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Why Eskimos Hunt Whales
and Other Secrets of Persuasion
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Secrets of Effective Document Design for Proposals: The Top Tips and Tricks to Improve the Visual Impact of Your Sales Proposals
A world-recognized expert on persuasion, sales processes, presentation skills, and proposal writing, Dr. Tom Sant combines research into the science of persuasion with a unique blend of humor and practical insights.
1.) Never title your proposal "Proposal"
“Proposal”. That doesn’t say anything clients can’t figure out themselves (Would your ever title a book “book”?). Instead write a title that states a benefit to the client: “Increasing Network Reliability and Convenience through Advanced Online Capabilities.
2.) Focus on your clients' business needs or mission objectives first.
Mirror what you have heard from them before offering a solution. That addresses what they care about the most, and it shows you've listened and considered their interests and are not offering a canned approach.
3.) Avoid lengthy corporate histories.
Nobody's interested!
4.) Eliminate jargon.
Even if your contact at the client organization understands all of your jargon, who else will be reviewing your proposal? Will they understand it? However, it is okay—even a good idea—to use the client's jargon.
5.) Keep your proposal as short as possible.
It's always tempting to throw in anything and everything that might be of interest, but in reality the decision makers won't read it. At best, they'll skim through your document. A short proposal is likely to be looked at first, which means all others will be judged in comparison to it. That's an advantage if you've done a good job.
6.) Highlight your key points.
Remember: Executives skim. You can make your document more "skimmable" by highlighting the main ideas. Use bullets, headings and subheadings, boldface type, color, borders, graphics, and anything else that will make your key points jump off the page.
7.) Quantify your benefits & payback.
Show the decision maker how much he or she will save, or how much more productive the organization will be. A convincing calculation of your client's return on investment is more compelling than a slogan or cliché.
8.) Prioritize your uniqueness factors or competitive advantages.
Think about what you have to offer and select a few qualities, prioritized in terms of what your client cares about. If possible, tie them to the ROI you're demonstrating.
9.) Ghost the competition.
If you know who you are competing against, raise issues in your proposal that strike at their weak points. Don't disparage them or mention them by name. But if you know their software is susceptible to viruses, make a big deal about the importance of protecting against viruses.
10.) Ask for their business.
Ask for it in the cover letter, ask for it in the Executive Summary, and ask for it when you deliver or present the proposal. Being passive doesn't work. You have to ask.