I've seen and developed many business proposals. For example, a consultantcy company starts explaining its service portfolio they offer. But before that an information pertaining to where would their service fit into needs to come out. This can entail the end customer benefits (this projects a larger purpose of your business) or the advisory implementations with precise scenarios. this should come before the service/ product portfolio as this would relate the customer interest and would have a clear story board.

Please share your valuable input.

Problem

This should address achieveing better customer interest and he could relate it with where he could use your services. This avoids customer thinking where can he use your help or to think its inapproporiate for his business. Helps you enhance revenues and improves customer recall power. For any individual, his objectives or output is very critical. If you could convince him by telling you could do that, apparantly he's interested. Moreover if your cost, quality and other stuffs go hand-in-hand, he's then impressed. So focus on the larger value.

Solution

As mentioned earlier, formulate a proper storyline in your sales pitch presentation. This improves customer recall power of your company. Include information relating to the end customer benefits and scenarios where you can serve your customer. If you know your customer's value chain, then you are a step ahead. Draft the value chain and say where are the areas you can provide support. That's brilliant!

Practical Impact

Increases revenue, winning quick and more businesses, customer recall

First Steps

Start segmenting your target customers. Understand and if possible prepare a database on the customer requirements. This series of past requirements quoted by your customer will lead to identifying their businesses and requirements to an extent. You may also rediscover some of the customers requirements to be really into your potential areas of cross-selling services/ products.

Credits

My team, peers and past experiences

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May 29, 2010 at 1:12am

Radhakrishnan NR

Hi Matt, Well said! The companies should try and analyze the potential customers. This is primary and mandatory. Entrepreneurs possess an ego, where they wanted to be recognized by their achievements and associated by their work. It's imperative that one does a homework on the potential client's business, culture, value chain, practices, etc. Research on customer, market segment is not just a premarket entry practice. It is all pervasive. In fact, few business leaders with whom I've dealt with, they prepare a detailed case study on the potential business before pitching.

Here I'd like to quote one of the largest re-insurance and risk covering company's example. It prepares case which explains to the potential customer, on what the business has but where the risk is. They put themselves into the CEO shoes and think from that business perspective. Identify the risk areas (which sometimes the CEO himself would have overlooked or has not identified). Then they sell the insurance cover. The pitch is most of the time successful and are large business deals.

May 3, 2010 at 5:38am

Polly LaBarre

It's absolutely the case that a distinct and robustly articulated sense of purpose can be a magnet for both customers and employees. I wonder if this is less about "targeting" and "segmenting" and more about refining and sharpening and truly embodying your unique value set. That way you find the most authentic match ups with customers and employees.

December 11, 2016 at 5:18pm

Maryann Farrugia

This is right, you really need to focus on the larger purpose dont just focus on the selling part because when you focus more on the purpose targeted customers will come to you eventually and your sales will go up. Try to communicate more.

Regards,
Maryann Farrugia

May 28, 2010 at 6:05am

Matt Shlosberg

Great idea... Here's some food for thought: when making sales presentations, why do people focus too much on what they are trying to sell and not enough on what the customer is trying to buy? Is it time we should start focusing on effective communications and training sales folks how to read customers and collect requirements?