Continued from page 1
“How will you recognise
achievement of your objectives?”
“What measures are you using now?”
“What kind of short and long-term indicators do you plan to use?”
“What is minimum improvement you would like to see?”
“What is maximum improvement you would like to see?”
4. FALLING INTO THE TRAP OF DISCUSSING IMPLEMENTATION METHODOLOGIES – The proposal is a “big picture” document. It is not for outlining minor details. That is something you will put together later jointly with implementing team. Prospects know their businesses (content) and you know your stuff (process), and synergistic application of two will create desired improvements in client’s condition.
Yes, tasks and action steps are part of project, but they don’t belong to proposal. Jointly with buyer lay out objectives of project, that is, what kind of improvement you want to achieve. Consulting is about intensity of collaboration not poundage of deliverables and number of hours of manual labour is preformed.
“What improvement do you expect to see at end of project?”
“What are three most important issues we must handle first?”
“What would you like to have more of and less of by end of project?”
5. GIVING BUYERS A “TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT” CHOICE – When you indicate to buyers that there are several ways of skinning a cat, that is, they can choose from several options to achieve discussed objectives, you psychologically empower them because they can choose.
Empowered people are more confident and make decisions more quickly and permanently. You will not have “buyer’s remorse”. Always present options, and make sure one option is above budget.
6. TALKING ABOUT YOUR FEES TOO EARLY – If you want your fee to be seen as an investment to achieve a worthwhile goal, make sure you spend all your time talking about return on investment. If you offer fees too early, you may be perceived as a person who does not give adequate consideration to fees, only throws something out there in hope of acceptance.
7. FAILING TO CREATE A DEFINITE FOLLOW-UP PLAN – You must establish with buyer how and when you plan to follow up with proposal. This is especially important if you do not take a payment before writing it. Make certain that you do not land in situations like:
Buyer: “Don’t call me I call you when I’m ready.”
Buyer: “Just leave it with me and I’ll get back to you.” I won't happen. Always you follow up, or even better, take that commitment deposit.
SUMMARY
The big mistake about proposals is that most professionals regard them as sales documents. Well, they are not. They are first step of your project. This is where implementation part starts, and you write proposal after you have taken a small “good faith” deposit. Read it again. You get paid a small sum before writing a single word. Learn how to write effective proposals on three pages in one hour which will stand out of other proposals like a sore thumb. You will develop your personalised proposal template that is likely to take care of your career until you quit.
Think of most typical meaning of word “propose”. Yes, it is proposing marriage. And by time you propose, your chance of getting a no is virtually zero. It can happen, but by then there is so much commitment for relationship, that rejection is almost non-existent.
Business is same. You have completed first – conceptual - part of sales process (value interview, current state, future state.), so now you are on second – contractual – part of sales process. Your proposal is a written summary of an agreement you have already made and agreed to proceed.
Organisational Provocateur Tom “Bald Dog” Varjan works with service professionals who are frustrated selling their top notch services at competitive(ly low) fees. You find several special reports, over 65 indexed articles and his monthly newsletter for service professionals on his website at www.di-squad.com.
