If you did not connect with the buyer during the pitch, you will not with your proposal. If your meeting ends with a bland, “Send us the proposal, we look at it and we will get back to you,” translate that to mean, “Ciao, adios, we’re done.” If it ends with a summary of the points agreed upon and, a stimulating, “Send us the proposal, capturing those details,” you can leave the meeting with a smile on your face, and spring, your walk. You connected. You’ll very likely get the sale; and the proposal is a mere formality. Your proposal is not the presentation.
Connection first, proposal second
If you’ve sold for long enough you will know when you connect with the buyer in a meeting. You will feel it. You have rapport; they buy you. They are talking as much as you are listening; you are taking notes and repeating back for clarity and they are visibly impressed; they are asking questions about how your experience has been with what they seek, and you, in turn, are giving practical insights that demonstrate that you know your stuff. They are sharing insights, even, sometimes, proposing ideas how they want your services offered to them. Tips for you to include in your proposal.
Presentation and Proposal: Recap confirms the close
And as the meeting winds down, if you are a bank sales rep, you share with the Principal, “So just to confirm, you said you’d like us to make your payment schedule to accommodate termly receipt of fees, and not our usual monthly.” Yes. Or, if you are an oil marketing company rep seeking to have the customer’s fleet of vehicles be fuelling at your station, “You asked we include the fact that currently your drivers prefer using the tyre pressure at our service station because it fills faster, much as they don’t fuel there because of your current policy.” Yes.
So, when the customer says, “Send me a proposal,” what his really saying is: “Put down what we just agreed on. I need something to show Finance (or Procurement or the MD).” That’s it. And so, you focus your proposal to the insights.
Proposal is not the presentation. Don’t write a brochure or a menu
Otherwise, you may end up writing a thesis. Yet, you’re just being asked to be concise and clear. If your proposal includes five options, it’s a menu, not a proposal. If your proposal has 14 pages of ‘About Us’, it’s a brochure, not a proposal. And if your proposal is the first time the client is seeing your price, it’s not a proposal—it’s a blind date. Speaking of which if price doesn’t fly in the meeting, don’t bother with the proposal; and let the know
So, stop writing novels. Start confirming sales. That way you keep control of the sale.
Blind proposals are wasted effort
Now I know the scenario I have shared is ideal, almost Utopic. But here’s the point. Just writing blind proposals in response to, “Send us a proposal” is not a productive use of your time. It can also feel frustrating when repeatedly done, and feel like you are just being used (Which you are).
Proposals are time consuming to write; and your time is the one resource you want to optimize. The more, when you know that proposals are rarely read. (If you didn’t know, now you do). They are generally proof of engagement. Now you know why, when they call you for a supplier engagement meeting, they ask you questions you already had shared in your proposal; many times, they are looking at it for the first time.
You wouldn’t propose to her before the first date now, would you?
Too many salespeople hide behind the comfort of a Word document because they’re afraid of rejection or want to appear busy. “Let me write the proposal and hope they like it.” That’s not sales—that’s wishful thinking. If the client is hesitant, unclear, or non-committal, don’t rush to your laptop. Pick up the phone. Book a follow-up meeting. Ask questions. Clarify the value. Uncover the resistance. Engage.
Then, and only then, do you send a proposal. Why? Because writing a proposal before the buyer is ready is like going down on one knee to propose even before a date. It’s premature. It’s presumptuous. And it rarely works. (By the way, it should terrify you if she says, “Yes.”)
A proposal only reinforces the sale—it doesn’t make it
You see, a proposal is not a backup singer. It can’t save a poor pitch. It only reinforces a strong one. If the customer wasn’t sold in the room, the document won’t do it for you. If you did not connect with the other human being, the inanimate proposal most definitely won’t.
See, here’s the thing: customers don’t remember bullet points. They remember how you made them feel. If you connected, they’ll welcome your proposal. If not, they’ll ignore it—or worse, share it with your competitor as a template. A proposal should be a formality that documents what you have agreed upon with the customer.
Proposal is not the presentation? What if they ask for a proposal early?
But what if they ask for a proposal early? Good question. It happens. Some clients ask for proposals as a way of saying, “We’re just comparing.” If you sense this, avoid falling into the trap. Smile and say: “Happy to send a document. But I find it’s always more useful if we first get clarity on what you’re trying to solve, so I don’t waste your time with the wrong information.” Translation: “Let’s talk first.” Because a request for a proposal before a proper conversation is often a polite way of saying, “We’re not ready to buy yet.”
If they have not bought the idea, it’s unlikely, they will, the proposal.
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