How To Present a Winning 6-Figure Proposal: 6-Steps to getting your client to sign the deal

Happy Tuesday ( or Monday) All!

This week I want to discuss how to write a winning proposal for high-value complex deals.?

But first, I need to make a big fat disclaimer.

Winning a proposal or offer is the outcome of different steps you have made in the sales process. So let's assume you have qualified for the Opportunity, Resources and Decision-Making Process and that you are presenting to key decision-makers.

First Step: Don't talk about yourself or your company. The first slide or page needs to be about your prospective Client and their needs.

There are two types of need, Expressed need and Latent need.

Frame the Problem if it's an Expressed Need.

?If your prospect provided you with a problem:

• Include a brief description of the Problem
• Highlight the significance of the Problem
• Provide evidence and impact of the Problem?

Evangelize a different and better future if it's a Latent need.

Show the customer a different future, and how life could be if that different future existed today.

• Think about your customer and their Future Aspirations ahead
• What would life be like if they achieve their Aspirations
• Show them that "Future" life in your proposal

For anyone else to accept your idea, they must be able to see it, touch it, and understand how it works.?

Step 2: Explain How Your Solution Bridges The Gap from the Problem to a Different Future

Tell your prospective client exactly the transformation you're proposing.

Align your prospect's business goals and key decision criteria to your solution and provide a clear pathway for your Client to get to where they want to be. Explain the value drivers of your solution, the benefits that will be derived, and how each benefit is relevant to the customer.

Example:

We will help you overcome Y.

We will show you, step-by-step, how we will solve Z.

What is the radically different benefit you are offering the customer?

Your prospective clients want to know what benefit(s) they'll receive rather than what features they'll receive. They're buying the outcome or result of your solution. Then quantify your solution's value & what are your differentiators?

Here is a template you can use:

Step 3: Present the Pricing that the Client expects. No surprises.

1. Understanding what the Client is willing to pay for is important.

• Make more money
• Reduce cost
• Move faster
• Avoid risk

2. Working on a proposal without a micro agreement is not efficient. If the Client does not have a budget, give a range and ask if the range sounds acceptable to them. Use the 3 Part Response for Money Question.

3. It is also not advisable to price lower and not gain a viable business. If the Client does not accept your pricing, you are talking to the wrong customers or need to add more value to your proposal.

4. It is not advisable to give discounts. Give a lower price only if:

• Your first user
• A valuable logo
• If you get lock-in
• Renew at a higher price

5. Keep your pricing simple and easy to understand. Do not make it complex and create friction for your prospects to be customers that will prevent them from sign-up.?

6. Remember Pricing is not Permanent.

Step 4:Provide proof of success working with you.

This is the part where you share all your credibility, testimonials and social proof.?

• Successful Case Studies on how you helped other organizations?
• Testimonials of your clients
• Any other Social Proof that increases the perceived likelihood of your prospect's success if they work with you.

Step 5: Do not email a proposal, present a proposal in Person.

Never ever email a proposal. Always present in Person.?

Salespeople close the deal and not the proposal. Presenting in Person also allows you to see non-verbal feedback from your prospects. This will help you to adjust and focus on the areas that matter most to close the deal.?

Additionally, it allows you to create a connection and build rapport with them which is an essential element in every sales process.

Step 6:Enabling your prospects to make a decision

The goal of presenting a proposal is for your Client to decide if they will sign a contract to work with you.?

More often, they will wait to make a decision and ask for more information, want to talk to your existing clients for references or write up a summary of what you discussed and so on. Before you respond to these requests, make sure that you will find out what is needed and what is important and if this information is provided, there is an understanding that decisions will be made.?

For example, your Client asked for a call with one of your existing clients for reference.

Find out what success looks like for your Client and hypothetically walk them into the future and ask, "I'd be happy to arrange a meeting with one of our successful clients. To make sure I don't waste your time and I understand, what specifically would you like to see that would help you make a good decision, one way or the other?".

If our Client says anything than making a decision, it is fair to push back and ask what you are missing.

The most important thing is to agree to do something for something in exchange.?

To enable our prospects/clients to make a decision, always start with the end in mind and second only agree to give something if there is a clear understanding of the outcome.?

Drop a comment below and let me know what you think of this week's newsletter.

Good? Bad? Helpful??

Have ideas you want to tackle in B2B sales or questions you want to be answered? Comment away! Would love to hear from you.

Until next week!

Ren Saguil