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Two Proven Options to Get a Response to Your Sales Proposal
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At the end of an email that includes the sales proposal (either as an attachment or, if appropriate, in the body of the email), I close with this question: “To confirm: Do the scope and terms match what you’re looking to accomplish? Or do we need to make adjustments?” Why This Works…
Why This Works… “It does not put the prospect on the spot to make a buying decision right then and there.” If the scope indeed matches your prospect’s expectations (and the price and terms are agreeable), the prospect will likely reply, “Looks great. When can we start?”
Why This Works… “In a sense, you’re taking the pressure off the prospect by “confirming the order” before you proceed to the next step in the sales process.” If the scope indeed matches your prospect’s expectations (and the price and terms are agreeable), the prospect will likely reply, “Looks great. When can we start?”
If for any reason, the price exceeds the prospect’s budget, she may say, “I like the scope but our budget is only $5,000. We just can’t do $8,000.” Now, at least you have a dialogue to keep the sales process going. You can respond with something along the lines of: ““Understand completely. How about I look for areas where we can adjust the scope and scale our services to still provide you with substantial value but to fit within your budget. Would you be open to that?”” You accomplish two objectives with this response:
You accomplish two objectives with this response: “1. Instead of simply cutting your price to meet a budget number, you’ve preserved the value of your service.” 2. You’ve positioned yourself (and your company), not as a transaction-seeking salesperson, but as a trusted partner looking to create a win-win agreement.
Was our price too high? Did the scope not match requirements? Where do we stand? “It’s impossible to get answers to these questions when the prospect goes silent.” So, what can you do to improve your odds of motivating a response?
If for any reason, the price exceeds the prospect’s budget, she may say, “I like the scope but our budget is only $5,000. We just can’t do $8,000.” Now, at least you have a dialogue to keep the sales process going. You can respond with something along the lines of: ““Understand completely. How about I look for areas where we can adjust the scope and scale our services to still provide you with substantial value but to fit within your budget. Would you be open to that?”” You accomplish two objectives with this response:
1. If scope and terms are agreeable, simply reply to this email with your approval to proceed, and I’ll secure the time and send the initial invoice to launch the project. “2. If there is anything above that does not match what you’re looking for, let me know, and we can adjust as needed. Or, if you’re limited by budget constraints, let me know, and I’m happy to explore with you about what you’d like to take out of scope and handle in-house to better fit your budget.” Why This Works