Writing Proposals

Proposals: the bane of your existence or an opportunity to differentiate yourself and close the deal?

Obviously Jonathan and I believe the latter and so we devoted this latest episode to writing proposals that synch with your sales interviews for an easy “yes”.

When it makes sense to write a proposal and when to take a pass.

The role of the sales interview in writing your proposal.

How to capture the essence of the outcomes you’ll deliver in non-jargon (and avoid weasel words).

Enticing your clients to actually read your proposal and learning to anchor high with the value you’re delivering.

Adopting the posture of an expert and carrying it through in your proposal.

Quotables

“If you do a good job in the sales interview the proposal writes itself.”—JS

“Every human being wants to be heard. So when you read a proposal and you go “Oh my God, they get it”…it’s huge.”—RM

“Imagine that your contact is going to take your proposal and show it to their spouse or their CFO or their Board…it needs to be thoroughly 100% clear to a 10 year old.”—JS

“Clients will tell you a low (budget) number and a newbie tries to hit that number. That’s the mistake.”—RM

“Budget doesn’t matter…it’s is a made-up number that they (the client) based on a self diagnosis.”—JS

“Consulting: you’re not an employee, they (the client) are not directing you. You are leading them to the promised land.”—RM