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Avoid Salesy - Feel Good

Read time: 3 mins

One non-salesy tip

How do you build a winning proposal?

First, start with their problem...

Please don't start with how awesome you and your company are. Few prospects care. And please keep it short. No one wants to read a 30-page word-wall proposal.

Don't risk your deal. And don't make it hard for your prospect to see value.

How?

Tell their story...

How?

- Start with their problem
- Why this matters to them, and
- What the heck can be done about it

Three Quick Tips:

1. You only need about 10-12 slides to tell a good story
2. According to Proposify, including images help with conversion
3. Allow your prospect to have a hand in the creation of the proposal

Reminder: Proposals don't close deals - you do.

- Proposals de-risk deals by showing a clear path to success for your prospect
- Make sure your proposal can be understood by others who aren't there
- Be sure to walk through your proposal with your prospect(s)

Here's a 4-step proposal & presentation framework

It tells a client-centric story. Below is a Google Slides template you can download and adapt to your context.

1. Their Situation:
  • What you heard from them
  • Why this matters now
  • Measuring success
2. Their Goals & Deliverables:
  • Desired goals & outcomes
  • Timeline & deliverables
3. Their Options:
  • Three options
  • Expectations
4. Investment:
  • Investment
  • Next steps


Download this proposal template

One sales principle

Start with the problem.

One 1-min vid

50-sec vid. Notice how I start with the problem even when being silly

One suggestion

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