First impressions last. Every touchpoint you have with a potential client is another opportunity to sell. The frequency of these touchpoints and the duration of them are all strategic choices you need make.

The proposal is not the only touchpoint you should care about. The interactions before and after a proposal is delivered are the ones that give you the most leverage with a potential client.

Understanding Who You’re Speaking To

A targeted proposal will capture your client’s attention. There are usually multiple decision makers in B2B sales. Considering their different agendas, their different needs and their different pain points will make them more receptive to your proposal.

A great starting point is to look at their job title. The Chief Financial Officer for example, would probably be focused on lowering costs and ensuring they’re getting value for the price they’re paying. The Chief Executive Officer will most likely be focused on how your service will grow the business.

Systemisation and Learning

Document, systemise, and learn how to be more efficient when writing proposals. This way, you can focus on the most important objective — high value face-to-face time with clients rather than formatting documents in front of a computer.

When you’re making a sale, you’re going to get requests regarding cost, technical perspectives, and staff training. It’s important every new piece of knowledge and information is documented and systemised so the next time someone in your business comes across the same issue, they have access to this information and saves time themselves.