There are four musts when it comes to a deal-winning proposal. Most of them are missed entirely or they’re incomplete. Here’s the four:
Number one: deals are won before the proposal. Through great discovery, trust-building, you show that you understand their business. You’ve built confidence in the minds of the buyer. That wins deals. Not a PDF proposal. A proposal simply confirms and assures their confidence in you.
Number two: a winning proposal de-risks the decision. Specifically, the value is clear. The prospect can see it. They understand it. They have the right amount of information to make a decision. They’re not overwhelmed. And the outcomes have certainty and clarity with as much specificity as possible, whether that’s numbers or action needed.
Number three: to increase your chances at winning your deal, walk through your proposal with your prospect, collaborate on it, let them put their thumbprint on it so they feel like it’s their own. Don’t just send it off at an email. This won’t end well.
Number four: your proposal should be clear enough to stand on its own because your prospect will likely have several others looking at it. So they should be able to pick it up, see the value, understand the information, and understand the goals and the outcomes.
So to build winning proposals:
- Deals are won before the proposal
- De-risk their decision by showing tangible value
- Walk through your proposal with your prospects
- Proposals need to show the value on their own