Proposals don’t close business
Published on
Skill
Proposals don’t close business. YOU close business. It’s the fun part of the job.
Your buyer is not going to review your proposal the second you send it over. While it’s the most important thing to you at the moment, it’s not the most important thing to the buyer. They’ve got scores of proposals to get through.
Do everything possible to present your proposals personally to your prospects.
Do
Fight, scrape, claw, bite – or do all of it – to get time with your prospect to review some of your proposal. (Notice the emphasis on "some".)
This is where Champions can really help; leverage them to get your proposal out of the middle of the pile.
The skill here is getting your customer to commit to a 5-minute phone or Zoom meeting. When you score that meeting, present the one value nugget your buyer can’t do without.
If you prefer to sit back and use email as your feedback solicitation tool, you’ll get what you deserve.
Oomph
Oh, to be Don Draper….the ultimate closer.
Even though Don exists only in our minds, his unparalleled ability to present ideas and proposals is good entertainment… and good modeling. See for yourself in this 2-minute Mad Men clip.
Your proposals are nothing more than a digital file unless you use them for what they are: a closing tool.
Quote of the day
I passionately believe that it’s not just what you say that counts, it’s also how you say it – that the success of your argument critically depends on your manner of presenting it.