Make More Sales with Simple & Effective Proposals
There is a lot to be said about the process of a sale and the art of a salesman. There are many steps from getting a lead, setting up a meeting, proposing a solution, through to the close of a sale.
In IT sales, presentation can be a very important step to standing apart from other potential bidders. This is why great sales professionals put a good amount of time into building and perfecting their proposal template.
A proposal template can either make a company look very professional or have the complete opposite affect by making a company look completely unprofessional.
Think about this in your day-to-day life, you have probably been presented with countless proposals; now think back to the ones that stood out. These stand out proposals may have provided just the edge, whether consciously or not, to buy from the company.
There are some simple tips to provide the most effective proposal:
1. Customize Cover Page with Customer’s Logo and a Picture of Their Building – These can be easily retrieved usually from the customer’s website and provides a custom feel for your template.
2. Use Pictures or Stock Photos throughout Your Proposal for a More Professional Design – Text only proposals are boring and don’t stand out, by placing images throughout the proposal it breaks up the sections and provides a place for the eye to go when flipping through.
3. Create a Template– This may seem apparent but uniformity and standardization equates to professionalism. Be careful not to leave previous customer information on a template as this can have the opposite affect and appear unprofessional.
4. Never Put the Price Page in the Proposal – Many customers will flip directly to the back of the proposal to see the price. If they see the price without hearing the presentation many times they will just tune out anything you say further and are completely focused on price. Keep the price separate and present after you have gone through the contents of the proposal.
5. Utilize Inexpensive DIY Binding to Give the Proposal a Professional Look – There are many ways to make a proposal standout, utilizing inexpensive binding and clear plastic coverings provides a finished look for the proposal.
Creating a simple and effective proposal can be easy, however if you are uncomfortable or don’t have the time to create a professional looking proposal; outsourcing is always an option.
You can get a very professional proposal template created from a graphic designer fairly inexpensively. This will assure you get the look and feel that you are looking for without all of the work. Just make sure if you go this route, you negotiate pricing upfront, ensure that you will receive ownership/rights to the document, as well that the template is in a format that is easily modified by you and your staff.
Frank Gurnee
VP, Channel Services, ExchangeDefender
(877) 546-0316 x4777
frank@ownwebnow.com