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Businss Proposals
Kick-Ass Guide
How to Write, Present & Manage Winners
1. Follow a Bidding Policy
1. Can We Deliver?

Have we completed a similar
project before? 

Do we have the time or desire?
2. Can We Win?

Know your competition and your
client’s motivation to change.
3. Can We Make a Profit?

Making money vs. building
portfolio. 

2. Create a Clear Value
Proposition

•

Who is your target audience?

•

What problem/need do they
have?

•

How does your offering solve it
in a unique way?

“If you don’t have a competitive
advantage, don’t compete.”
Jack Welch
3. A/B Test Your Proposal
In an A/B test, you compare two
different versions of an element for
a particular duration and measure a
metric to define a winner.
1. State your goal. (Usually close
more deals.)
2. Analyze potential obstacles.
3. Change only 1 element at a time.
4. Measure & compare results.

“Practice doesn’t make perfect.
Perfect practice makes perfect.”
Vince Lombardi
4. Nobody Cares About

•

Your vision, mantra, gods

•

How important you are

•

How much you understand their
needs (show it, don’t say it!)

•

What you can commit to until
you deliver it

•

All that extra crap not geared
towards your client.

“Writing is thinking. To write well is to
think clearly. That’s why it’s so hard.”
David McCullough
Never, ever lie.
Nor over-promise. Someone will slip eventually in one of
the emails forwarded to a wrong address or during a
phone call. Once caught, you’ll never be trusted again. If
you feel unsure about the truth, it’s best to leave it out or
say you’ll get back to them when you know.
5. KISS

keep it simple, stupid
Think outside of the box

Push the envelope

Drop the ball

A win-win situation

Web 2.0

Let’s take this off-line

Giving 110 percent

Value-added proposition

A leading provider of…

At the end of the day…

Take it to the next level

Scalable

Best Practices

Paradigm

Seamless integration

The 80% to 20%

Data-Driven

Maximize customer satisfaction

Creative destruction

Core competency

Perfect storm

Paradigm shift
Synergy
Low-hanging fruit
Going Forward
6. Present Your Business Proposal
Don’t just send an email and wait!

•

Customer comes first

•

Research

•

Tell a story

•

Make them feel like VIPs

•

Visualize your presentation ahead

•

Commit to success

•

Know your proposal

•

Address Objections
7. Define clear next steps
Fewer choices, stronger calls to action

•

Write direct subject lines

•

Ask direct questions

•

Give a specific final call to
action
2% of sales are made in the first contact.
3% of sales are made in the second contact.
5% of sales are made in the third contact.
10% of sales are made on the fourth contact.
80% of sales are made on the fifth to twelfth contact.
8. Time Your Follow-up
Don’t just send an email and wait!

Rule #1: Follow-up immediately.
Rule #2: If in doubt about whether to
follow-up or not, always follow-up.

•

Use a proposal software like Quote
Roller and know the moment they
open your proposal

•

Use Quote Roller and know what
your client is looking at for how
long
The urge to buy can be changed
within seconds, and you might
lose a potential deal.
Always Ask Yourself:
BEFORE BIDDING:

Can we deliver?

Can we win?

Can we profit?
BEFORE SENDING:

Is your Value Proposition clear?

Have you cut out all the crap? 

Is your language accurate and clear? 

Have you defined the clear next steps? 

Is it easy to contact, accept and sign your business proposal?
AFTER SENDING:

Are you ready to present your business proposal? 

Have you followed up with your client?
9. Make it easy to say YES!

•

Electronic signature enables
them to sign from anywhere

•

Any barriers to signing—like
printing, scanning, uploading,
downloading—gives them time
to change their mind.
Try out Quote Roller today!

Increase your closing rate by 28%

Sign up for a free trial at http://www.quoteroller.com
Want to dive further into the Kick-Ass Business Proposal World?

Go to http://blog.quoteroller.com for your next sales tips!

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Business proposals kick-ass guide: how to write, present and manage winners

  • 1. Businss Proposals Kick-Ass Guide How to Write, Present & Manage Winners
  • 2. 1. Follow a Bidding Policy 1. Can We Deliver?
 Have we completed a similar project before? 
 Do we have the time or desire? 2. Can We Win?
 Know your competition and your client’s motivation to change. 3. Can We Make a Profit?
 Making money vs. building portfolio. 

  • 3. 2. Create a Clear Value Proposition • Who is your target audience? • What problem/need do they have? • How does your offering solve it in a unique way? “If you don’t have a competitive advantage, don’t compete.” Jack Welch
  • 4. 3. A/B Test Your Proposal In an A/B test, you compare two different versions of an element for a particular duration and measure a metric to define a winner. 1. State your goal. (Usually close more deals.) 2. Analyze potential obstacles. 3. Change only 1 element at a time. 4. Measure & compare results. “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.” Vince Lombardi
  • 5. 4. Nobody Cares About • Your vision, mantra, gods • How important you are • How much you understand their needs (show it, don’t say it!) • What you can commit to until you deliver it • All that extra crap not geared towards your client. “Writing is thinking. To write well is to think clearly. That’s why it’s so hard.” David McCullough
  • 6. Never, ever lie. Nor over-promise. Someone will slip eventually in one of the emails forwarded to a wrong address or during a phone call. Once caught, you’ll never be trusted again. If you feel unsure about the truth, it’s best to leave it out or say you’ll get back to them when you know.
  • 7. 5. KISS
 keep it simple, stupid Think outside of the box Push the envelope Drop the ball A win-win situation Web 2.0 Let’s take this off-line Giving 110 percent Value-added proposition A leading provider of… At the end of the day… Take it to the next level Scalable Best Practices Paradigm Seamless integration The 80% to 20% Data-Driven Maximize customer satisfaction Creative destruction Core competency Perfect storm Paradigm shift Synergy Low-hanging fruit Going Forward
  • 8. 6. Present Your Business Proposal Don’t just send an email and wait! • Customer comes first • Research • Tell a story • Make them feel like VIPs • Visualize your presentation ahead • Commit to success • Know your proposal • Address Objections
  • 9. 7. Define clear next steps Fewer choices, stronger calls to action • Write direct subject lines • Ask direct questions • Give a specific final call to action
  • 10. 2% of sales are made in the first contact. 3% of sales are made in the second contact. 5% of sales are made in the third contact. 10% of sales are made on the fourth contact. 80% of sales are made on the fifth to twelfth contact.
  • 11. 8. Time Your Follow-up Don’t just send an email and wait! Rule #1: Follow-up immediately. Rule #2: If in doubt about whether to follow-up or not, always follow-up. • Use a proposal software like Quote Roller and know the moment they open your proposal • Use Quote Roller and know what your client is looking at for how long
  • 12. The urge to buy can be changed within seconds, and you might lose a potential deal.
  • 13. Always Ask Yourself: BEFORE BIDDING:
 Can we deliver?
 Can we win?
 Can we profit? BEFORE SENDING:
 Is your Value Proposition clear?
 Have you cut out all the crap? 
 Is your language accurate and clear? 
 Have you defined the clear next steps? 
 Is it easy to contact, accept and sign your business proposal? AFTER SENDING:
 Are you ready to present your business proposal? 
 Have you followed up with your client?
  • 14. 9. Make it easy to say YES! • Electronic signature enables them to sign from anywhere • Any barriers to signing—like printing, scanning, uploading, downloading—gives them time to change their mind.
  • 15. Try out Quote Roller today!
 Increase your closing rate by 28% Sign up for a free trial at http://www.quoteroller.com Want to dive further into the Kick-Ass Business Proposal World?
 Go to http://blog.quoteroller.com for your next sales tips!