Be sure to register for my free training on, "The 5Step Formula to Closing More Deals without the Price Pushback, 'ThinkItOvers' or Ghosting": https://salesinsightslab.com/training/

1. Always give your proposal after a thorough discovery conversation.

Now, for some people this may seem obvious; for others, not so much. But here's the key: A proposal never comes before a thorough discovery conversation. Ever. This is so critical that I have to make it the first key. You should never give a prospect a proposal until you've been able to thoroughly understand what’s really going on. That's the beauty of this proposal strategy that I'm going to share with you: It forces you to do a good job in discovery. When a prospect says early on, "Hey, can you just send me a proposal?" you’ll now always respond with something that sounds like this, "You know what? I'd love to, but I don't really know enough about your situation to be able to craft something that would actually be useful. Would it be okay if I asked some questions before we get to that proposal?" Then, you're off to the races.

2. Your proposal should lay out the discussed objectives.

The key to a great proposal is that it must show that you really understand what’s going on in the world of your prospect. By this measure, it can't be boilerplate, because it requires that you've had a deep and thorough conversation about what the prospect is really looking to accomplish. You need to show that you’re clear on the prospect’s top three objectives related to the type of work that you do. This is going to go into the beginning of any strong proposal.

3. Your proposal should restate the value of achieving those objectives.

This is where you create huge value in the eyes of your prospect—in two ways. First, you determine the value of your prospect achieving those objectives in the discovery meeting, by asking really good questions. Second, you're now restating that value to provide context for making a buying decision. The value to solve their objectives should be at least 10 times the cost of your solution. When you juxtapose those two numbers in the same document it makes sense. This way, making a decision to work with you is only a logical next step for the prospect.

4. Provide three options for accomplishing those objectives.

Notice how I didn't say, "Provide three options for your services," because it's really not about your services or your products—it's about accomplishing those objectives. Most proposals only give one option. This is a lost opportunity, because no matter how strong your discovery meeting was, and how much research you've done, and how much you fully understand your prospect, you can’t read the mind of your prospect. By providing three options for ultimately working together, you cover all the bases.

5. Your proposal must double as a contract.

This means that any great proposal should have a place at the end where prospects can sign the proposal to start the project. Every time we add an additional step in the sales process, we create opportunities for the sale to fall apart. Let's just imagine that your prospect says, "Yes. Let's move forward," and then you say, "Great! I'll have the contract drafted and sent over to you by the end of the day today." Now, you've created a gap between them saying yes and getting started. That time period is critical because you're no longer going to be in front of them, and they've probably moved on to focusing on other things. You want to be able to close the sale right then and there. Make sure that your proposal can serve as a contract. You want to avoid all of the legalese and just make sure that you can get it signed.