11/19/2024-Proposal creation as an artform

Packaging your proposals requires discipline: don’t let others change your mind that "less is more." If you take your time to craft tight – yet thorough proposals – your buyers will read them.

Close your eyes and pretend you’re a buyer who just received your proposal….what do you want to see on that proposal?

If you answered "pricing details," guess again.

Buyers want value details…they want to know everything about what they’re buying.

And the better you are at packaging your proposal and explaining the value in a cogent way, the more receptive the buyer will be when s/he gets to the price tag.

Focus as much on form as on function in the next proposal you create.

The words you use to convey your value are definitely important in your proposals, but you need to pay heavy attention to form too. Making your proposal easy to consume must be a priority, or the buyer won’t care about your wordsmithing.

White space is your friend; run-on sentences and long paragraphs are not. Value prop details will help you…exhaustive explanations of your features will not.

If others in your org are stuffing your proposals with endless details, at least insist upon including a TOC to help the buyer navigate. Always put the good stuff up front.

A proposal that will get your prospect to read and not scan your document possesses these key elements:
1. Executive summary: a concise overview of your proposal highlighting key points and benefits.

2. Problem statement: a clear and compelling description of the problem or opportunity you’re addressing.

3. Proposed solution: a detailed explanation of your solution…that’s what the slides in the back of the deck are for.

4. Value proposition: a clear articulation of the value your proposal is addressing. Make it custom for that customer!

5. Credentials and experience: a short demonstration of your expertise and past successes. (e.g. case studies modified to protect identity and proprietary info.)

All of the above must be packaged in a way that does not feel overwhelming…word clutter and repetition aren’t your friends when it comes to crafting winning proposals.

In this video, industrial designer Morna showcases five examples of form and function.

Morna’s passion for her subject and mellifluous presentation style make her videos feel meditative, and she’s also a great teacher.

Watch, and you’ll be inspired to construct compelling proposals that your customers will want to engage with…just like her videos.

Form…and function!