The first step in presenting a winning proposal is knowing when to present it, says sales coach Sophie Robertson.
Robertson, a former recruiter and the director of YouNique Coaching, has seen too many companies - recruitment and otherwise - present a proposal at their first meeting with a potential client, and she says this is a wasted opportunity.
"Consultative selling can be likened to a first date. You`re there to get an idea of the other person, what they like and dislike. In consultative selling you also need to identify the client`s challenges and what would make a real difference to them - that is, what problem you can solve for them that will make their working life easier?"
If you write an impressive proposal before meeting a client, the chance that you`ll identify the benefit they will buy on "is a bit like winning the lottery", she says.
"Selling is not a lottery; it`s a process. Once you know the process and you master it, your conversion rate will increase."
Robertson`s guidelines for when and how to present a proposal are:
* Always get the client`s consent before you present a proposal. "If you don`t, they may not read it and you will have wasted your time."
* Have at least one meeting with your client where you use your questioning skills to ascertain which problem they want solved - this will not necessarily be the one you want to solve for them.
* When you understand their problem and you think you can solve it, ask if they want a confidential solution set out in a proposal format. "This will be to the client`s and your advantage as you have tailored a solution specifically for them and you become seen as an `expert` in solving their problem."
* Think of ways you might be able to suggest a problem and a solution to a client. "For example, I once asked David Jones if they had a national preferred supplier agreement to combine the stores` buying power and save money. They asked me to come in for a meeting to explain my concept and how it would work. As a result David Jones sent out a RFP (request for proposal) which we were naturally invited to participate in."
* If you are told that the company you are marketing to has preferred suppliers, always ask if they are formal or informal agreements. "If the agreements are formal they have start and end dates; they usually refer to a certain type of staff and may cover perms but not temps, or vice versa.
"Ask when the agreement comes up for review and how you can get invited to tender.
"If the agreement is informal, ascertain exactly who the decision maker is and what type of staff it covers, so you can follow up either in that area or in other areas of the company (or both)."
* When submitting a formal proposal or tender as a result of an RFP or RFT (request for tender) you must address all criteria in the proposal/tender document. "If you know upfront that you do not fulfil all the criteria, find out how critical they are. For example, when David Jones put out their RFP they wanted national suppliers. As I worked for a small boutique agency with one office, this was not in our favour. I rang procurement who confirmed this criterion so we negotiated with a national recruitment company that they would subcontract to us for purposes of servicing David Jones."
* Be creative and have some fun with it! "While you have to address all criteria, you can do it in different ways. Remember that selling is a process where you want the client to trust you as their solution provider, but you can still stand out.
"RFPs or RFTs usually ask for references or referees, but if they don`t, supply them anyway. Once, instead of providing names and numbers of referees, I brought two clients in as live testimonials at the end of my presentation (with the client`s permission) to answer any questions the panel had about our services."
Source:
http://www.recruiterdaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&stream=5&selkey=39
Robertson, a former recruiter and the director of YouNique Coaching, has seen too many companies - recruitment and otherwise - present a proposal at their first meeting with a potential client, and she says this is a wasted opportunity.
"Consultative selling can be likened to a first date. You`re there to get an idea of the other person, what they like and dislike. In consultative selling you also need to identify the client`s challenges and what would make a real difference to them - that is, what problem you can solve for them that will make their working life easier?"
If you write an impressive proposal before meeting a client, the chance that you`ll identify the benefit they will buy on "is a bit like winning the lottery", she says.
"Selling is not a lottery; it`s a process. Once you know the process and you master it, your conversion rate will increase."
Robertson`s guidelines for when and how to present a proposal are:
* Always get the client`s consent before you present a proposal. "If you don`t, they may not read it and you will have wasted your time."
* Have at least one meeting with your client where you use your questioning skills to ascertain which problem they want solved - this will not necessarily be the one you want to solve for them.
* When you understand their problem and you think you can solve it, ask if they want a confidential solution set out in a proposal format. "This will be to the client`s and your advantage as you have tailored a solution specifically for them and you become seen as an `expert` in solving their problem."
* Think of ways you might be able to suggest a problem and a solution to a client. "For example, I once asked David Jones if they had a national preferred supplier agreement to combine the stores` buying power and save money. They asked me to come in for a meeting to explain my concept and how it would work. As a result David Jones sent out a RFP (request for proposal) which we were naturally invited to participate in."
* If you are told that the company you are marketing to has preferred suppliers, always ask if they are formal or informal agreements. "If the agreements are formal they have start and end dates; they usually refer to a certain type of staff and may cover perms but not temps, or vice versa.
"Ask when the agreement comes up for review and how you can get invited to tender.
"If the agreement is informal, ascertain exactly who the decision maker is and what type of staff it covers, so you can follow up either in that area or in other areas of the company (or both)."
* When submitting a formal proposal or tender as a result of an RFP or RFT (request for tender) you must address all criteria in the proposal/tender document. "If you know upfront that you do not fulfil all the criteria, find out how critical they are. For example, when David Jones put out their RFP they wanted national suppliers. As I worked for a small boutique agency with one office, this was not in our favour. I rang procurement who confirmed this criterion so we negotiated with a national recruitment company that they would subcontract to us for purposes of servicing David Jones."
* Be creative and have some fun with it! "While you have to address all criteria, you can do it in different ways. Remember that selling is a process where you want the client to trust you as their solution provider, but you can still stand out.
"RFPs or RFTs usually ask for references or referees, but if they don`t, supply them anyway. Once, instead of providing names and numbers of referees, I brought two clients in as live testimonials at the end of my presentation (with the client`s permission) to answer any questions the panel had about our services."
Source:
http://www.recruiterdaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&stream=5&selkey=39
