One of the most time consuming tasks of salespeople are proposals, which is the reason why so many proposals look unpleasing, uninspiring, or lack the proper message. A proposal that hasn’t been professionally prepared can significantly decrease your sales performance. We’ve put together 6 game-changing tips for making your proposals rock solid and increase your company’s sales efficiency.
1. Always prepare your proposal immediately after speaking with the client
The most important aspects of selling is listening to the client, asking the important questions, and assessing your client’s needs. Many salespeople utilize the BANT approach: Budget, Authority, Needs and Time Frame. If a client asks for a proposal quickly, prepare your most necessary questions in advance, get a good grasp of their needs, then begin creating your proposal.
2. Set a framework for your proposal
Your proposal should make it very clear that you understand your client’s needs. Include their goals, constraints and the needs, and place them at the beginning of your proposal. Identify pain points that the client is currently facing. This will engage your clients almost instantly and set the tone for the rest of your proposal. Focus on the problems your client is facing, and how you intend to solve them.
3. Keep it short
While it’s important to make sure your proposal has everything it needs, we find that most proposals are much longer than they need to be. A concise, clear proposal appears much easier for clients to read and understand. It should be direct and include the most important details. Keeping it short will increase the chances that your client will read the entire proposal.
4. Speak your client’s language
Avoid using overly technical terms in your proposal. Part of keeping your message clear is to use similar dialog as your client. Of course, you’ll want to include a layer of technicality in order to demonstrate professionalism and expertise, but too many technical words could look like you’re “fluffing”. Be direct and write with intelligence.
5. Enlist a proposal writing app that will help you prepare and track your progress
Good proposal writing apps allow you to save templates, track responses, and ultimately save you time preparing proposals. You can prepare flawless proposals using TeamGram at a fraction of the time, and email it directly to your clients. When a client reads your proposal, TeamGram sends you a notification, plus allowing you to manage the process from anywhere within the TeamGram mobile app.
6. For product sales, add a product image to your proposal
One useful technique for adding a new layer of excitement to your proposal is to include images for products that are part of your proposal. Not only does this serve as a reminder to the client, but it also brings additional clarity and engagement. It’s important to invest in professional images too; in most cases, poor product shots will actually backfire. To the recipient, good quality images equal good quality products.