A Winning Proposal
This is #15 in a series about the 24 Lumina Sales Qualities and how you can leverage those qualities to improve your ability to attract more clients, build deeper long-lasting relationships, and achieve personal and professional success.
If you’ve been following this series you know that our sales team – Phil, Rob, and John (sales manager) have just completed the second step of Stage 4 in the sales cycle, Convincing; and are now moving into Detailed Proposal. John has been coaching Phil and Rob through the various stages of the sales cycle with their client and they are now actively Recommending Solutions to eventually Get Commitment, the fifth stage of the sales cycle.
We already know that when you arrive at Recommending Solutions, your proposals will play a vital role in gaining the client’s commitment to your proposed recommendation. In our last blog, we learned that you must Convince the client that you are able to serve them and their needs with confidence. One of the ways we do so is by putting forth a Detailed Proposal that reflects the quality of what we are offering the client.
Rob: John, we’ve talked a lot about how important it is for us to be both enthusiastic and convincing in recommending solutions to our client. At some point, I suspect a great attitude won’t be enough. What else do we need to consider?
John: You are spot on Rob. The passion we have for our solution is critical but we also have to back up our passion with real substance. In our proposal, we have to provide enough information to the client so they can make an informed decision. It may mean including facts and figures for our more detailed-oriented clients or a clear plan of action based on some of our past experiences and results. Whatever the case, we need to take each client into account and present the proposal in a way that is relevant to them and answers the critical questions they need answered to move forward.
Rob and John are discussing the sales quality of Detailed Proposal. Aside what they must do to be successful, they also need to avoid getting lost in the detail during this stage. The desire to make the perfect proposal can lead to hesitation and a lack of action. It would be easy for John and his team to be stuck in indecision trying to find the best way to win the client over. So, it’s best that they focus on the first steps and demonstrate the feasibility to the client first before trying to hone the sale completely.
Tune in next time when we’ll continue with our Recommended Solutions and learn more about how to negotiate and compromise with our client to deliver the best solution to their business need.
“After all, winning business is what writing proposals is all about.” – Tom Sant, Persuasive Business Proposals: Writing to Win More Customers, Clients, and Contracts
Marcel
Lumina helps sales professionals see how their behavior traits and personality show up in a selling situation. Is your sales team effective in understanding client needs? We can now scientifically measure sales professionals’ strengths and development areas in the sales process. If you’re interested in learning more, contact me at 972.841.5890 or marcel.brunel@luminalearning.com and let’s set up a time to talk.
Missed earlier articles? Catch up with John and his sales team and previous sales qualities here.
