flip your perspective to avoid a “so what” response.
by martin bissett
business development on a budget
getting the proposal document right is a mini-science in itself, and it’s not within the scope of this post to explore it in depth. however, the following guidelines will help you understand the process and principles.
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first and foremost, you must write the proposal from the viewpoint of the client, not your own. it must make sense to them, and it must pass their “so what“ test. if the prospect reads a statement or sentence in your proposal and mentally asks, “so what?” that is the kiss of death for your proposal.
the following example illustrates how to replace a “so what“ statement with one that will resonate with the reader.
a. thomas manufacturing, which was established in 1985, has 64 employees and operates in three major markets, the us, the uk and central europe.
b. thomas manufacturing is the victim of its own success in its three major markets. the exponential growth it has seen over the past three years has exerted pressure on the owners and funders of the business to maintain cash flow while doing business in so many different territories. this means that …
“a” is a “so what“ statement, because you could have found all this information on the company’s website, and it doesn’t provide any insights into the company’s situation.
“b,” on the other hand, illustrates that you are able to go beyond the facts and numbers and see the consequences they have brought about.
when you put this sort of statement in your proposal, it demonstrates to the client that you understand what they are going through, and that your proposal will address how you will help relieve the pressure and take their headaches away. that is fundamentally what every client wants.
it is much better to present your proposal in person than to simply email or send it. a proposal document can’t
- negotiate,
- justify price,
- present and emphasize major points, or
- create empathy.
putting the document in the prospect’s hands without taking them through it invites them to simply skip straight to the price and make a quick decision based on that one element. this, of course, can undo all the work you did in the initial meeting.
on the other hand, when you present your proposal in person to all decision makers, you can focus on the major areas of concern they have raised, which will sow the idea in their heads that you are perhaps a superior choice to their current accountant.
of course, you won’t always be given the opportunity to present your proposal in person, which means that although the facts and figures are there, the narrative is missing. to partly make up for that, you must write a compelling cover letter that identifies some of the issues you know are of concern to the prospect, which suggests to them that your proposal will contain the answers they need.
let’s assume for the moment that you have the next meeting scheduled, and you will have an opportunity to present your proposal in person. you must prepare effectively for this meeting, because if not you may blow the opportunity you have worked so hard to get.
in scheduling the next meeting, hopefully you have allowed yourself enough time to write and rehearse the proposal. don’t go in unprepared, as too many accountants do at this stage.
enlist the help of a trusted colleague, who will take the part of the client in your rehearsal and help you identify what needs to be clarified, emphasized or identified when you are in front of the prospect. this will give you a read advantage over those who walk in “cold.”
business development tasks
- make sure your proposal passes the “so what” test, making a clear case for the prospect to move to your firm for reasons that they care about. summarize the case here.
- write the proposal to focus on the future of the business, not its past. list the key points here.
- make the proposal a summation of your discussions with the prospective client, and not a full disclosure of everything you know about the topics discussed. notes here.
- if at all possible, arrange to present the proposal in person to all decision makers. how would you do that?
- schedule specific, non-interruptible time in your diary to write and rehearse the proposal.