Sadly, for far too many service professionals proposal writing is a “hope-and-pray” game. They sit down with prospects, chat for a while and then volunteer to “submit a proposal”. In
traditional proposal process project is not accepted until proposal is signed. However, there are some problems there. Not every buyer is ready to buy. Some are just ruthless tyre kickers collecting free information from kind-hearted souls. Some prospects will drag you along, milk you for free information and in last moment drop out.
Compare it to a bullfight: The matador puts up red cape and bull charges. After spectators have received enough excitement and bull is dead exhausted, matador elegantly pulls a sword out of rolled-up end of cape and stabs bull in heart.
Now let us look at you in a “bullfight”: Prospects entice you for a great project you start working in order to get gig. After prospects got all information they were looking for and you are dead tired after dispensing all that information, prospects tell you they are not interested and you can get lost. Now, here is something. When is it easier to receive that no? Before or after you have spent time, effort and energy to draft your proposal?
As you will learn, a proposal – like a marriage certificate - is a short document, but it is silly to offer it unless there is a mutual commitment to go ahead. So, to make life easier for you, it is a lot easier not to write proposals unless prospects make a commitment to work with you.
You may now say this is silly and nobody works with you unless they know what they get. Well then, think of airport terminals and plane flights. The terminal tells you where plane is flying to and what terminal it is leaving from and approximate departure and arrival times. And you basically make an investment and buy your ticket based on these two pieces of information.
All rest can change as you go along. They do not tell you how many times driver will change gear, how many times plane will stop at red lights or at flight channel congestion, or how many times pilot has to call AA to fix a flat tyre.
A proposal is same. It is a strategic - big picture – document. The tactics come later and they can change on a dime as necessary. So let us look at seven typical mistakes service professionals make regarding proposals.
1. NOT FINDING THE TRUE ECONOMIC BUYER - You must always talk to economic buyer, only person in client’s company who can both authorise and finance project. Yes, you will bump into some self-important busybodies but make sure they do not take you for a ride. They may pose as decision-makers but they are not. Here is a way of testing it.
“So, am I hearing correctly that you can write me a cheque now, shake hands and begin project tomorrow morning?”
2. NOT ASKING THE PROSPECT ABOUT THE VALUE THE PROJECT’S COMPLETION WILL MEAN TO THE COMPANY - Ask prospects to stipulate value their organisations (and them personally) will derive from project. The more you focus on value buyers receive from collaborating with you, less opportunity you give them to “grill” you about your fees. Remember, buyers must not know your fees until they have reached last section of your proposal. However, you can demonstrate how much better off they will be after project, that is, you expose them to gap – often proverbial Grand Canyon – between before and after project situation.
“As a result of this project, what will you be able to do what you cannot do right now?
“What impact do you expect on your personal life after successful completion?”
“What is financial impact on an annual and decade basis?”
“So, what is budget you can dedicate to in achieving outcomes you have just stipulated?”
3. NOT ESTABLISHING METRICS FOR THE PROJECT - Establish how prospects want to measure progress of project. These are quantitative, qualitative and – very very important – personal indicators. Also, make sure you have both long- and short-term indicators set for measurement. Remember, “writing a 70-page manual” and “running a half-day workshop” are not metrics. They are deliverables, thus totally useless for value-based consulting.
