Understanding The Sales Process

1 March 2023

The Sales Proposal

Writing an effective sales proposal can be a challenging yet rewarding task. It requires strong presentation and persuasive writing skills in order to gain support from potential customers. With the right approach and methodology, however, any organisation can create a proposal to attract and excite prospects, leading to more successful sales.

The proposal writing process should begin by gathering the necessary information about the product or service being sold. It’s important to be familiar with the company's services, products, and target market. This information makes it easier to craft a proposal that is tailored to the prospective customer’s needs.

The structure of the proposal should clearly outline the objectives, scope of work, timelines, and pricing structure. During the scope of work section, be sure to indicate the features and benefits of the product or service in addition to any milestones or deadlines the customer can expect. Additionally, provide unbiased recommendations to the customers so that they can make an informed decision.

A well-crafted proposal should also make use of visual aids such as charts, graphs, and diagrams to illustrate the advantages of the service or product. This helps to make complex data easier to comprehend and make the proposal easier to read and understand.

Furthermore, make sure to conduct thorough due diligence prior to submitting a proposal. This means researching the company’s marketplace and competitors to identify any potential competitive advantages. Do not make false or exaggerated claims about the product or service, as this could damage the trust between the business and the customer.

Lastly, the proposal must be professional and well-executed. Grammatical errors, typos, and improper formatting can be distracting to the reader and convey a negative impression of the organization.

If you haven’t taken a look at your sales proposals recently, now could be a good time.

This alone could take your conversions rates from industry standard 20% to over 50%.

How to Improve My Sales Conversions

Selling a product or service can be a tricky process. In order to maximise the prospect of success and create a mutually beneficial transaction, the seller needs to create an effective and persuasive proposal. This proposal should answer the questions of customer need, value, and cost. To ensure the proposal to sale is successful, there are a few steps to take when making the proposal to ensure customer satisfaction.

Listen

The first step in improving a proposal to sale is to identify the needs of the customer.

This is the most critical area as most mistakes happen when we don’t listen fully and go to the solution before we have properly worked out exactly what the customer needs.

The seller should analyse the customer’s interests, goals and objectives, and their budget. Once the customer’s needs are understood, the seller can create a customized proposal tailored to these needs. This should include details such as the product or service, pricing, terms and conditions, and any additional options that the customer may have to choose from.

Value Proposal

It’s not all about the price, you must show your value.

The second step is to emphasise the value of the proposal to the customer. The seller should explain the benefits of the product or service, reinforce the cost savings or convenience offered, and highlight unique features or advantages. Additionally, customer testimonials and guarantees should be included to help bolster the customer’s confidence in the purchase.

How Good Looking is Your Proposal?

The final step is to present the proposal to the customer. This should be completed in an organised and professional manner. The proposal should be clearly written and organised so the customer can easily digest the information. When presenting the proposal, the seller should also be prepared to answer any questions the customer might have.

By following these steps, the seller can ensure that the proposal to sale is effective and persuasive. By providing a customised proposal tailored to customer needs, emphasising the value of the product or service, and presenting the proposal in an orderly manner, the seller can maximize the chances of success and create a mutually beneficial relationship with the customer.

If the buyer was to print out all of the proposals that had been submitted to them to then go through these at a board meeting to get sign off, how important would the aesthetics of your proposal be to your success?

Don’t Forget The Follow Up

When a proposal is submitted, the next step is to schedule a follow up meeting or call. This should take place within a couple of weeks of submission, and the objective should be to get a deeper understanding of the proposal. During the follow up meeting, the opportunity should be taken to look deeper into the details, to ask questions, and to discuss any points of agreement or disagreement. It is also important to agree on a timeline, so that each party is aware of when the decision-makers have to have made their decision.

After the meeting, both parties should have a complete understanding of the proposal and the potential risks and benefits for both parties. It is then important to draw up any necessary documentation that needs to be signed, such as an agreement of understanding, a confidentiality agreement, or a service contract. Also, all relevant deadlines should be agreed upon and shared with the decision-makers.

The time following the submission of the proposal and the follow up meeting is just as important as the presentation or meeting itself. Regular follow up should continue with emails, phone calls, and other methods of communication, providing updates on the status of the agreement. It is also important to maintain regular contact to ensure that any issues are discussed as quickly as possible in order to ensure a successful outcome.

In conclusion, understanding the process of following up on a proposal is essential, as this is how a successful outcome is achieved. 

Don’t give up too easy, it may take up to 7 points of follow up to win the business, most businesses stop at 3!