Any sports coach has a plan for game day. Great coaches have plan variations to address likely scenarios, and to handle the unexpected.
Great salespeople do the same. Having a stellar proposal is only part of the equation for success. A presentation plan outlines how you will deliver the proposal, addresses possible roadblocks, and identifies your fallback positions should you need to negotiate. Your plan may follow a template, but it should be customized for each prospect.
Here’s the framework I use. Yours will be different based on your unique business, pricing models and sales process. I prefer to have this written out before my meeting with details for each prospect. I practice my delivery, and I will even roleplay with a colleague if I need to refine my delivery.
- Review the original challenges
- Ask if I missed anything, and if anything has changed since our last conversation
- Review the proposal – our proposals are designed to address the original challenges
- Review the cost estimate
- Notes on negotiation – how we will change the scope of work at different price points; may include non-price negotiation items
- Ask for the business – I think of this as bringing the process to its natural conclusion
- Set a date for the next meeting or conversation – either to obtain a decision or to start the implementation
- Contract for referrals
- Address potential buyer remorse
This outline works for my sales process, and despite 15 years of sales experience, I use it every time. You can gamify your sales process, but professional sales is not a game. You owe it to your customers and your company to treat each opportunity as equally important, and using a presentation plan makes sure everyone involved has a full understanding of the challenge, recommended solutions and costs.
