Five Deadly Mistakes of Proposal Presentation

For Free > Proposals

JRC Training Solutions

310.398.1341

You’ve cleared all but the final hurdle. After weeks of questioning, listening, shmoozing, and empathizing, you gained access to the prospect’s approved vendor list; no small accomplishment. Responding to the RFP, you wrote a dynamite proposal for the important new Expansion Project contract that was put out to competitive bid. You sized up your competition at the bidder’s conference and came away feeling pretty confident about your chances.

Now all you have to do is overcome the final obstacle … presenting your proposal to the executive steering committee and winning the business.

As you know, a proposal represents your best opportunity to demonstrate that you’re serious about helping your prospect achieve his or her goals and are capable of doing so. Yet it’s surprising how often salespeople underestimate the importance of the proposal presentation segment of the sales process.

In my consulting practice I see over and over again how often salespeople work extremely hard to get to this point and then stumble badly by taking this aspect of the close too lightly. Therefore, to help you secure more business by avoiding this major pitfall, I’ve identified five key mistakes that can spell doom in any proposal presentation situation.

Keep in mind that the type of presentation we’re talking about here is the presentation made before a prospective client during the final stages of the buying process, as opposed to canned presentations that can be used during initial sales calls. In addition, several different organizations may be asked to make competing presentations at this point.

That being said, here they are … the five deadly mistakes of proposal presentation.

Mistake #1

Neglecting to show up. I’m not joking, this happens all the time as salespeople simply mail or messenger their proposal to the customer. Instead, insist on presenting the proposal yourself, in person. If a key recommender or other inside salesperson wishes to conduct the presentation, make sure you’re there to answer questions and respond to concerns or objections.

Primary symptoms: Being too lazy to make the visit or too timid to insist on a face-to-face meeting.

Mistake #2

Neglecting to have the right customer personnel attend the presentation. Insist that the final decision maker and key recommender(s) attend the presentation. Equally important, be sure you know what the attendees’ relative power relationships are within the company, including who has the most influence, how they get along with each other, and the reasons which actually do/might underlie their interest in your proposed solution.

Primary symptoms: Not having done your homework in advance or not having confidence in your inside salespeople.

Mistake #3

Allowing the attendees to remain passive during your presentation. Actively involve all the participants, particularly the key recommender(s) or influencer(s). Encourage them to get their hands dirty by discussing what should and shouldn’t be done ... and why. This will enable them to begin to take ownership of your proposed solution.

Primary symptoms: Placing too much emphasis on your own capabilities and insights, or giving too little recognition to the notion that you’re attempting to enter into a partnership.

Mistake #4

Failing to adequately plan for or handle questions. Be sure to allow sufficient time for questions, either at the end of the presentation or at key points throughout the session. If you take questions during the presentation, be careful not to allow a question which should be addressed later to sidetrack your planned agenda or cause you to run out of time. When faced with a question of this type, make a point of jotting it down so the questioner will feel confident that you plan to get back to it later. And if you can’t answer a question, don’t try to bluff. Just say ‘‘I don’t know but I’ll get back to you on that one.’’ Then make sure you do ¼ quickly!

Primary symptoms: A failure to adequately listen or the inability to demonstrate that two-way communication will take place throughout the life of the relationship.

Mistake #5

Neglecting to emphasize some hard-hitting reasons why it is to the customer’s advantage to go ahead with you ¼ now. You’re going to want to ask for the order in unequivocal and direct terms. One unthreatening way to do this is by presenting a clear set of Next Steps. If you can’t get approval for the entire solution you’ve proposed, try to get approval for at least some of these next step activities.

Primary symptoms: Not demonstrating to prospective clients that their work is definitely wanted and will remain wanted.