Sales Proposal Tips To Always Keep In Mind

I originally wrote a blog post on how to write a killer proposal as a freelancer for the Snipply blog but realized much of the advice applies more broadly. The proposal itself is really important as it is the next step beyond your relationship that will get you hired or your deal closed. It shows that you understand what your client needs and is asking for, and it highlights how you are the exact person, or company, for the job.

While the sales process for different types of deals will be unique, there are a few basic points to highlight and always keep in mind. Some of these will apply a bit more to initial proposals and sales processes in general, and others can be applied towards closing.

Summarize the project or your client's needs back to the potential client.

Your client’s problem is the number one thing they have in mind when they start going through proposals, so presenting it back to them with a sense of clarity is incredibly important when starting the proposal.

Remember that your client is always the foundation of the proposal.

You need to demonstrate a core understanding of their problem in order for them to take your proposal seriously. Not only should you focus on demonstrating your knowledge of their problem or needs, but you can go deeper into understanding them specifically — whether it is the team or company itself, their business and competition, or their long-term goals and how this project fits in both short-term and in the future.

Stop talking about yourself.

All too often people start the sales or proposal process off by talking about themselves or their company. This is an easy way to annoy a prospect, especially if you are just reciting information they already know. The 80/20 rule of active listening says that in any sales conversation you should spend 80% of the time listening and only 20% of the time talking. Remember the point above about your client or prospect being the center of attention.

Ask more questions.

Piggybacking on the 80/20 rule, you need to be asking more questions - and better questions. You'll reach that ratio by asking important questions that will then give you insight into what you should be talking about in order to make the meeting productive. Remember, you only have 20% of the meeting to talk, so you need to use that time to understand and address the client's needs.

Don't answer questions that haven't been asked.

Semi-related to the 80/20 rule you shouldn't be talking about things that haven't been asked to be talked about. For example, your agency handles SEM, SEO and content marketing, team building and training, social media marketing, video production, and other creative services. If your potential client only cares about paid marketing then you have just wasted a ton of time talking about irrelevant services.

Remember that it is best to be brief and to the point.

The longer something is the less likely it is to actually be read. Where you can, use bullets, illustrations and graphics, and other ways to convey large amounts of information in short spaces. The best proposal is rarely the longest proposal.

Make sure to be timely and available.

If you get questions you need to answer them quickly and thoroughly. You will never get hired if there are already questions on your ability to get things done on time.

Make the cost of everything clear.

Carefully think through what needs to be here and make sure to be as detailed as possible. In sales for less complicated projects, we often like to present three different options representing a low-end, medium and high-end price point. Generally speaking, you want to make the medium and high-end price points the most attractive to the client but leave room for making slight changes. Potential customers HATE unclear pricing, especially if they feel like they are being nickel-and-dimed.

Don't race to the bottom when it comes to pricing.

No one wins when you get a deal by offering the lowest pricing. This makes your offering appear less valuable throughout the sales process if undercutting competition. Even if you win the deal your margins are now shrunk. I'd only not worry about this if it is a potential flagship client with value beyond revenue - for example, future referrals, brand value, or other ways they could make up the margins.

Bundle in low-cost extras that add value to the client.

This is a great way to boost your value proposition without shrinking your margins. This is especially true for service-based businesses where you can through in small extras that when added all together provide more perceived value to the client.

Outline your process and timeline clearly.

This is important but often overlooked. If the process isn’t outlined and agreed upon, and a timeline isn’t presented in absolute clarity than the entire project could be set up for disappointment. The goal here is to have the project go as smoothly as possible — even if it is a one-time project or a transactional sale, you’ll want a good review, recommendation, and an open door for potential future projects. This is the first step in avoiding miscommunication resulting in unhappy clients popping up in the middle of a project or software implementation.

Make sure to keep a consistent sales process and pipeline.

It’s easy to get caught up in the business you already have in the pipeline, but it is necessary to have a healthy amount of new opportunities coming in. We know clients and potential sales can drop off, so it’s imperative to make sure you’re able to keep a steady pipeline of work. The last thing you want is to go from insanely busy to completely quiet.

If you never ask you never get an answer.

This little tip to keep in mind is relevant in many different ways. When talking to people in your network, you’ll never know if they need help in an area aligned with your expertise if you never ask. You can’t upsell clients if you don’t find out what other challenges they are facing. Make sure to always be asking questions that can be helping your business, and listening to see where there are new opportunities for growth.

Follow up, follow up, follow up.

Never be afraid to follow up with someone. There is no reason to think you are being polite by not following up with a potential client or pushing an existing one. Follow up is key to closing new business and making sure prospects are moving through the pipeline.

Get to no faster.

Don’t waste time constantly trying to work with someone who isn’t that interested, or seemingly aloof or hesitant. Getting to no faster will allow you to focus on potential clients that will sign, and on adding new prospects to the pipeline.

If you liked these suggestions, definitely check out Snipply’s blog where we’ll be publishing full guides for all of the topics we're discussing. And if interested in tools that make your work-life easier, check out Snipply’s beta here.

Suffering from editor fragmentation and collaboration headaches resulting from it? Love using Excel but hate Sheets? Want to put an end to your team’s friction over Office and G Suite? Join our waitlist here.