HOW TO WIN YOUR NEXT PROPOSAL
Christina Godfrey Carter
The Proposal Person ? Helping B2Bs win more revenue with a strategic, simple RFX methodology ?
When was the last time you read a document that was really boring? You probably skimmed it as quickly as possible and then promptly forgot everything you read. You do not want to make your proposal just another boring document that gets skimmed and forgotten.
The procurement team, the CTO, or whoever is reading your proposal is just as human as you are. They aren’t going to truly read your proposal unless it is interesting and relevant to them. Instead, they're going to read (and award to) the bid that they actually read.
There are so many different things you need to do in order to make your response interesting - be straightforward, tell stories, add pictures, share quotes, etc. But one of the most important things you need to do is stop talking about yourself.
If your goal is to write a proposal that cures insomnia, follow these steps:
- Keep using your company’s or product’s name.
- Repeatedly use the word ‘our.’
- Use your responses to list features and services.
If you want to write a proposal that wins you business, follow these steps:
- Use every opportunity to tell them how they will achieve their goals because they used your product.
- Show them the time they will save.
- Write about money they will make.
- Make it easy for them to see the effort they will save.
- Just keep talking about them.
The individuals who are reading your proposals are buying a product to help them reach a specific goal or multiple goals. They don’t care very much about you, but they do care a ton about themselves. Always keep this in mind when writing your executive summaries and proposals. If you do this, not only will that person in procurement not fall asleep at their desk despite their sixth cup of coffee, but they'll score you that much higher.
How do you make sure your proposals are all about your customer and less about you?
Christina Carter
https://www.christinagcarter.com/
My summer consulting spots are quickly running out. Send me a message if you’re interested in signing up for a consulting or training session.