3 Key Points for Proposals
- What service or team changes have been or will be made and an open discussion of why
- Examples of how you have served the client in the past and what they got as a result
- The minimal firm credentials necessary to stand up against the competition.
It is important to discuss openly and frankly any past problems and the changes the
firm has made in order to serve the client better. Keep the focus positive and acknowledge
that there were problems in the past, but that you took steps to correct them when you
understood there was a problem. This includes any team changes due to service issues,
turnover or incompatibilities.
Do not include routine descriptive information about the firm or bios of the existing
service team (but do include bios for any proposed new team members). They already
know who you are and what the firm's capabilities are. An exception would be a new
service that the firm recently started.
Give Examples!
Be careful not to provide more general information on the firm than is absolutely
necessary. They already know your firm and the firm's capabilities. Focus on
giving examples of what the service team has done for the client in the past.
The more examples the better. You can't rely on management to remember all the
instances in which you were there to help them out of a jam or came up with a good
idea. And management teams often change. The people you helped out of
difficult situations may no longer be around. Find a way to incorporate all those
stories into your proposal. It's your most compelling selling argument against
changing.
Choose 5-7 topics and tailor them with details to reflect the specifics you know about
this client's business and concerns. Remember that your goal is to show you know the
client's business better than any other firm. Demonstrate your knowledge, insight
and experience in this discussion with details.
If you have hired new talent or plan to, discuss the details here. If possible, get the
new person out to visit the prospect prior to delivering the proposal.
Use a final "In Summary" paragraph to make a strong final persuasive point or
ask for the work. Use an "In Summary" at the end of the fee section and/or
the last page of the document to ensure that your key selling messages have gotten
through.
Discuss the history
This may well be the most important section of your proposal. It demonstrates your
knowledge of the client, gained from years of service. No other firm bidding will have
this inside knowledge. Show what you know. Remind them of how you have been there
through difficult and interesting times and faced the issues with them. This is
particularly important if there has been a management change and the current management
may not be aware of all you have done for the client in the past. Proof
sells. Anyone can make claims of what they ``would" do.
Provide some specific examples of things you have done or services you have provided.
Each little story should include a brief background on what and why you were asked, what
you did and the results the client gained as a result of your activities
(important!). Did they save money, time, personnel expenses, good will, an economic
disaster? Be careful not to insult any of the client's personnel, but tell the truth
about your contribution.
Keep biographies short and make them specific
Narrative format resumes are superior to typical bullet-point resumes. In
a retention proposal, you need not give full credentials for each service team member,
unless they have acquired some significant new credential that you want to promote.
Their work is already known. Feature the contribution each has made to this client's
success. Give full credentials only for new people being added to the team and emphasize
their expertise that made you select them for this work.
Use as many specifics as possible in each bio. A bio should include the person's
role in serving the client, any firm titles or committees that are important or relevant
to the client's industry, any special expertise or credentials in business areas important
to the client, a sentence or two describing prior experience. Use actual names of
clients in the industry that they have served, if possible.
Avoid the temptation to sell new services
In a retention situation it can be risky to try to promote or sell additional services,
particularly if you have not offered those services previously. Be sensitive to
the possible reaction of people who will review your proposal. They may
wonder why you never got around to offering this great service before, if they need
it. List additional services only if they will indicate additional strengths or
expertise that members of the decision making unit may not realize the firm offers or to
offset a specific service a competitor is featuring.
Write up short stories about your experiences with this client. Remember, any
firm can make claims. Only you can provide the proof that you can deliver because
you have already done it. Weave these examples throughout your document to support
your selling messages or points. In each retention proposal, determine the most
important criteria in the decision and let your examples emphasize different service
aspects.
PS
In retention proposals, use very little of what you might normally put into a proposal
about your services. Whatever information you include should emphasize how you
have tailored your approach to their specific needs in the past. Use examples to
remind them. Focus on the benefits they have received as a result of your services
or features. Avoid the temptation to tell them more than they need or ask for.
Copyright 1997 by Kaye Vivian (kvivian@cloud9.net). All rights reserved.
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