As a salesperson, whether you’re in retail, field sales or telesales, you need to make sure your conversion rate is as high as it can possibly be. Why? Because you don’t want to waste time on proposals that amount to zilch!
Writing sales proposals may be a time-consuming process but doing a good job at this stage of the sales process is essential in order to successfully close sales and secure long-term business. Trust us! We know sales; that’s why we’re offering our top five tips on sales proposals that will set you on the path to proposal paradise!
1. Think about the ‘Why?’
Why is it that you need to put a sales proposal together? What’s the purpose? Basically, proposals are needed when the product or service is complex and where the buyer might need to consider alternatives. Complex purchases necessitate information being presented very clearly so that the buyer can fully understand the intricacies of the sale. You should never, ever bamboozle your buyer with technical jargon or complex calculations. They need to make an informed decision about what they’re buying – so sales proposals are essential to set out terms and get everyone on the same page.
2. Proposals aren’t about selling!
This is where a lot of salespeople get it wrong. By the time you come to write your sales proposal, you should have already ‘sold’ your product to the customer. The proposal is for providing additional information specifically to meet the customer’s needs. So don’t promote the product to the customer – and certainly don’t introduce it! You should have covered the basics during your initial meeting or telephone call. Instead, tell the customer how your product will help them and how it will meet all their needs. So it’s less the ‘what’ and more about the ‘how’. Think of it this way: your hard work has already paid off and your customer has decided they want to buy a new computer from you. Your proposal will help them decide which colour or spec they want to go for.
3. It’s not just about the customer!
Sure, proposals help the customer understand all the intricacies and nuances of the product. But they also help you to state your organisation’s requirements, too. You need to consider organisational requirements such as: competitiveness, profitability and risk level. Make sure you’re getting what you need out of the deal, too. A business plan that involves giving too much and taking too little is sure to result in failure.
4. Remember all the Ps.
For our purpose, let’s think of these as: Prior Planning Prevents Poor Proposals. You need to plan the proposal in detail and keep refining it as you go. Some aspects of the proposal you’ll be able to copy from previous documents, but you’ll need to go through the rest with a fine-tooth comb. It’s also important to practise the presentation – you don’t want to be caught short on the day!
5. Perform a post-proposal analysis.
It’s vital that you learn from each proposal, whether it went wrong or was a resounding success. Conducting a ‘lessons learnt’ meeting with the team can be a good way to go about this, and always submit a formal report to your manager or interested parties. It’ll show you what’s working, what’s not and where you can improve.
We know the importance of getting it right early on – and we know what a huge impact sales training can make to your conversion rate. That’s why we give you the option of having your Learning Management System preloaded with exceptional sales training content from the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management (ISMM).
You can find out more about the sales training we offer by heading to our sister website, Sales Superstars. Alternatively, try out a demo eLearning module of ISMM Level 3 Unit 307: Time and Territory Management by clicking the big ole button below!
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