Proposals A proposal is a document of confirmation. It should confirm everything that has transpired to this point. It should reprise all of the elements all of the incentives to change and the confidence to invest that you have already established. It connects all of the elements of value into a single column up formal document. The purpose of a proposal is to document the series of decisions that have already been made. The proposal supports the rationalization of the decision and should confirm everything that you have done with the customer to this point. The goal of a proposal is to reinforce decisions that have already been made. Following are the guidelines for creating and delivering a great proposal: No Surprises The proposal is the official version of the discussion document. It is no longer a pencil's catch, is now being rewritten unique. The power of the proposal isn't in its multimedia, or its flowery prose, it is in the fact that our customers have actively collaborated in its preparation and are ready to agree with its conclusions. Use The Customer's Fingerprints We want to make sure the customer’s scenarios are on the proposal. Use the customer's exact terminology and ideas as often as possible. Eliminate all verbal distinctions that separate you from the customer. Everything must be "us" and "we". It shows that you and the customer working together. The more your proposal reads like a document that might have been produced within the customer's organization, the higher the comfort level.
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*Do not make your customers translate your terms into their language. Customers will choose the solution that sounds most relevant and familiar to them. Your client will be delighted to see that their ideas were brought to life by you. The best word to describe it is synergy. You are combining the best of your company's experience and knowledge with the best of your customers, and you were describing the desired results in terms the customer is familiar with.
Solicit Presentation Feedback One of the main goals of an affected decision process is to service and eliminate sticking points before they can knock the sale off-track. You need to solicit feedback on your proposal from a member of the senior decision team before the formal presentation. The Participative Presentation The typical sales presentation is often a sterile event. A sales team delivers a canned performance while searching for the smallest and approval from its audience. The customer's team sits back, poker faced and noncommittal, silently acting as judge and jury. Most often there is little interaction between the customer and the sales team, and what does exist is usually stilted and formal, as if real communication is somehow prohibited under the rules of engagement. This would be a very unfortunate way to end the sales engagement. Anchor The Larger Solution In The Presentation It is always easier to sell one piece of the solution than the full package. The initial cost is lower, implementation is less complex, and there is less change and fault. At the same time, you have to be careful not to lose the larger sale. You need to identify the links between the solution you are discussing today and future sales. Often these links will appear in the outcomes section of the presentation as you talk about the value the solution delivers, you can also mention opportunities for future added value.
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