Page 214 - Writing Winning Business Proposals
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Writing the Benefits Section 205
critically important study for ABC, and we look forward to supporting you as
you develop the manufacturing base for continued competitive success.
I, as a potential client, want to achieve a result and the benefits associated with
that result. Because benefits, real or imagined, imply value, they are one of the
most important elements in my decision-making process. And one of the biggest
deficiencies I find in most of your proposals is the lack of in-depth discussion
about how I, my colleagues, and my organization will benefit from using your
services both during and after your proposed project. Never again should you be
unable to provide that in-depth discussion. I’ve given you three tools—the three
worksheets—that will help you generate persuasive content.
Now you know that you can distribute benefits throughout the proposal, and
you can gather them in a persuasive summary that ends your document or pre-
sentation by focusing not on your qualifications or your fees but on the value we
will receive. This orientation toward value should certainly get you a portion of
the additional two to five points you need to win. If you sweep me off my feet
with persuasive benefits from using your services, I’ll be less inclined to go with
the lowest bidder, unless, of course, it demonstrates that it can provide similar
benefits.
What a delightful situation this would be for me: comparing consultants based
on their perception of benefits to my organization. How different from my usual
experience: reading or listening to a battle of wits between two unarmed oppo-
nents. By generating, incorporating, and elaborating on benefits, you will have
the arms to win many more battles and to set clearer expectations for the project
after your victory.