Page 105 - Writing Winning Business Proposals

96 Writing Winning Business Proposals

implementation of an effective one, the user buyer may benefit from increased
versatility and efficiency; the economic buyer, from increased efficiency, yes,
but primarily as it affects profitability; the technical buyer, from obtaining
more sophisticated state-of-the-art capability and functionality.

In Chapter 7, I’ll begin to show you how to convince me and each of the
other buyers that you and your firm are better, more convincing, and more
responsive than anyone else. This persuasion will take you a giant step toward
gaining the two to five points that make the difference between winning and
losing. Before that, you need to read the following work session, which identi-
fies the buying roles played by individuals on ABC’s selection committee and
the benefits that will accrue to each once the plan is developed and after it’s
implemented.

CHAPTER 6 REVIEW
Analyzing the Buyers

To begin to analyze the buyers:
1. Classify the members of the buying team according to the role or roles each will
play in making the decision. Each single buyer can play one or more of four possible
buying roles: economic, user, technical, coach. A buyer also can play the role of
ratifier. A ratifier can play only one additional role: coach.
2. Identify each buyer’s perception of S1, the current situation, remembering that that
perception will be conditioned by buying role, position in the organization, and
personality.
3. Identify for each buyer the individual benefits that will accrue from achieving S2,
remembering that those benefits will be conditioned by the buyer’s role, position in
the organization, and personality.
4. If at all possible, develop at least one coach.

WORK SESSION 5: Identifying Buying

Roles and Generating Benefits for ABC

In your previous work sessions, you focused on the “logics” of the selling situa-
tion: the logical relationship among the current situation (S1), the desired result
(S2), and the benefits (B) that will accrue, as well as on the logical methodology
that will ensure ABC’s transition from its current situation to its desired result.