The Simple Secret to Writing Proposals

In working with some of my sales team on proposals over the past few weeks, we always come to a point where we are wondering if we should put in A or B. In our case, A or B could mean print or online advertising, or maybe an event sponsorship. Most people ultimately resolve to just guess what the prospect wants. I think that is very risky. Not only could you end up putting the wrong things on a proposal, but you can also send the message that you really don’t understand the prospect’s needs, and maybe even lose the deal. There is a better way, but I warn you that its simplicity is startling. Rather than guess and pray, why not just ask the prospect? As simple as that sounds most people don’t. I am not sure why…

Here is how it sounds. You work on your proposal and make a short list of the things you are not sure about. Next, call the prospect and say “I am finalizing the proposal, but I wanted to run a few things by you. Do you have a few minutes for that?” Then, just ask away. The result? You find out exactly what the prospect is looking for (why should it be a mystery?) and they get a proposal that meets their needs.

BONUS: Next step… I was speaking with Gail Lieberman, one of our advisors who is helping me on a project that I am working on. For this project, it is really important to get the other side engaged in the process of exploring a long-term deal. She said that instead of developing the financial projections for the project and then showing them to the other party, we should work on them together. This way we both have ownership in the process. I don’t see why this can’t work on a proposal, as well. I hope to try that approach soon.