The 6 W's Of Writing Persuasive Proposals
By Kris Mills
Expert Author
Article Date: 2003-03-06
1. Who Are You Selling To?
Knowing who your customer is and what motivates them to buy is very important for a number of reasons. It's important because it enables you to get a feel for what their needs are and how you can fulfill those needs. It's also important to understand if your busines sells the one product to different target markets with different sets of needs.
AND ... if you sell a range of products with one target market for each type of product.
OR ... if you have a broad range of products and services with a variety of target markets buying a variety of their products.
By articulating which target markets you sell which products and services to, then listing the needs and buying motivators of each of those groups, you can then match various benefits of your products to best suit the unique needs of your various buyers. For instance, let's say you're a business forms printer and you provide an in-house design and film preparation service, short turnaround times, precision quality and a great price.
Some types of clients are more likely to be interested in the precision quality than the short turnaround times or the price. Others will be totally price driven. Knowing which is which will help you tailor your sales presentation to suit their specific buying motivators.
Here's lesson 5 in your Proposal Writing Course. It addresses point no. 2 in the 6 Ws of Persuasive Proposals.
2. WHY - Why Do They Need Your Product and Your Company?
This is a follow on from the previous "who" question. Does your buyer need to:
save money
Why do they have these needs? Is it because their business is growing quickly? Is it because times are tough? Write these factors down and include them at the beginning of your document. Now for point #3.
3. WHAT ...
What is your product or service and what are its' benefits to the buyer? Once you have identified who you are selling to and what their needs are. Introduce your product. Talk about it's features, it's advantages, and most importantly, what it will do for the buyer in real terms.
To organise this information in a logical format (for in-house use only) create a table with the following headings:
4. HOW ...
How can you prove that you're the right company with the right product for their needs? Next, write down the reasons why they should buy from you and NOT your competition. What's your "Point of Difference"? How do you compare with your competitors in terms of:
Note the word "proof" in the above heading. This is very important in dissolving buyer scepticism. Your proof can include:
5. WHAT - What is the next step?
Tell your buyer how to buy and make it easy for them to do that. Show them how to make their product selection, tell them what the process involves, what your payment terms are and how to pay. The easier you make it for them to purchase, the greater the chances that they will purchase from you. Inside "Proposals and Tenders that Sell" we give you a number of examples of how you can make it easy for your buyer to do business with you.
6. WHEN - When do they need to make a decision?
Knowing the answer to this question helps you develop a good understanding of how qualified they are as a buyer.
If they're not ready to purchase for another year or so, there's no point putting together a fully blown proposal now because pricing and product features may have changed by then.
On the other hand, if they need the product immediately and you can deliver the product to their door in a matter of hours when your competitors have a 3 week delay, there's a good chance that you'll win the sale.
About the Author:
Kris Mills of Words that Sell ( http://www.wordsthatsell.com.au/ ) is a top selling copywriter, trainer and author of numerous how-to guides including Proposals and Tenders (Bids) that Sell. Kris has also produced a FREE ebook entitled "11 Bid Writing Sins and How to Avoid Them". To arrange a FREE copy, visit:http://www.wordsthatsell.com.au/tendersebook.htm
