3 tips for an effective and convincing sales proposal

Whether it’s being approached in the street or cold-called over the phone, chances are you’ve had plenty of experience with bad sales pitches.

Putting together and presenting an effective sales proposal can be incredibly challenging, but the whole process can be a made lot easier if you keep these few things in mind:

Know your audience

The most important thing to keep in mind throughout any sales proposal is the audience.

Whether it’s a distinguished corporate client or an average consumer, understanding their needs is key. When this is done effectively you can more easily explain why your offering is better, cheaper or more useful than any rivals.

Offer a solution

A bad sales pitch will be centred on the features of the product, service or offering. A great proposal will show how those features can be the solution to a particular problem the end user has.

If the prospective client is especially time-limited, explaining exactly how the item or idea you are selling can help them save time, money, effort or all three will likely be a lot more effective than just explaining any bells and whistles.

Be conversational

The term ‘pitch’ is becoming increasingly outdated and may immediately turn some people off. In the past, it was merely a word shoddy salespeople used before going on to bombard anyone who would listen with facts and figures.

In the modern market, it is far more important to openly engage with those you are pitching to. Inviting collaborative conversation is key into better understanding the specific needs of those that you’re selling to.

Don’t get pushy

It’s important to complete every sales proposal with some sort of call to action. However, this needs to be tactful and subtle depending on the situation.

There’s nothing worse than pushy sales tactics, and forcing the issue immediately after your proposal may well be detrimental.

If the person – or people – you’re pitching to aren’t fully convinced, encourage them to consider meeting with you again. Furthermore, if they’re happy with you but don’t want to commit long-term, suggest some sort of trial period to get the ball rolling.