If you work in sales you probably know what needs to be done in order to close out a deal. Sometimes that process can be long and exhausting, however, sometimes everything can happen really fast and your input is not so substantial as it is for some other leads/opportunities.
Nevertheless, meticulous preparation is always a key part in order to land a deal and everything starts from lead generation and finding prospects that would benefit from the services or products you oer.
I personally believe the service or a product you oer needs to have real value for the customer and this is the biggest key to success. Afterward, a face to face meeting is always better than any call or e-mail exchange because it gives the prospective client a chance to connect the face to a name. From my experience working in sales, this significantly increases the chances that these companies will remember you and your company next time they have a project in their pipeline.
Even when you have an opportunity to pitch for a project there is usually still a long way before you actually start working on the project because for the most part you are probably not the only one pitching for the same piece of work.
If you don’t have a long term partnership with a client, companies usually approach a couple of other companies for the same project and that means you are competing with others which obviously makes the situation a bit harder.
That is the main reason why preparing a detailed and structured proposal is a necessity in today’s business and it will definitely make you stand out in comparison to others. Clients want to know what is the eort you made in order to solve the problem they have and of course how much time you need to spend in order to achieve that goal.
Our way
Here at Q, we use software for proposals that actually tells us how much time our clients are spending on dierent parts of the proposal and this provided us with valuable information. The answer to that question is definitely the price.
Second to the pricing structure is almost always the approach we take in order to prepare and finish the project. Clients often want to know how many milestones are needed for the completion of the project because they also have deadlines they need to follow so it’s important to work hand in hand with them to successfully finish the project in a timely manner.
Third but also very important is the previous experience you have working on similar projects and it’s important to emphasize this in the proposal because that gives a guarantee you have the know-how necessary to successfully finish the project.
A lot of clients are price sensitive and they will go for the budget-friendly option, however, there were several occasions where the client appreciates the process, the structure, and the problem-solving capability.
A good proposal is also in some way a reflection of your company so you definitely want to present yourself in the best possible way when pitching for a project. This is why I believe companies need to take into consideration making a detailed approach to every client and their business and with a bit of luck, you will successfully land a deal in no time.