Download - Creating Powerful Proposals - Groupmind, Inc
Creating Powerful Proposals
John A. Sexton, Ph.D.Founder and Creative Director
Groupmind, Inc.
creative thinking, reimagined
Building a Culture of Innovation
Business Speed Dating
THURSDAY
May 2nd6:30pm
THURSDAY
June 6th6:30pm
The Connected BusinessFree Workshop Series
3 MORE DATES JUST ADDEDTHURSDAY
July 11th6:30pm
THURSDAY
August 8th6:30pm
THURSDAY
Sept. 12th6:30pm
heyjohnsexton.com
@heyjohnsexton
#proposals
What do you do?
Why did you start doing it?
Need Money Must write Proposal :(
Write proposal... or maybe rush
through it.
Stuck with same kinds of jobs, or the same rates
Don’t win the jobs we really want
http://www.flickr.com/photos/migulski/2273289856/sizes/o/in/photostream/
Let’s vent.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dhilowitz/4351445649/
Bad proposals...
* lose jobs* leave money on the table * keep you stuck.
http://i.huffpost.com/gadgets/slideshows/261745/slide_261745_1729771_free.jpg?1352278486043
The Real Problem
The skills you develop bydoing the work you love...
...are not the same skillsthat help you get
better jobs in the future.
Unscientific Graph Time!
Unscientific Graph
Skills /Product Quality
Income
Ability to Communicate Value
Skills /Product Quality
Income
Ability to Communicate Value
Unscientific Graph
Joshua Bell Storyhttp://youtu.be/hnOPu0_YWhw
Joshua Bell Story
* One of world’s best Violinists in DC Subway* Handcrafted 1713 Stradivarius Violin worth $3.5 M* Played 6 pieces in 45 minutes
* Previous night, sold out audiences of $100+ tickets* Over 1000 people walked by* ~ 20 people gave a total of about $32* No applause, no recognition
* Similar experiment occurred in 1930s, similar results
Skills /Product Quality
IncomeValue Communicated
Joshua Bell Experiment
Product Quality
Income Value Communicated
Apple
Product Quality
Income Value Communicated
Snuggie
25+ Million sold (Fabricated?)$500,000,000+
What is the purpose of a proposal?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oscar805/8590961651/
Purpose of a proposal:
communicate the valueof your product or service
in solving a problem important to your client
Estimates vs. Proposals
Estimates Proposals
What, How Much What, How Much, Why
Focused on Price Focused on Value
Treats work as commodity Persuades &Builds relationship
Effective ProposalsYou Client
More wins Feels understood
Higher pay Gets good value
Better clients Appropriate solution
Less wasted time Trust you can execute
You are uniquely well-suited to help the client achieve their goals.
You are uniquely well-suited to help the client achieve their goals.
http://www.startwithwhy.com/About.aspx?n=1
Simon Sinek
Emotion drives Decisions.
People don’t buy what you do,they buy why you do it.
People want to work with people that
believe what they believe.
• Demonstrate that they can trust you
• Show the client you understand their needs
• Be honest, be yourself
Love
Like
Approve
Indifference
Distrust
Web Designer
Inspired by: http://chasingthestorm.com/brand-relationship-onion-people-and-brand-relationships/
Clients want to trust you!
Unfortunately, many of them have broken hearts.
And other bad people are out there... just waiting to do it again.
It’s All About Them
Clients only care about youto the extent that you can
help them achieve their goals.
Embrace that.
Listen
Demonstrate Understanding & Communicate Value
Share your best ideas
OK.
Enough with understanding stuff.
Give us TRICKS!
Uncover Root Causes& Determine VALUE
Dig deep to find the reasons behind the requests.
What’s the Real Problem?
What’s the VALUE of solving it?
How are you uniquely qualified to solve it?
Situation Appraisal:Current vs. Ideal Situations
Get them to imagine the gap and show how you can close it.
Problem Statement
Goals & Objectives
You
Get PersonalMake a personal connection
in your cover letter.
Dear sir or madam
Hi Katie,
It was great speaking with you
Tuesday...
Provide Data,But Not Too Much
Just enough to satisfy the rational brain that seeks to justify our decisions with facts.
0
25
50
75
100
2009 2010 2011 2012
Give OptionsChange the conversation from“yes” or “no” to “which one?”
$15,000 $10,000
Reach Best Value Budget
$7,500
Loss AversionReduce the price by taking things away.
- Social Media- Branding
$10,000 $7,500
- Website- Self Respect
$15,000
Winner’s Package!
Goal-Gradient EffectShowing progress that has already been made
motivates people to continue.
YOU ARE HERE
Project Complete!
DONE!
Find us!
DONE!
Fill outquestionnaire
Review Proposal
Review Prototypes
Make Accepting EasyExplicitly spell out next steps & make it
possible to accept the proposal immediately.
Accept Proposal
1
2
3
More Proposal Writing Tips
RIGHT PERSON
Make sure you build a relationshipwith someone who can say
YES.
FAST
2 Business daysor less.
MEANINGFUL TITLE
“Building a Modern Web Presencefor NextDoor Chicago”
not
“Web Design Proposal”
BRANDED TEMPLATE
for layout and generic sections
...but your proposed solutionsneed to be unique for each client.
SIMPLE LANGUAGE
No Jargon. Write for your audience.
SHORT
5 Pages or less is ideal.
SKIMMABLE
Use headings, subheadings, bullet lists & callout boxes, to
break up long passages of text.
VALUE & OUTCOMES...NOT DELIVERABLES.
“Increased exposure to & influence with your target audience...”
not
“Mock-up with 3 Revisions”
STICK TO YOUR PRICES
If you need to go lower, take awaysome of the VALUE.
Avoid dropping a deliverable or reducing revisions for
a discount of X.
FOCUS
Show that you are uniquely suited to understand& solve the client’s problem.
Cut anything that doesn’t directly support that.
Proffread
Proofreed
Proofread
GET BIZNUS RESULTS!!
Thank you!
Building a Culture of Innovation
Business Speed Dating
THURSDAY
May 2nd6:30pm
THURSDAY
June 6th6:30pm
The Connected BusinessFree Workshop Series
3 MORE DATES JUST ADDEDTHURSDAY
July 11th6:30pm
THURSDAY
August 8th6:30pm
THURSDAY
Sept. 12th6:30pm
heyjohnsexton.com
@heyjohnsexton
#proposals