HOW TO WRITE SALES DRIVING PROPOSALS

Watch Me Explain What Your Proposals Must Include to Get Accepted Nearly Every Time

#1... Should You Write the Proposal?

Every sales process has phases, and the proposal phase should never be entered into until:

1 - You assess the prospect's budget matches your fee structure for the work needed

2 - The prospect conceptually agrees to a brief overview of what will be included in your proposal, such as timelines, milestones, fee structure, joint accountabilities, etc.

Once you're confident that you and the buyer have a mutual understanding of what needs to be done, and how, now you may move into the proposal stage.

Lay Out the Ground Work

When you begin writing your proposal, begin with a Situation Appraisal.

This is a clearly defined narrative of the following;

- Why the prospect contacted you

- Where his/her pain is

- How you will reduce or eliminate this pain

- What basic methods you'll be employing

For example:

Situation Appraisal

Robin Hood wishes to eliminate physical attacks and severe taxation being forced upon local residents of Nottingham, perpetrated by the local Sheriff.

We will work with Robin Hood to reduce these attacks while increasing the local economy by: 1) effectively training the local population to fight, 2) leveraging the "haunted" Sherwood Forest as both a refuge and staging point for military ambushes on tax collectors, 3) using the stolen tax revenue to buy more weapons and perpetuate these defensive efforts until King Richard returns form the Crusades.

A great situation appraisal quickly identifies the pain, and the prescription so the buyer's head physically nods in agreement.

Show Where This is Going

No one uses a map unless they can see the destination where they want to go.

And no one wants to see a proposal that does not explicitly state how their condition will be improved if they agree to it.

As a result, you need to add a section that highlights the Objectives you will help your prospect reach as a result of your relationship with them

Fore example:

Objectives

- Robin Hood and his Merry Men will be equipped physically and mentally to defend themselves against raids by the Sheriff of Nottingham.

- Robin Hood will have the ability to stage ongoing ambushes and raids on tax collectors

- Local residents of Nottingham will no longer be required to pay local taxes

Show the Value (and Hidden Benefits)

Why do you think people contact me for marketing?

? To increase sales?

? To increase profit?

? To increase sales conversion?

The answer is yes, yes, yes, but more.... much, much more.

Some prospective clients admit to me they want to golf more, and more sales will help them accomplish that.

Some want to sell their businesses as quickly as possible, and need to boost the value of their company quickly.

Some want to give their business to their kids, and they're deathly afraid of losing long-term customers that may wish to jump ship after they retire.

Your prospective buyers has several reasons they need you, and the value of what you're doing for them needs a place in your proposal, and here it is!

All you need to add to this section of your proposal is the long-term and short-term value of working with you.

This section is critical is making your proposal shine versus the other proposals your prospect may be looking at.

For example:

Value

- Elimination of time and energy spent worrying about future attacks

- New revenue leads to increases in medical treatment and disease prevention through the acquisition of medicine, medical equipment and local doctors, including cataract couchers, herniotomists, lithotomists, midwives, and pig gelders

- Reduction of battle injuries and casualties

- Increase in contact with the Maid Marian for the purposes of soldier recruitment and military reconnaissance

- Greater prospect of promotion within King Richard's army as a result of newfound military prominence and local popularity

Explain How Progress will be Measured

I love this next section of a proposal that deals with metrics and milestones because it sets up the new relationship for total success.

Now instead of a client bugging you about when something will be done, you can simply point to the proposal for when it was agreed to be completed by.

This takes away all of the guesswork regarding time-frames and expectations.

Also, this section makes it clear that with every milestone (and month), you are both moving closer toward the client's condition being indefinitely improved.

For example:

Measurements of Success

- At least 70% decrease in battle causalities over the next quarter due to increased training and position fortification

- Military training will begin within 2 weeks of proposal acceptance

- 500% increase of recruitment efforts over the next 30 days

- Within 60 days, total elimination of reliance of local costly militia to protect locals from attacks

Lay Out the Methods, and Options

Now it's time to lay out the exact actionable steps you are going to take in the interest of improving your prospect's condition.

I always recommend using option because this leaves the prospect with a selection between 3 yes's, versus 1 yes or no.

If you're good at what you do (like me), your competitors will find a way to get a hold of your proposal and learn from it.

So be sure not to disclose any secrets, just the basic sauce being employed.

For example:

Methodology

Option 1: Training and Fortification

We will assist Robin Hood in the military training of his Merry Men

1- Daily military exercises and drills

2- Scouting, and selecting of most practical and defensible location within Sherwood Forest for food collection, military training and deployment as well as family dwelling and habituation

Option 2: All of the elements of Option 1, including: Recruitment, and Weaponizing

1- Development of message, scrolls and local placement of scrolls in the interest of driving new recruits while minimizing chances of exposure to tax collectors or the Sheriff's men

2 - Adoption of techniques to develop military weapons

Option 3: All of the elements of Options 1 and 2, including: Military Ambushes and Raids

1- Successful implementation of military ambushes and raids in the interest of the elimination of the Sheriff's men while seizing tax revenue traveling through Sherwood forest to London

Developing a sales-driving proposal begins by understanding why your prospect reached out to you, all while creatively demonstrating how you will improve their condition.

WANT MORE ADVICE LIKE THIS EVERY SINGLE WEEK?

#1... Should You Write the Proposal?

Every sales process has phases, and the proposal phase should never be entered into until:

1 - You assess the prospect's budget matches your fee structure for the work needed

2 - The prospect conceptually agrees to a brief overview of what will be included in your proposal, such as timelines, milestones, fee structure, joint accountabilities, etc.

Once you're confident that you and the buyer have a mutual understanding of what needs to be done, and how, now you may move into the proposal stage.

Lay Out the Ground Work

When you begin writing your proposal, begin with a Situation Appraisal.

This is a clearly defined narrative of the following;

- Why the prospect contacted you

- Where his/her pain is

- How you will reduce or eliminate this pain

- What basic methods you'll be employing

For example:

Situation Appraisal

Robin Hood wishes to eliminate physical attacks and severe taxation being forced upon local residents of Nottingham, perpetrated by the local Sheriff.

We will work with Robin Hood to reduce these attacks while increasing the local economy by: 1) effectively training the local population to fight, 2) leveraging the "haunted" Sherwood Forest as both a refuge and staging point for military ambushes on tax collectors, 3) using the stolen tax revenue to buy more weapons and perpetuate these defensive efforts until King Richard returns form the Crusades.

A great situation appraisal quickly identifies the pain, and the prescription so the buyer's head physically nods in agreement.

Show Where This is Going

No one uses a map unless they can see the destination where they want to go.

And no one wants to see a proposal that does not explicitly state how their condition will be improved if they agree to it.

As a result, you need to add a section that highlights the Objectives you will help your prospect reach as a result of your relationship with them

Fore example:

Objectives

- Robin Hood and his Merry Men will be equipped physically and mentally to defend themselves against raids by the Sheriff of Nottingham.

- Robin Hood will have the ability to stage ongoing ambushes and raids on tax collectors

- Local residents of Nottingham will no longer be required to pay local taxes

Show the Value (and Hidden Benefits)

Why do you think people contact me for marketing?

? To increase sales?

? To increase profit?

? To increase sales conversion?

The answer is yes, yes, yes, but more.... much, much more.

Some prospective clients admit to me they want to golf more, and more sales will help them accomplish that.

Some want to sell their businesses as quickly as possible, and need to boost the value of their company quickly.

Some want to give their business to their kids, and they're deathly afraid of losing long-term customers that may wish to jump ship after they retire.

Your prospective buyers has several reasons they need you, and the value of what you're doing for them needs a place in your proposal, and here it is!

All you need to add to this section of your proposal is the long-term and short-term value of working with you.

This section is critical is making your proposal shine versus the other proposals your prospect may be looking at.

For example:

Value

- Elimination of time and energy spent worrying about future attacks

- New revenue leads to increases in medical treatment and disease prevention through the acquisition of medicine, medical equipment and local doctors, including cataract couchers, herniotomists, lithotomists, midwives, and pig gelders

- Reduction of battle injuries and casualties

- Increase in contact with the Maid Marian for the purposes of soldier recruitment and military reconnaissance

- Greater prospect of promotion within King Richard's army as a result of newfound military prominence and local popularity

Explain How Progress will be Measured

I love this next section of a proposal that deals with metrics and milestones because it sets up the new relationship for total success.

Now instead of a client bugging you about when something will be done, you can simply point to the proposal for when it was agreed to be completed by.

This takes away all of the guesswork regarding time-frames and expectations.

Also, this section makes it clear that with every milestone (and month), you are both moving closer toward the client's condition being indefinitely improved.

For example:

Measurements of Success

- At least 70% decrease in battle causalities over the next quarter due to increased training and position fortification

- Military training will begin within 2 weeks of proposal acceptance

- 500% increase of recruitment efforts over the next 30 days

- Within 60 days, total elimination of reliance of local costly militia to protect locals from attacks

Lay Out the Methods, and Options

Now it's time to lay out the exact actionable steps you are going to take in the interest of improving your prospect's condition.

I always recommend using option because this leaves the prospect with a selection between 3 yes's, versus 1 yes or no.

If you're good at what you do (like me), your competitors will find a way to get a hold of your proposal and learn from it.

So be sure not to disclose any secrets, just the basic sauce being employed.

For example:

Methodology

Option 1: Training and Fortification

We will assist Robin Hood in the military training of his Merry Men

1- Daily military exercises and drills

2- Scouting, and selecting of most practical and defensible location within Sherwood Forest for food collection, military training and deployment as well as family dwelling and habituation

Option 2: All of the elements of Option 1, including: Recruitment, and Weaponizing

1- Development of message, scrolls and local placement of scrolls in the interest of driving new recruits while minimizing chances of exposure to tax collectors or the Sheriff's men

2 - Adoption of techniques to develop military weapons

Option 3: All of the elements of Options 1 and 2, including: Military Ambushes and Raids

1- Successful implementation of military ambushes and raids in the interest of the elimination of the Sheriff's men while seizing tax revenue traveling through Sherwood forest to London

Developing a sales-driving proposal begins by understanding why your prospect reached out to you, all while creatively demonstrating how you will improve their condition.