A Four Step Approach to Successful Tenders & Sales Presentations Askam-in-Furness

A Four Step Approach to Successful Tenders & Sales Presentations 
Happy New Year to all Practical Marketing readers. Hopefully you managed some time for rest, relaxation and even a little bit of business planning during the seasonal break. If you did the latter perhaps you reviewed your success rates in securing new business – from tenders, quotes, sales presentation? If you haven’t looked at these ratios recently maybe the start of a new year is a good time to do so.

Perhaps you’ll be one of the lucky few who can report exceptional results – but most of us, when we look at our success rates, would like to see improvements in the number of proposals we manage to convert to actual business.

This 4 step approach is intended to supply some pointers and ideas for those who’d like to be more successful in tendering for new business and making sales presentations.

Step 1 – Research and explore
This stage is critical in making sure your proposal or sales pitch pushes all the right buttons and makes your prospective customer or client want to buy from you.

No matter what business you are pitching for you’ll have some information about your prospective client. Who are they, where are they, what business they are in? You should also make it your business to find out more – who are their customers? Why are they willing to consider an approach from you? Who do they buy from at the moment?

In this stage your goal is to create a very clear picture of what makes your prospective client tick, what’s important to them, what problems they face, who the decision makers are and the needs they have in their business that you might be able to satisfy?

If you can really get under their skin and understand what keeps them awake at night you’re in a good position to present a proposition to them that they’ll find difficult to resist.

Step 2 – Write or prepare your argument
This is possibly the most difficult stage and one we’re all probably guilty of putting off – sometimes for the right reasons (we want to make sure we’ve gathered all the relevant information about our prospect and are clear which approach will be most appealing) but all too often for the wrong reasons (we don’t know where to start, are worried we won’t get it anyway or think we can dash something off in half an hour immediately before the deadline)

By having a clear structure you can overcome the initial problem – this might also help you to realise a rushed response just won’t do.

A simple suggested structure is as follows;

1. Title
   make it punchy and use it to show what solution/ advantage you will deliver.

 

2. Needs
   restate your prospective client’s needs or requirements.

 

3. Solution
   briefly explain what you’ll deliver – make sure this section is full of benefits and pay back.

 

4. Why choose us?
   provide brief credentials, only use things relevant to this prospective client.

 

5. Budget
   include a clearly set out quote. Don’t hide anything. Provide ...

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