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| STRATEGIESEdge
Brought to you by Dahlia Web Designs LLC |
| Issue: Proposals Best Practices |
April 2008 |
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Dear Dahlia,
Writing proposals and responding to potential clients can be challenging. What should be included in a proposal? Please join our blog to discuss your challenges and strategies.
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| A Winning Proposal Strategy
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| Before solutions are presented, we, as service providers, must make sure that we really understand the key business issues that need to be addressed. What would a successful solution look like to the client?
To ensure maximum success, your proposal should identify your understanding of the client's issues and requirements. This confirms to the client that your understanding of their issues and goals are correct before you present any solution strategies.
In addition, the expectations of the service provider and of the client are critical to define. What are the cost considerations, commitments and guarantees? What information do you need from the client in order to complete the project within specified deadlines? Samples of designs may help clarify style preferences. Together with the client, identify the measures of success that can be verifiable at the end of the commitment.
The following potential pitfalls may cause problems for the service provider, the client, or both.
- Not pre-qualifying the client's budget can waste a lot of time. For example, if the service provider offers both low cost as well as high cost services, then this should be identified at the outset.
- Not setting cost expectations correctly. For example, what are included AND excluded from the price identified? How does a change to the project requirements affect cost? What does that ongoing back and forth discussion/emails cost?
- Not considering both strategic and tactical steps. Some clients may have a set budget right now but may want to expand when they acquire additional funds. The tactical implementation must consider the overall strategic direction in order to be successful.
read more |
| How to Write Winning Proposals
By MoreBusiness.com |
When organizations need a specific task performed, they often call potential bidders and invite proposals for a competitive bid. Following the proposal review process, the most qualified bidders are usually called in for a presentation of the ideas presented in their proposal. Therefore, your proposal must be convincing enough to result in an invitation to present your ideas.
You have to identify the appropriate strategy that will set you apart from your competitors. If the client intends to select the contractor strictly on the proposal evaluation, your proposal must position you as the obvious choice. The strategy you select will be the overriding theme in your proposal.
There are several different strategies that are effective in persuading your prospective client to choose you.
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| Top 10 Tips for Winning Proposals
By Sant Corporation |
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Never title your proposal "Proposal." That doesn't say anything clients can't figure out themselves. (Would you ever title a book "Book"?) Instead, write a title that states a benefit to the client: "Increasing Network Reliability and Convenience through Advanced On-Line Capabilities."
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.
Avoid lengthy corporate histories. Nobody's interested!
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We thank you for taking the time to read our e-Newsletter and hope that you found it useful. As always, we look forward to your feedback and hope that you will respond to our brief feedback question on the right-hand side of this newsletter.
Sincerely,
Dahlia Benaroya
President,
Dahlia Web Designs LLC | |
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| Successful Tips |
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| Save 25% |
If you would like an evaluation of your proposal strategies or documents, we are offering a special discount to our readers. Please feel free to share this offer with friends and colleagues. To register this coupon, email us at Proposal_Coupon@dahliawebdesigns.com by May 30th, 2008. Indicate your name, position, company or business, type of business, phone and email address. |
| Offer Expires: May 30th, 2008. |
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