January 30, 2008 Issue 015 : Return to Articles : Printable Version

Proposal Best Practices - Self Assessment

Improving proposal win rates means reaching sales goals faster, and then surpassing them.

For service contractors, proposals are:

a.) the moment of truth
b.) where the rubber meets the road
c.) the time to fish or cut bait
d.) all the above

Self-assessments are prompts. Starting points from which to figure out where you are in relation to where you want to be.

This month's Revenue-IQ, a self-assessment for proposals, is based on 10 best practices. Start by printing out this article. Then check your answers and score at the bottom.

If you'd like a more in-depth assessment, or to improve your proposals, contact me at 206-780-2963 or carlen@serviceperformance.com - I'd be happy to help.

Go on: assess yourself.

Chris Arlen, President, Service Performance

Instructions

Print out this article. Select the one answer that best describes most of your proposals. Then check your answers and score at the bottom.

Trying to guess the right answer is always fun, but knowing where your proposals can be improved is even more fun.

The Questions

1 - Your cover letter is...

a.) Always 1 page long
b.) Sometimes 2 pages long
c.) Occasionally 3 pages long

2 - You have an Executive Summary (or Overview)...

a.) Always
b.) Almost always
c.) Rarely
d.) Never

3 - You instantly communicate your proposal offering as an entire entity (a cohesive, customized solution for that customer's bid) by...

a.) Naming your proposal offering with a text name
b.) Branding your offering with a logo & tagline
c.) Answering RFP questions only, don't do either of the above

4 - You answer RFP questions that ask "how will you do something" with...

a.) An answer for the question
b.) An answer for the question and mention you've customized a program for that customer's situation
c.) An answer for the question and show how it connects to your customized program

5 - You comply with RFP response requirements by answering all questions and...

a.) Letting customers figure out if you're compliant
b.) Adding a sentence or two telling customers you're compliant
c.) Illustrating you've answered all RFP questions by indicating the page numbers where you've answered

6 - You make it easy for customers to scan each page by...

a.) Frequently (almost every page) using subheadings, tables, bullet lists & graphics
b.) Sometimes using subheadings, tables, bullet lists & graphics
c.) Presenting mostly text paragraphs

7 - Your proposal's title on your title page reads...

a.) A Proposal for (customer's company name)
b.) A Presentation for (customer's company name)
c.) Your company's tagline as a title
d.) A customized title for that bid, which includes a customer benefit

8 - You exactly match customers terms, i.e. using "building" if they do, rather than "property".

a.) Terms are in our boilerplate, they don't change
b.) Sometimes we match customers' terms
c.) Always match customers' terms

9 - Your finished proposal is a single Microsoft Word document.

a.) No, we print from separate files and bind printed pages into a single document
b.) Sometimes we have a single Word doc, typically it's several files per proposal
c.) Always end up with one Word doc for each proposal

10 - You ensure a consistent look for the entire document by...

a.) Tabbing & hitting the enter key for positioning & spacing
b.) Using Microsoft Word's styles for positioning, spacing, fonts & colors
c.) What are Microsoft Word's styles?

The Answers

1 - ANSWER: a.) 1-page only cover letter - always

THE WHY OF IT: The cover letter can't do everything. Its purpose is to tell your customer that you know it's all about them, first. You must communicate this before they'll listen to the rest of your proposal. 

If your cover letter runs more than 1-page it shows you're trying to jam everything into it, and you don't feel you can sell in the rest of your proposal.

2 - ANSWER a.) Always include an Executive Summary

THE WHY OF IT: Customers are more likely to read the summary than your entire proposal, especially time-crunched executives. Makes it all the more important that your executive summary presents a business case justification. Simple, not easy.

3 - ANSWER b.) Brand your proposal's offering

THE WHY OF IT: Typically there's a lot to comprehend in a proposal. Multiply that by all the bidders and you can see that customers are overwhelmed. Don't forget, customers suffer from boredom and eye strain too.

Branding concentrates your offer into an attractive mental shortcut. Does that conflict with your company brand? Nope.

Starbucks is a brand. It also brands its blends, like Brazil Ipanema Bourbon that has its own logo. Like Starbucks, contractors have their company brand and can brand their proposal offerings too. Here's why you'll want to:

• Provide a handle on your offer
• Increase retention of information
• Communicate something memorable quickly
• Stand out from the competition

4 - ANSWER c.) Connect your RFP responses to your customized, branded program.

THE WHY OF IT: Most RFPs are schizophrenic. They're a cut-and-paste mix of questions that come out of left field. Often with totally unrelated questions sitting in the same paragraph.

When reading proposals, it's hard for customers to remember what makes one contractor different from another. They can't keep all that disparate information in their heads.

Make it easy for them to remember you by connecting your answers to your customized, branded program. You create a customized, branded program for each bid, right?

Answers coming from a unified solution present a coherent approach. Customers begin to see a well thought-out plan. It increases their confidence in the contractor. And it raises their retention of your proposal.

5 - ANSWER c.) Show you're compliant & where

THE WHY OF IT: Customers look to disqualify contractors with incomplete proposals. Show them you've fully complied at/near the front of your document, which helps customers get that off their checklist.

6 - ANSWER a.) Use subheadings, tables, bullet lists & graphics very frequently

THE WHY OF IT: Too much text overwhelms customers with limited time and attention. On each page, where appropriate, distill text so that it can be scanned quickly.

7 - ANSWER d.) Customize a title for each bid opportunity

THE WHY OF IT: Writing "This is a Proposal for..." is stating the obvious. It doesn't communicate value. It doesn't separate you from competitors. It's a wasted opportunity to be persuasive. Use a secondary title to comply with RFP labeling instructions.

8 - ANSWER c.) Match customers' terms exactly to their RFP

THE WHY OF IT: Customers want assurances that you know their business. Match their terms and you'll align. If you call a "tenant" an "employee" you're sending signals that either you don't know their business, or don't care to.

9 - ANSWER c.) Have only one Microsoft Word document per proposal

THE WHY OF IT: Lost files can result when a proposal ends up as multiple files. Changes to the look of the document (fonts, colors, spacing) are easier to apply to a single file. It's also easier to create a PDF from one Word document.

10 - ANSWER b.) Use Microsoft Word styles for headings, positioning, spacing, fonts & colors

THE WHY OF IT: Not using Word styles leads to inconsistent formatting, which can easily trash the look of your company's branding. It's also time consuming to make last minute changes and maintain your document's look. And who doesn't have last minute changes?

Changing the look of a document is very quick using Word styles. Takes hours when not using them.

Scoring

10 out of 10 (A+) correct --> Congratulations; you're Best-in-Class.

9 out of 10 (A-) --> Impressive, you're so far ahead, competitors can't even see you.

8 out of 10 (B) --> You're doing well, is someone doing better?

7 out of 10 (C) --> Strong, continual improvement is the key.

Less than 7 (ouch) correct --> Time to get started. Really.

Next Steps

Take what you've learned from this assessment and improve your proposals.

If you're stuck, want a more in-depth assessment, or want us to improve your proposals - contact me at 206-780-2963 or carlen@serviceperformance.com

Permission to reprint or distribute: email info@serviceperformance.com