dates, until the very end of the proposal. The bulk of your document should be all about the prospect's issues and what your product will do to resolve them. Once your prospect has absorbed this information, then and only then is it time to discuss the details.
At the very end of your sales proposal, it's time to discuss the next steps. Never close out the document with something vague like “Contact me with any questions.” Instead, have a next step planned and get your prospect's buy-in on it before you complete the proposal. Then you can end with something like, “Mr. Smith, as agreed, I will meet with you in your office on Friday at 11 AM to review this proposal and answer any questions.”
By Wendy Connick
http://sales.about.com/
Most sales proposals start with a “brag sheet” where the salesperson talks about how great his company is, how long it's been in business, what big customers you have, etc. Don't do this. The first page should be about the prospect, not about you. Your prospect doesn't really care how long your company has been in business; he's far more interested in what your company can do for him. Instead of talking about yourself, use the first page of your proposal to summarize the prospect's objectives and why those objectives are important. This proves that you have a clear understanding of his situation and that you are considering the purchase from his point of view.
Make your proposal easy to read by breaking it up into small chunks under a series of headers. This is especially important if the material is highly technical or otherwise difficult. Good headings also make it easy for your prospect to find the information he needs right away when he re-reads your proposal. And don't think that you need to include every little detail about your product and its implementation. Aim for more of a big picture view of how your product will accomplish what the prospect needs.
If you can, present two or three different options in your proposal. These might be different product offerings, different implementation plans, product add-ons, or so on. If you give the prospect a choice you'll make him feel more in control of the process and will thus be less fearful about purchasing. But don't go overboard and offer a huge number of options, either – this will make the process far more complicated than it needs to be and will bog down the prospect's decision-making.
Always work in a few brief testimonials or case studies that back up your claims. Ideally, your testimonials should be from customers who were in the same situation as your prospect. The more like your prospect those customers are, the more seriously he will take your claims. Testimonials can be just a paragraph or two reinforcing your key points.
Don't talk about specific numbers, e.g. fees and delivery dates, until the very end of the proposal. The bulk of your document should be all about the prospect's issues and what your product will do to resolve them. Once your prospect has absorbed this information, then and only then is it time to discuss the details.
At the very end of your sales proposal, it's time to discuss the next steps. Never close out the document with something vague like “Contact me with any questions.” Instead, have a next step planned and get your prospect's buy-in on it before you complete the proposal. Then you can end with something like, “Mr. Smith, as agreed, I will meet with you in your office on Friday at 11 AM to review this proposal and answer any questions.”
By Wendy Connick
http://sales.about.com/
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