Given the choice of reading 10 pages, 40 pages, or a 200 page proposal, which would you choose to read first? For most of us, it’s not a hard decision to read to the short document first.

Which raises a question we’re often asked: “what should we include in our proposal?”

Many are tempted to throw everything in, hoping something strikes a chord with their prospective client. So what to include and what to leave out?

To make it easy, ask yourself if your content addresses one of these four key questions that your client will be asking.

• Is this the right solution?
• Can they really do it?
• Is it a fair price?
• Will it deliver a good return on our investment?

These questions will help you determine what to include in your presentations or proposal by deciding what matters to your client and what doesn’t. If an item doesn’t compellingly address one of the four key questions, leave it out.

You need to include the following kinds of content:

• A clear restatement of your client’s needs, issues, challenges or objectives. For example, a short set of bullet points in the Executive Summary. The more specific your restatement, the more helpful it will be. Restating your client’s needs lowers decisionmaker anxiety about wasting money, wasting time, and losing reputation.
• A recommendation for a solution that will eliminate their problems or meet their objectives. Strangely, many proposals do not recommend anything - they merely describe products or services. Tie the features of your solution to your client’s needs, showing why each is important or relevant to them.
• Evidence to support your claim that you will deliver the solution on time, and on budget. Good evidence includes references, testimonials, case studies, third-party evaluations, certifications or accreditations, and reviews. It may also be appropriate to include project plans, methodologies, team resumes, details of facilities and resources, and summaries of experience.
• A reason to proceed with your recommendation. Without some kind of value proposition - ROI, payback, total cost of solution - the buying decision may come down to price. Base your value on your differentiators, or your competitors will be able to say “me too”.

When deciding whether to include specific content, ask yourself whether it fits clearly into one of these four categories. If not, leave it out.

• Your team leader, his/her credentials for the role, and how s/he will relate to the client
• What you plan to contribute to the relationship, besides technical expertise
• Where you can add distinct value to the client’s organisation: the network of useful contacts to whom you will facilitate introductions and related services which the client will access through you
• “Feel good” aspects of being a client of your firm - and how that differs from the alternatives
• Value-added services you will offer - and deliver
• Techniques you propose to obtain client feedback
• How you’ll evaluate you client’s satisfaction - measures or indicators you will use
• How the client satisfaction feeds into your internal appraisal, recognition, and reward systems
• How you will deal with problems and issues which arise
• What action you promise if your client is dissatisfied
• What else you’ll do to establish a relationship with the client which ensures they derive maximum value
• Examples of other clients with whom you’ve developed similar relationships and evidence of the benefits to these clients of your relationship - testimonials, references, case studies
• What this relationship means to you and the “price” you’re prepared to pay for it - how important the client will be to you
• How far you’ll go to protect and advance your client’s interests
• The difference they’ll notice in dealing with you and your firm.

Be clearly and convincingly painting a picture of the working relationship you have in mind, demonstrating that you’ll constructively engage problems, and showing downstream benefits your client will derive, you will vastly improve your prospects of success.

Previous eTips have suggested possible selling points which will help you to positively differentiate your proposal in a crowded market. Increasingly, astute clients value law firms and other expert professional services providers who show that they are both fully aware of and respond appropriately to concerns about commercial sensitivities and conflicting interests.

This quick checklist will help you to develop the key selling arguments you will use to position your proposal.

• Your understanding of this client’s sensitivities to commercial confidentiality issues and conflicts
• Protocols to maintain confidentiality (no, don’t just treat this as a “given”)
• Systems and processes you use to recognise potential conflicting interests
• Due diligence you have conducted to establish that there is “no conflict”
• Real life examples of commercial sensitivities you have recognised and your response to these
• Examples of actual and possible conflicts - and what you would propose to do about them
• On-going input and collaboration from your client on these areas, and how you propose to obtain it
• What work/other clients you would be prepared to relinquish in order to establish and maintain a long-term relationship with this client - that is, how much this relationship does/will mean to you and what “price” you’re prepared to pay for it
• How far you’ll go to protect and advance your client’s interest.

By proactively and constructively dealing with your client’s commercial sensitivities, and any possible conflicts, you will advance your prospects by reducing perceptions of risk in accepting your proposal and establishing a business relationship with you.

Copyright 2001 Julian Midwinter & Associates Pty Ltd

We’ve all had the experience of watching a TV commercial and wondering “what was that all about?” … or reading a sales promotion letter and thinking “so what? why should I care?”

Or even worse, receiving a proposal and groaning at the thought of reading the whole document …

Persuasive messages can be characterised by the four Cs:

Clear
Compelling
Concise
Convincing

Next time you are writing a proposal, preparing a presentation, or pitching for business, test your key messages against these four Cs to be certain you will persuade your audience.

Copyright 2001 Julian Midwinter & Associates Pty Ltd

Once you’ve decided that you’re going to tender for work, it’s important that production doesn’t become the drama that prevents you from submitting your high quality document, on time.Words are vital, but production no less important. Ideas, words, and pictures have to make it print in ways that make impact.

Logistics matter. Production matters.

Here’s a list to get you started.

Binding
• How will you bind the submission ?
• Would ring, thermal, or spiral binding be best ?
• Should the covers and spine be customised ?

Dividers
• Will you use dividers to separate document sections ?
• Should the dividers be plastic or paper ?
• And, how should they be labelled ?

Paper
• Do you have stationery stock on hand or do you need to order ?
• What quality of paper will you use ?
• Does it match your letterhead ? Do you want it to ?

Printing
• Are you printing the final document in-house or outsourcing ?
• When does printing need to begin to allow a good margin for any dramas that may arise ?
• When does the printing need to be completed to allow time for delivery?

Colour scheme
• Will you brand the tender with your firm colours ?

Graphics
• Where are you going to include your firm logo - for example, header, footer, or watermark on every page, section headers ?
• Will you include other graphics ?
• Where will they be placed ?

Text
• What colours will you use for text ?
• Are headings differentiated by font, colour, size, case, bold ?
• Which font will you apply to response text ?
• What size will the text be ? Is the font size realistic for any page limitations which may be stipulated in the RFT ?
• Are you going to use a different font for tables and graphs ?
Tables, flowcharts, and organisation charts
• What level of detail do you want charts and tables to have ?
• What styles and formatting will you employ ?

Supporting documents
• How will you refer to supporting documentation - for example, appendices, attachments, supplements ?
• What styles and formatting will you use ?

Electronic submission
• Is electronic submission required ?
• Is the format specified - for example, .pdf, .doc, .ppt, .xls ?
• Would it be a good idea to include an electronic copy on CD ?
• Have you printed a label for the CD which has your logo, and the name of the RFT on it ?
• Have you expunged identifying details from the document properties ? This is especially important if your document is not created in-house.

Tender production can be a stressful time. Don’t leave things to the last minute - prepare what you can (binders, tab dividers, CD labels, submission letter) before the submission deadline. This will minimise frazzled nerves at the end of the tender process.

Copyright 2006 Julian Midwinter & Associates Pty Ltd

Whether you’re presenting, proposing, tendering, or just plain persuading, it matters to get the pitch right: spot on.  What you say [or write] matters - lots. How you say it matters just as much.

Once you’ve worked out what needs to be said, take a few moments to think about how messages should be packaged or delivered to be truly effective.

Avoid buzzwords, jargon, or “in” language - unless you’re absolutely sure that your audience will understand and use this language exactly as you would. Opt for widely understood, mainstream language to avoid alienating sections of your audience and creating chasms or disconnects.

Check that your language and expression isn’t downright dull. A dose of excitement, enthusiasm, and passion will help to fire imagination and stimulate action. If an issue doesn’t energise you much, just how much impact do you expect to have on your audience ?

If you have to make a formal speech or presentation, and you’re looking for inspiration to help you make the perfect pitch to your audience, take a few lessons from great modern speeches. Think back over the metaphors and impassioned style of orators like Martin Luther King, Winston Churchill, Billy Graham, Gough Whitlam, or some recent US Presidents:

• All founded their pitches on strong convictions.
• Each captured attention.
• Each was convincing and clear.
• None tortured the language or used little-understood jargon.
• They didn’t bore people into yielding to their proposition.
• All effectively called audiences to action on the path to a new and better way - much like where you want to take your clients.

You have a worthwhile proposal for your client. Pitch it perfectly and call your client to join you on the path to a better future together.

Copyright 2006 Julian Midwinter & Associates Pty Ltd

It’s a mistake to think of pictures as mere distractions. In fact, some studies show that the presence of an image can hugely impact how much time people spend reading accompanying copy.

Images - photos, clipart, drawings, diagrams, logos - can increase a reader’s engagement with the page, and influence their willingness to read more of your copy.

A reader may not spend a lot of time looking at the image itself. (This is especially true of familiar pictures: images which are frequently seen can register in peripheral attention mode. Think of a picture of Sydney Harbour Bridge, or a red rose.)

The presence of an image can increase propensity to spend time on the page and read accompanying text.

Choice and use of images must mesh with context.

For example, in a magazine or newspaper ad, people expect a dose of “excitement” as they interact with the page. Creativity, attractiveness, and high impact are rewarded accordingly. (Think about those gorgeous visual feast advertisements in fashion and lifestyle magazines.)

By contrast, in a tender submission, the evaluator is looking for answers, facts, and evidence. In this context, use of images is about creating a design that helps the reader focus on relevant information, overcomes boredom, and confirms you as the right choice. High design could interfere with that.

In a promotional email, the recipient will want to quickly get to a decision about what action they need to consider.

When next setting out to use printed material or email to present your credentials or persuade, remember that text-only won’t improve your number-of-words-read score.

Selective use of images will.

Copyright 2006 Julian Midwinter & Associates Pty Ltd

If you’re a stand-out professional expert in an area, you only dilute well-founded strong claims by attaching others which are weak.  What does this mean in practice ?

Well, if you’re an insurance lawyer with a wealth of expertise in liability and professional indemnity, it will dilute the impact of your sales pitch if you also decide to claim significant expertise, say, in marine insurance, just because a few years back you did a couple of cases in that area.

If you’re a corporate and commercial specialist, it will only water down the sales pitch you’re making in this, your stand-out area, to also claim that you’re also an expert in a half a dozen other areas, only tangentially connected.

For those whose claims to fame are as technology specialists, it does little to help make an effective case by adding a few more areas where they can “get by”.

To unsophisticated consumers, a lawyer is an expert in all matters legal, a computer expert is expected to know about any computer system, and a management consultant can expertly advise any business.

Sophisticated clients know there are important differences.

The astute client looks to you for leads and evidence of distinctive niches in which you’re expert to assess degree of fit with their wants and needs.

You reinforce your case by being clear about where you’re not the stand-out expert. You further strengthen your position by framing those limitations positively. (Watch for future eTips on how to positively frame such negatives.)

Whether it’s a one-on-one pitch for business, a full proposal, or formal tender, don’t dilute your core claims of exceptional credentials and fit by hyperbolising the rest.

Copyright 2006 Julian Midwinter & Associates Pty Ltd

Known as “beauty parades” by insiders, interviews following proposals, tenders, and capabilities submissions are de rigeur in many decision processes - competitive or otherwise. Areas of probable interest to interviewers fall into several categories.

Confirmation that what they have read is what they’ll get - interviewers will want to be certain that you and your team are as presented in your proposal - that you are “the goods” and not just great on paper !

Clarifications of your RFP responses - areas requiring more detail, amplification, illustration.

Extensions and additions to the RFP - things the client has since wished it had asked, including issues arising during the evaluation process.

Concerns and negotiation items - obstacles to being happy to go ahead, plus areas where they may wish to drive for more.

Implementation considerations - interviewers will want to understand whether you and your team have the capacity to absorb additional work volume. In areas you have previously not served them, they want to check whether you’ve figured out how you’ll manage, and how you’ll forge relationships with their business units.

Cultural fit - that you feel right and will be internally saleable to client personnel.

Questions which you may have for them.

To prepare adequately requires that you be prepared for everything even remotely likely to arise in the session. Benefits of this thorough - as opposed to minimalist - approach to preparation are obvious.

A less obvious benefit is that you will embark on the session with calm confidence, knowing that you’re going to put in a great performance, and relax into expressing your personality and engaging interviewers.

Your aim should not be passive acceptance of an “interview”. Rather, approaching the session ready to engage in a conversation and meaningful dialogue to:
• confirm
• clarify
• extend or add
• deal with concerns
• negotiate
• show you can implement
• demonstrate strong cultural fit
and get into a true professional service dynamic - a foretaste of your operating style.

Copyright 2006 Julian Midwinter & Associates Pty Ltd

Vague claims of greatness, history, longevity, size, pre-eminence, full-service, and so on don’t make much sales progress. Prospective clients reading proposals, tenders, or hearing a sales pitch are (mostly) unpersuaded by vague claims like this. Specifics sell.

Readers (or listeners) want proof - not just assertions. Give them what they want and need to be persuaded and sold.

Introduce proof from the outset. The more proof you can offer, the better. And, the earlier you offer a range of evidence, the stronger your impact. You’ll establish credibility early, and as your tender or pitch unfolds, you’ll be more likely to be trusted.

Proof is strong evidence from multiple sources.

Persuasive evidence includes :
• statistics
• case studies
• anecdotes
• flowcharts, process maps, and diagrams
• graphs and trend lines
• whitepapers and articles
• client lists
• project or deal lists
• client references and testimonials
• expert independent reviews.

If you don’t have persuasive evidence, then develop some.

A focus on proof will reduce possibilities of blandness - assertions tend to be bland and undifferentiated. If you cite evidence, you’ll avoid general “me too” claims of being “pre-eminent, full-service, cost-effective, client-focused” - that is, just like most of the rest of those who propose.

To write or pitch persuasively, use specifics to sell.

Copyright Julian Midwinter & Associates Pty Ltd

As I write eTips each week, it’s often the product of business development challenges and behaviours I’ve observed among our clients, or learned second hand. Now, I need your input on the eTips topics you find most relevant, how eTips can improve, and what you’d like more of.

This week, please take this brief, three to five minute survey, and tell me, and the whole JMA team, what you think.

As a thank you, you will be entered into a draw to win a bottle of fine wine.

Of course, if you have any queries or other comments, do get in touch.

Thanks for your support and important feedback.

Linda and the team at Julian Midwinter & Associates

Those who’ve done it know well that while tenders, bids, and competitive proposals are great ways to win work, it’s easy to squander precious time and money on bids with limited prospects of success.

Here’s a simple framework for pre-proposal due diligence which our consultants find helpful in guiding professional service firm clients to correct judgement calls on opportunities to propose or tender.

How well we fit

• Does what we do well match the needs of this prospective client ?
• How well do our skills fit with what they need and want ?
• How well do our people fit with the prospective client’s organisation ?

Profile and relationship with prospective client
• Do we have an established relationship with them ?
• What is our profile with them ?
• Do they already think we have the right credentials for this work ?
• Would they like to appoint us ?

Competitive positioning

• What is the competitive field ?
• Who are the incumbent providers ?
• What would we need to get past to be appointed ?

Execution capability

• If we win, can we do it well ?
• Can we deliver in the timeframe the prospective client expects ?
• Will winning this work play havoc elsewhere ?
• What risks are there to successful execution ?
• In one or two years time, would we say this was great work for us to win and we did it well ?

Pricing parameters

• What will this prospective client expect to pay ?
• At what price can we profitably do this work ?
• Do financial risks attach to this opportunity ?
• Is there a financial match between us and the prospective client ?

Strategic significance

• Is this work of strategic value to us ?
• Is it work in an area and with a client which keeps us in a place we want to be or takes us to a
space we want to go to ?
• Will this work and client be attractive to our people ?

Pre-proposal due diligence will help you avoid time-wasters and the “poison challis” brim full of hype and
enthusiasm. Best of all, when you make the “we’ll pursue this” call after this due diligence, you’ll be clear
about why and be well on your way to crafting a winning proposal.

Copyright 2008 Julian Midwinter & Associates