{"id":7892,"date":"2014-07-07T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-07-07T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/creator\/?p=7892"},"modified":"2020-03-30T19:00:37","modified_gmt":"2020-03-30T23:00:37","slug":"close-future-deals-proposal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/close-future-deals-proposal","title":{"rendered":"Close your future deals with this proposal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week we discussed\u00a0why to never email proposals<\/a>\u00a0and how walking people through your plan will dramatically increase your close rate. \u00a0This week we will cover the content \u2014 what you should provide your prospects with and how to walk them through it to close that deal.<\/p>\n

An\u00a0important point to keep in mind is that most products are conveniences or luxuries. They\u2019re nice to have, but to most people, they aren\u2019t critical to their lives. That is, until you position your product properly and create a perceived need. The best way to do this is to walk them through a problem that they may not have considered yet, and position your product as the answer for them to discover.<\/p>\n

So how do you execute a successful proposal structure\u00a0that will communicate a need and lead to a close?\u00a0Here are the four steps we follow at Skaled<\/a>.<\/p>\n

(Let\u2019s assume the following as well\u2026 the person you\u2019re meeting has brought other people to the meeting as well. They\u2019re decision makers and don\u2019t need to see a demo, or alternatively, already have. The main point is that\u00a0in many cases, a demo is unnecessary at this time.)<\/p>\n

1. Set an Agenda<\/h3>\n

Now that you have set up a call or an inperson meeting to discuss the proposal, you must start the call off right.<\/p>\n

Create excitement around what you are going to discuss and then set a clear agenda. The agenda should look like this: Recap the highlights from previous conversations, discuss where you believe you can partner, and then\u00a0cover the next steps in getting started. Present these clearly to keep the meeting on track.<\/p>\n

(Many people skip this step and jump right in to a pitch,\u00a0but do not underestimate the power of taking control of the meeting early on.)<\/p>\n

2. Recap Key Issues<\/h3>\n

As I mentioned in the post last week, it\u2019s important to recap your previous conversation to make sure we understood\u00a0them correctly and also because things can change rapidly in the prospect\u2019s business. \u00a0We also recap to give\u00a0the new participants a voice in the process. \u00a0We ask them if they see the issues similarly and to add any additional key points.<\/p>\n

Hopefully they confirm and agree or add another minor detail that you can use to make your argument stronger in the end.<\/p>\n

Now stop right here! There is a potentially big issue about to arise. There will be times at this point, when you have to return to discovery. If your recap does not resonate this time around the way it did in your previous meeting \u2014 likely due to new points added by additional members of the converation \u2014 it\u2019s time to stop the conversation and let the client know that you\u2019ll need to revise your plan and take these new facts into consideration.\u00a0Explain that you need to take some time\u00a0to learn more about these issues and return to them with a revised plan by such and such date.<\/p>\n

I am a firm believer it is best to wait to do a great meeting instead of rushing to do a mediocre one.<\/p>\n

3. Partnership Planning<\/h3>\n

Assuming you did have the recap right, it\u2019s now time to lay out the plan for partnership. \u00a0First, present a high level overview of your company with relevant stats, followed by a recap of the issue they\u2019re facing and how your product or service will solve it.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0high level on your company should\u00a0highlight relevant facts to the deal at hand. \u00a0Many people in this meeting may be learning about you for the first time, so this section will serve as an education opportunity. Typically you want this to be 1-2 slides maximum.<\/p>\n

Next, you want to lay out your plan for partnership. \u00a0Present a key issue from the recap section and then key products or services to solve for this issue.<\/p>\n

Ex. First bullet: \u201cDifficulty finding software engineers in South Carolina\u201d. Sub bullets present the key products to solve this issue. You may have the same product related to multiple issues, and that is fine as well. \u00a0 It shows that although the product may be the same, you understand that how it will be used to solve\u00a0different issues will vary.<\/p>\n

4. Next steps\/implementation plan and proposal<\/h3>\n

Now that we have tied key issues to the solutions we offer, it\u2019s time to remove the\u00a0barriers of implementation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When we do\u00a0lose deals in the end, it\u2019s typically not because we didn\u2019t have the right solution. It\u2019s because the perceived time and resources commitment is too high.<\/p>\n

The prospect becomes overwhelmed by the commitment of the rollout.<\/p>\n

Our job in the end of the meeting is to remove those barriers and create a clear path to success. \u00a0This step is normally multiple slides or talk points that layout an exact timeline and the next steps for partnering. \u00a0This should emphasize the work YOU will do, and make it clear that requirements on their end are minimal.\u00a0 You should also lay out key meetings that need to happen and KPIs for success.<\/p>\n

Make the prospect feel like you have taken all possibilities\u00a0into account and\u00a0you\u2019ll handle all of the necessary details and support them in anything they have to accomplish.<\/p>\n

5. Final Proposal<\/h3>\n

The final proposal should\u00a0should highlight the products, pricing, and tiers, if applicable.<\/p>\n

The above steps are meant to remove as many barriers to the sale as possible. \u00a0There are times when you will not be able to present live to all of the persons involved, but when you frame the document in the above format you will ensure that you arm your champions with everything they need to position your company and get the deal done.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last week we discussed\u00a0why to never email proposals\u00a0and how walking people through your plan will dramatically increase your close rate. \u00a0This week we will cover the content \u2014 what you should provide your prospects with and how to walk them through it to close that deal. An\u00a0important point to keep in mind is that most […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1160,"featured_media":7499,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43902],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7892","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-professional-development"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nClose your future deals with this proposal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Last week we discussed\u00a0why to never emai\u2026\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/close-future-deals-proposal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" 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