amacom powerful proposals how to give your business the winning edge

[...]... your business development team Therefore, your proposal must give them what they need to sell you and your solution to the people responsible for making the buying decision If, in turn, the decision makers need to present their choice to the president or board of directors to get the funding approved, then a powerful proposal gives the decision makers what they need to sell you to the people with the. .. nonresponsive proposals that often flood the marketplace The old chestnut still holds: If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well If you really want the business, then you should devote the requisite time and attention to mastering the creation of powerful proposals How to Put the ‘‘Power’’ into Your Proposals Proposals are powerful (and ultimately successful) if they are fully responsive to the customer’s... Discussing the loss in those terms would take time and effort the customer rarely wishes to provide a loser The finest proposals not only answer the mail; they do it transparently They are meticulous in following the customer’s lead They are scrupulous in addressing every requirement and in the order the customer listed them They play back the customer’s language, and they provide aids to help the evaluators... solution rather than the customer and the benefits those features provide Responsive proposals do more They demonstrate how the provider will help customers achieve their business goals, not just their project or procurement goals The latter goals are not the end They are the means to the business end, and a responsive proposal shows astute awareness of this distinction What most proposals fail to recognize... Powerful Proposals decision might already have been made A powerful proposal is one that allows the heads of evaluation teams to say to their decision makers, ‘‘We unanimously recommend this bidder, and this is why.’’ ➤ A powerful proposal gives the evaluators what they need to sell you when they go down the hall to make their recommendation The minute they do that, they become virtual members of your. .. fail to enlighten bidders about the more subtle and intangible factors that led to the customer’s decision to purchase this product or service and the hopes, fears, and political concerns that will drive the customer’s decision Compliant proposals focus on the bidder’s capability to deliver what the customer has specified in the RFP Consequently, they focus on the supplier and the features of the supplier’s... describe the effect on the customer’s evaluators As a rule, the higher the quality of the proposal, the less boilerplate is used, and vice versa Boilerplate is a convenience—but only for the proposal writer The signal it sends is that you did not take the time to customize the proposal for your customer 2 Customer Focus A poorly written proposal focuses on the seller and what is being sold, not the buyer The. .. with whom the customer wants to work, that your solutions are right, and that your price is reasonable for the value you bring Your proposal needs to reinforce and confirm these perceptions Because your proposal is often the first tangible evidence customers have of your ability to serve them, your proposal must make good 10979$ $CH1 10-21-04 07:40:02 PS PAGE 13 14 Powerful Proposals on the ‘‘promises’’... matters of style, tone, and voice it appears to have been composed by a single mind moving a single hand in a single sitting It’s the collective voice of your company speaking to your customer, and it’s the voice that tells your story How to tell that story in a powerful proposal is ultimately what this book addresses in a variety of ways Be Compliant: Powerful Proposals Give Customers What They Request... The worst proposals are narcissistic and self-involved— they prattle on about the seller’s experiences and capabilities as though customers will be as impressed with them as they are with themselves The best proposals, on the other hand, link everything to the customer’s goals, needs, and requirements They provide a problem-solving roadmap for the customer rather than an advertisement for the seller’s . 1 Chapter 1: The Power of the Aם Proposal 7 The Proposal: The Make or Break Move 8 How to Put the ‘‘Power’’ into Your Proposals 9 Be Compliant: Powerful Proposals Give Customers What They Request. CHICAGO • MEXICO CITY SAN FRANCISCO • SHANGHAI • TOKYO • TORONTO • WASHINGTON, D.C. POWERFUL PROPOSALS How to Give Your Business the Winning Edge DAVID G. PUGH and TERRY R. BACON PAGE iii 10979$. 1944– Powerful proposals : how to give your business the winning edge / David G. Pugh and Terry R. Bacon. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN 0-8144-7232-X (hardcover) 1. Proposal writing in business. 2. Business