A two-day workshop
This workshop will help you improve the impact, clarity, accuracy and effectiveness of your sales proposals.
It takes bid and proposal teams right through the process, from start to finish – from forming the team and gathering the information, through to writing and reviewing the proposal document, and on to presenting it to the client.
The learning points shared in the programme come from the trainer’s extensive real-world experience with a wide variety of businesses. The programme features:
Extensive practical planning and review sessions based on participants’ own bids and proposals
Pre- and post-workshop research and exercises to maximise the effectiveness and implementation of learning (including ‘red-pen’ reviews)
A stimulating training style
Many unique insights and methods
- Write more clearly, more grammatically and more persuasively
- Structure their written communications more effectively
- Avoid the ‘howlers’ that can cost you business
- Impress your clients
- Win more business
Expert trainer
Graham specialises in providing high-quality consultancy, coaching and training in sales, sales management, customer service and personal productivity. He has a long career in sales and was a top-performing IT and solutions sales professional and sales manager. His most recent full-time role was as Managing Director of Sales Productivity and Development for Thomson Financial, helping develop a large European sales force.
Session outline
1. Bid strategy
- How to combine your knowledge of the market or customer, your products and services, and your competitors, to create a quality bid
- New insights into your comparative advantages and competitive position in the marketplace
- Understanding more about how your client views you and other suppliers
- A plan of attack to build on your strengths and attack the weaknesses of your competition
- Dealing with RFP / ITT situations
2. Teamwork
- How a bid or proposal team needs to prioritise and manage preparation time
- Co-ordinating input from team members
- Agreeing responsibilities
3. The importance and role of a well-written sales proposal
- Why bother? – the value of the sales proposal to you and to the customer
- What the customer wants and needs to make a decision in your favour
- Understanding and delivering on customer expectations
- Review and discussion of different proposals – with real-life examples
4. The best way to structure your sales proposals
- A section-by-section, page-by-page review of best practice in structuring great sales proposals
- How to improve the way you match your proposal to the customer's objectives and requirements
- Plan your sales documents systematically – to make them easy to read and more persuasive
- How to make your proposal look like the ‘least risky’ option
5. Making your proposal a compelling and persuasive proposition
- Choosing the right words that sell effectively
- Selecting the right content and information for your document or proposal
- Using an option matrix to summarise complex choices and increase final order value
- How to write an executive summary
6. Well-written and error-free
- Developing your writing style for maximum impact
- Expressing the content (ie, selling points) clearly, concisely and correctly
- Proof-reading and editing work effectively, using formal marks and techniques
- Improving visual layout, format and appearance
- Keeping it customer-focused
7. Presenting to the client – overview
- Presentation options
- Understanding the client’s objectives – as well as your own
- The proposal review meeting – logistics
- Managing to the next step
- Designing and delivering a compelling presentation
- Isolating objections and concerns
- Follow-up and follow-through
8. Positioning your final proposal
- Finalising your bid – presenting the right ‘best few’ USPs, features and benefits and making them relevant and real to the customer
- Smart ways to position price and be a strong player – without being the cheapest
- How to differentiate yourselves by how you present, as well as what you present
- How to design and deliver a successful bid presentation
9. Bid presentation practice session with structured feedback
- Participants work in small groups or pairs to prepare and later present a sample section from a real life bid or proposal presentation
- The trainer will provide assistance and input
- During group review and discussions, input from others will be encouraged and many best practice ideas summarised
10. Managing the end game
- How best to draw-out, understand, isolate and answer customer objections, negotiate points and concerns
- How to read the situation to plan the next step
- Identifying negotiation tactics – and how to deal with them
- Planning for a negotiation and how to get the customer feel they have the ‘best deal’
