How do you balance the quality and speed of your presales deliverables and presentations?

1. Plan backwards. You will get to know how long you have to work on each section or function of the presentation/deliverable. 2. if your deliverable/presentation needs data from several sources, send the request out first. 3. Create reusable elements. Any slides you make are reusable. Have them handy in a folder to pick and tailor it for the specific requirement. 4. Always have a 80%+ completed slide for the first review. You don't want to start on some slides at the eleventh hour and then get shot down by the boss at 12th. 5. Don't create empty placeholder slides. Fill them with your vision of the slide - what goes in it, where will you get the data from and how it may look.

Balancing quality and speed in presales means focusing on what matters most. First, understand what the customer wants and make a solution that fits perfectly. Work efficiently but don't rush, and make sure everything is done right. Tell your team clearly how long things will take so they can plan well. Keep presentations simple and clear so everyone understands. Get feedback and improve gradually. Work together as a team, using everyone's strengths. Check everything carefully before finalizing to avoid mistakes.

Balancing quality and speed in presales deliverables and presentations requires a strategic approach. Define the scope and objectives clearly to ensure focus and relevance. Prioritize key elements that deliver the most value efficiently. Use templates and standardized processes to streamline content creation without sacrificing quality. Regular review cycles help catch and correct issues early. Leverage collaborative tools for team efficiency and consistent communication. Avoid excessive changes to processes that work well, as this impacts presales duration. Enhance processes only if they significantly reduce activities, and do so during lower workload periods to minimize disruption.

L'avant-vente ne se résume pas à une simple rédaction de proposition, c'est un projet en soi où l'anticipation et la planification jouent un r?le clé. Voici comment optimiser ce processus dès la décision de répondre à un appel d'offres : - Stratégie de réponse : établissez une stratégie claire qui non seulement répond aux enjeux du client mais vous distingue également de la concurrence - Mobilisation des acteurs : impliquez rapidement tous les acteurs nécessaires (équipe avant-vente, experts, commerce, juridique, qualité, sécurité). Assurez-vous de leur disponibilité et de leur compréhension de la stratégie - évaluation des risques : identifiez et évaluez les risques potentiels, en mettant en place des stratégies pour les atténuer

You can easily operationalize many things by applying better execution methodologies. However, from my extensive experience in presales, I've found that understanding the value proposition, establishing the tone of the proposal, explicitly addressing their problem statement, clearly showcasing how your execution aligns with their needs, and demonstrating how the customer will benefit from your services or product is critical. Winning the proposal relies on having a clear and thoughtful approach, which holds greater importance.

In my experience, creating templates and POCs beforehand helps speed up the delivery process of presentations. Once delivered, sharing these templates with the team helps increase the team's productivity in creating team-wide resources.

A comprehensive discovery template includes vital information such as company details, decision-makers, challenges, budget, existing solutions, technical requirements, compliance needs, and more. This data helps sales assess if an SE is needed and ensures a solid understanding of prospect needs before proceeding, streamlining the presales process effectively.

Combiner efficacement l'utilisation de modèles éprouvés et la personnalisation des propositions est essentiel pour maximiser l'efficacité tout en répondant aux attentes spécifiques des clients. 1) Capitalisation - L'utilisation de modèles basés sur des succès antérieurs permet de gagner du temps et d'assurer la cohérence des propositions - Développer une gestion de la connaissance implique d'identifier, de formaliser et d'organiser les savoir-faire pour qu'ils soient accessibles et utilisables par toute l'équipe 2) Personnalisation - Chaque proposition doit être adaptée pour refléter les besoins et les motivations du client - Une étude auprès de clients d'une ESN a révélé que 40% des clients trouvent les propositions trop stéréotypées

Stakeholder mapping and analysis is key to prioritization and scope of PreSales activities with a prospect. A prospect's time is valuable, and you have to ensure you are working with the correct persona's to achieve the business outcomes your prospect is looking to achieve. The buying group has expanded post covid. Pre-Covid you could be seeing on average 5-6 in a buying group, and latest research puts that number north of 14 on average. the key is to make people feel heard, separate the important from not vital right now..... a key way to do that is an impact/effort assessment so you tackle the real challenges that achieve impact and change.

Moreover, conducting dry runs or practice presentations is equally vital. Dry runs allow you to simulate the actual presentation experience, offering several advantages: Polish Your Delivery: Practicing your presentation helps you refine your speaking style, pacing, and overall delivery. It enables you to identify and eliminate any stumbling points or awkward transitions. Identify Gaps: Dry runs reveal potential gaps or missing information in your presentation. You can spot areas where additional details or context may be needed to effectively address prospect questions or concerns. Ensure Alignment: By involving your sales and technical teams in the dry run, you can ensure that everyone is on the same page.

In my experience, this part is key in order to agree with all your internal team. Make the deliverable (demo, presentation or whatever) part of the team, not just yours. Trying to get feedback and adding the suggestions from your team will ensure that the deliverable is agreed an for sure, the quality will be better. You could use initially templates, standard documentation, basic demos, etc, and grow from that to build the deliverable. In my opinion, the most important of the staff you produce is that is correctly built with the audience target in mind and with the messages that need to be shared

Maintaining the right skill set is crucial. I've come across discussions where some believe that AI-based software alone can handle winning proposals. While I don't discredit the significance of AI, I emphasize the importance of using these tools wisely. It's essential to have individuals who comprehend things comprehensively rather than merely inundating proposals with jargon. I've witnessed such proposals and thus advocate for utilizing individuals who can adapt to change and work seamlessly. #usetechnologyeffectively and #notblindly