By Goke Ilesanmi
One of the ways of enhancing your business by winning big and profitable business is through effective and persuasive business proposals. If your service or product is the best in your industry, you need to communicate your uniqueness to the target customers in a way that relates to the specific needs of such customers. Proposals also help you explain financial terms and procedures to your prospective customers to avoid misunderstanding down the road. Complete proposals offer details and help you land great jobs.
Presentation mode
An effective and persuasive business proposal clearly identifies the consumers’ problem, need or issue, and recommends a solution. It backs up your proposed solution with a discussion of the capabilities of your business as well as market research related to the proposal. It shows that your experience puts you ahead of the competition.
Your focus
The way you present your business in this proposal will shape the success or failure of all future relationships with target buyers. To earn their respect and attention, your proposal must show that you have a keen understanding of the prospective customers’ needs. You need to focus on the fact that your business is very well-equipped to handle their needs in the most effective and efficient manner possible. Therefore, make the time investment—conduct research to gain a full understanding of the nature and scope of the customers’ requirements, then, present your ideas in a manner that convinces them that your product or service represents the best possible solution.
Effort and benefits
Though writing an effective and persuasive business proposal is taxing (not “tasking”, which is Nigerian English, please), you have to consider the valuable benefits for your business. The effort you make in tailoring the proposals to prospects’ specific needs shows the level of service they will receive from you. And your prospects or target customers are bound to notice that extra effort.
Components
To get started with your personalised proposal, you will need to understand the basic formats and components. Before you write, determine what the overall message of your proposal will be. Stating the theme or the reason for the proposal helps to ensure that your proposal will be routed to the appropriate personnel. The theme should be one of the first things that your prospect sees. This is not a headline whose purpose is to entertain, but a description that clearly informs the prospect of the reason for the proposal. An appropriate theme might describe how your product (or service) will enable the client to solve a problem or achieve a goal.
Accuracy
In seeking contracts, for instance, you win business when your proposal persuades clients that your solution is superior to your competitors’. Your proposal will persuade the reader if you understand the client’s needs, show the benefits, make a firm, clear recommendations accompanied by action steps and give the reader technical and other supporting details that highlight your qualifications and competence to deliver the solution on time, on budget and to specification.
Effectiveness
The effectiveness of a proposal is not judged by its volume but based solely on the value you bring to the table. When you do your initial presentation, that is part of your proposal. When you meet your prospects for the first time, shake hands and talk, that is part of the proposal. When you start listening and asking questions, that is part of the proposal.
Request for Proposal
The task of responding to a Request for Proposal (RFP) is daunting. Apart from the pressure of getting the best proposal in on time, defining an effective approach to the response poses several challenges. For example, the various proposal team members may argue that their respective contributions are worth the most attention. But you need to assimilate each contribution into the final document from the customer’s perspective.
You need to avoid a situation whereby the final proposal is bidder-focused, In other words, you have placed your solution at the heart of the bid. From the customer’s perspective, these bids tend to come across as ME-ME-ME. A more successful approach is to place the customer’s needs as the focus of your response.
Final note
Through effective and persuasive business proposals, you will enhance your business, achieve profitability and stay ahead of competition.
NOTE: The duration of the public speaking seminar has been greatly reduced as requested, in addition to other adjustments. You will find the programme on the right side at the upper part of my website. Click on the text and see details. I appreciate your suggestions and requests.
GOKE ILESANMI, Managing Consultant/CEO of Gokmar Communication Consulting, is a Certified Public Speaker/Emcee, Communication Specialist, Motivational Speaker, Career Management Coach, Renowned Book Reviewer, Corporate Leadership Expert and Editorial Consultant.
Tel: +234(0)8056030424; +234(0)8187499425
Email: gokeiles2010@gmail.com; info@gokeilesanmi.com.ng
Website: www.gokeilesanmi.com.ng