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Your Written Presentation Should Mirror Your Client

Submitted by Mitch Seigel on Wed, 09/28/2011

If you’ve done all the steps of the sales process leading up to developing a written presentation for your customer, the actual act of writing it should be very simple. The information you gathered through assessing your client’s needs should directly be reflected in your proposal, as well as how your products and/or services can be used to overcome their current and future challenges.

Remember, a written presentation is much more than an estimate. If you are only giving your prospects estimates after spending time assessing their needs, you are wasting your time, and theirs! You are also reducing your offer to a commodity so they could have just had you call in your bid, versus seeing the attachment to your company.

The written presentation should be written in a fashion that reflects your presenting style. When they, or others in their company, go back and reflect on the offer, they should almost hear you presenting it to them. It should include;

  • he knowledge you have gained about their business
  • the challenges they are facing and the top goals they have for the coming year
  • the choices of how they can utilize your services and how they meet their needs
  • the outcome of a relationship with your company
  • benefits they will receive from the relationship
  • And finally, a summary, thanking them for the consideration to work with your company
  • And one more thing, as Columbo would say, ASK FOR THE ORDER! Yes, put it right there in writing!

    • Find out ahead of time how many people will be in the meeting when making the presentation. Make enough copies for each person, plus one for the person who shows up at the last minute unannounced. After having it ready to go, practice presenting the presentation at least five times out loud. You are now ready to go and make a winning presentation!

    What are your challenges when it comes to The Written Presentation? I look forward to hearing your comments.

    Until next time …