Stop Writing Sales Proposals Like It’s 1985!

An executive summary in 1985: “Thank you for the opportunity to submit this proposal…” or, “This is our response to Proposal Name ABC123X1 ...”. After the banal salutation stating the obvious, the next vintage 1985 verbiage is a lift and shift of marketing fluff that lays out why you (the vendor) are wonderful – you have the best people – committed and passionate, you’ve got offices here, there and everywhere, you’ve won awards, etc.

If you're still writing like this, you're stuck in 1985-1995. Time to fast forward to the now.

In 1985 the Internet didn’t exist, so you could get away with proposal writing that was me, me orientated because it was difficult for buyers to research your products and services and your company.

Too Busy To Write

In the early days, B2B tech companies were also run by technical people that were too busy developing tech to focus on applying the science of copywriting (like B2C) because, to a large degree, it didn’t matter. Engineers and the C-suite, highly educated and clever, wrote proposals and responded to tenders the way they wrote at university. Academic writing is abstract and long-winded. So, why not continue in the same vein? After all, technology is highly complex, so long-winded sentences will do just fine.

Jargon Mania

From the 1980s and 1990s, businesses large and small knew they needed tech but didn’t know much about it. So they were prepared to be dazzled (and confused) by the tech jargon rampant in tech (which today is pretty much out of control).

Also, as tech deals got larger and more complex, legal people advising tech companies inserted their legalise into contracts. Then what happened, of course, was that legal jargon (much of it incomprehensible) made its way into tender responses.

Ironclad Commitment

Some of you will say that proposal responses and tenders can be used as binding promises from the vendor, so they need careful handling. True, and there is a list of words we avoid in proposal responses like ‘guarantee’ or ‘ensure’ that stop us from shooting ourselves in the foot. However, it's fairly straightforward to avoid committing to something you might not be able to deliver using plain English instead of resorting to legal jargon that can come off as aggressive and self-serving. If your sales proposals and tenders read too much like a contract and not a thoughtfully crafted persuasive argument, you're stuck in 1985.

Focussing On Writing Is A Waste Of Time

Right now, you might be exceeding your sales targets, winning seven out of 10 tenders, so it might not matter that your proposal responses are a bit mediocre or even poorly crafted.

However, there will come a day when it will matter.

And it might be the one bid you really want to win, and that particular one will be judged largely on the merits of what and how you write the tender response.

So, why not consider improving how you craft proposals? Maybe don’t copy and paste how they did it in 1985, 1995, 2005 or 2015. Start responding to tenders like it’s 2022. Business has changed a lot since the 80s. It's changed a lot in the last five years and more so in the last two years.

The World Has Changed And It's Challenging Us To Communicate Differently

Here's how it's different today:

Dealing with uncertainty – things are constantly up and down from markets to jobs to everyday life. Like you, buyers have their hands' full navigating uncertainty. They don't have the headspace for empty rhetoric like, “we’re committed to you”, or reading paragraph upon paragraph of marketing messages they’ve already cited elsewhere, like on your website or associated brochureware.

Life is incredibly complex – Everything and everybody today is interdependent and interconnected. Businesses also have complex organisational structures, processes, and product and service portfolios. So, the ability to concisely explain how your complex solution will simplify the customer’s complicated mess does require some writing finesse.

Things are more complicated – Life is messier. For example, layers of old and new technology systems intermingle, and lines are blurred between work and home life. Because life is complicated, people’s attention is elsewhere. However, you'll get their attention if you can write clearly.

There is way more competition – Today (and unlike in 1985), many new players are constantly entering and disrupting status quo markets while old players enter new markets. Knowing how to harness the power of words to stand out no matter how tough the competition gives you the edge.

Dealing with greater customer expectations – B2B customers are well-informed about technology and associated vendors today. Everything about us is online. We all know that buyers research us long before they release a tender. So, unlike in 1985, it’s not enough to sell benefits or list all the ways we’re wonderful. We have to communicate value that far exceeds expectations. You can probably pull that off verbally but at some point, you'll have to communicate value in writing.

Conclusion

Of course, you know life has changed, even if you weren’t born way back pre-1985. So why are you still copying the way other salespeople write because “that’s how we’ve always written executive summaries” or “that’s how we’ve always written tenders.”

I’m also not a fan of the excuse, “but the buyer decides the vendor they want before they release the Request for Proposal (RFP), so no point focussing on writing quality.” If you’re unsure that you’re the Chosen One, why are you bothering to respond at all? Do you think you have an outside chance? You won’t get a look in if you can’t impress them with a well-designed response using plain English.

Related articles:

One Way To Increase Revenue Is To Write Better Proposals. Here's How.

How To Write An Out-Of-This-World, Really Excellent Executive Summary

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