Have you ever had a consultative or sales conversation where you were promoting yourself to speak, facilitate, train or coach a group after which you were asked to submit a proposal? We are not typically asked to create a proposal for individual clients, but organizations thrive on them.
Personally, I used to freak out at the use of the word "proposal" because the perfectionist in me kicked into gear. The thought of committing words in black and white for a document that would need to stand on it's own to do the whole sales, without me there to defend it, used to paralyze me. What should I include? What do they want included? How much is enough information to clinch the deal?
I want to share a huge insight I had that has worked for me and has eased the panic and paralysis for several clients. As a coach, it makes perfect sense. The key is to collaborate on the proposal! What do I mean by that?
First, a point of clarification. There are many times that proposals make it in to our hands from a website, or are forwarded from a colleague, or some other route that does not involve direct contact up front with the person requesting your submission. My points below are focused on cases where the request for a proposal comes from a conversation either with a representative of the end client or the hiring department's contact.
The initial conversation. When you and your contact sit down to talk, your goal is typically to get information, ask questions, listen, and coach to get the scope and desired outcome of the work that needs doing. You'll be given some symptoms of a problem, an overview of the participants, a scope of the time and perhaps money they want to invest. Now all eyes turn to you and you are asked how you can help! That's the best part. This is your moment to shine and tell the truth about your ideas for helping them reach their goals, deepen the learning and forward their desired action. This is usually the place and time where you start to see if you are a good fit for their needs.
As this conversation progresses and you find yourself in the midst of some great momentum and you and the other person are really cooking on the needs, solutions and delivery ideas, and it's agreed you want to work together. Then the big moment arrives (drum roll, please) and you are asked to submit a P-R-O-P-O-S-A-L!
The Collaborative Way to Co-create a Proposal! Imagine creating a document that easily captures the key elements of that great conversation. How can you leverage the ideas, enthusiasm, and agreement of the planning conversation on paper? Here are my recommendations based on discovery, practice and teaching others this method.
- Replace the mindset and label of "proposal" with the concept of a "discussion document." What if you could collaborate with your prospect? Notice any shift in feeling> Focusing on this document as a tool to stimulate conversation is so different than a one-way communiqué that must sell your work.
- Ask your prospect/contact to partner with you to help this document get "OUR" program accepted and sold. Ask your prospect to take ownership for their program and to help you help them! Ask questions like, "Who is the decision maker? How do they think? What is most important for them to know?" Together, work out the major discussion headings, the level of detail, perhaps a recommended scope and budget, etc. Yep, you are enrolling them in the early writing stages.
- Discuss how the two of you will measure success for the program you are being considered to deliver. What are the bottom-line benefits of a program that goes well? This will all be useful in writing your proposal.
- Make sure you answer any fears that come up in your head and see if they need a provision in the proposal. An example is a fear that the work scope will expand being the original agreement. Add a statement about how that will be handled.
- The most important step that made all the difference in the world to me is to ask, "May I send a DRAFT of this document to you for your input? It will help our cause if you have a chance to put the right spin on this proposal so WE succeed!"
- Consider another discussion once the document is complete to see if there are new ideas or missing elements.
Benefits of this method. I've had drafts of discussion documents/proposals walked down the hall without my collaborator calling me because they were right on. The goal is to ease the pressure. This method prevents you from working in a vacuum, in the dark, not knowing what your prospect expects. Ultimately, collaborating on a proposal or discussion document is a great way to get your prospect as excited as you and to share in the ownership and success of the project.
The great truth out of planning your sales conversations with this option in mind is that you'll ask even better questions of your prospect as you draft the proposal in your mind and then out loud together. Using this approach, the proposal becomes a summary of a great conversation and there are no surprises for either of you!
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