When executed properly, a proposal should eliminate any doubts that prospects have and support the facts given at the presentation. For proposals that both sell and tell, share this information at your next sales meeting.

1. Show the true cost. Include all costs that prospects will incur when making the purchase. Try to offer prospects what they need. If you’re offering more than one option to prospects, it’s best to provide multiple proposals.
2. State the objective. The proposal should show the prospect what the product or service will achieve. If the main focus is to reduce production costs, try to explain how it will be done to give a competitive advantage.
3. Reveal the process. The prospect should be able to look at the proposal and tell when the product will be created, shipped and installed. It’s never a good idea to over promise in the proposal, because customers will hold you to what’s in print.
4. Display expected results. Proposals should remind prospects of what the benefits are by showing the impact that the new purchase will have. It’s a good idea to clearly display why it’s to the prospect’s advantage to do business with you.
5. Provide closing arguments. A proposal should restate the points that caught the prospect’s attention. If your company reputation is what sold them, try to include customer testimonials in the proposal.

Tags: closing arguments, presentation, written proposals