Three different clients recently sought my consulting support for the same reason. Each of them was in a competitive bid for a new high-value client. Each harbored concern that their traditional proposal would not hit the mark.

They were right.

I have reviewed a large number of proposals over the years and have noticed a disturbing pattern. Too many sales professionals are unintentionally setting themselves up to lose. When you consider the time, resource and intellectual property that go into creating a proposal, this is a tragedy.

The tragedy starts with the common misconception of the role of the proposal within the sales process. It is not a marketing document. Nor is it a vehicle to simply showcase your greatness. A proposal is a primary sales tool for you. And it is a critical decision-making tool for the client.

Because every client has its unique approach and criteria for making the right decision, every proposal you create will be different. Different in content, different in structure, in flow and in emphasis.

While this sounds obvious, I consistently see three mistakes that rob good sellers of big wins. Recent studies indicate these mistakes are on the increase across industries, which suggests many of us are not aware these missteps are happening within our organization. If you want your proposal to make it easy for your client to choose you, take a look at your past and current documents in context of these three observations:   

Mistake # 1. Over-dependence on your template.

Templates have an important purpose: To assure brand consistency and enhance human efficiency. Improperly applied, however, they represent a serious threat to sales efficiency.

I am not suggesting you ditch your proposal template. I am cautioning you to think deeply about how you will want to adapt that template to make it effortless for client stakeholders to find the information they require to make their decision.  

For example, while page 10 of your template may be the traditional home of your team bios, you may want to position this section up front for a client who has stressed “depth of experience of the delivery team” as an important buying criterion. Take it one step further and wordsmith traditional bios to highlight the relevance of each team member to this client’s interests and industry. Similarly, if individual committee members from the buying organization are charged with reading different sections of your proposal, be sure to repeat your key value positions in every section. And, as one of my clients smartly realized, if executive stakeholders have a low tolerance for unnecessary information, you may need to kick your template to the curb, and ruthlessly cut your proposal to a bare bones business case so that the executive-relevant data shines like a beacon.

Mistake # 2. The client is absent from your proposal.

In two of the three proposals I recently reviewed, I read to page 25 and 36 before finding any mention of the client! Both documents presented information relating to the selling organization and the solution. But presenting scads of information serves only to make you indistinguishable. In order for me, your client, to get value from your proposal and to know that your offering is the right fit for my organization, I need you to position your information in context of my objectives and priorities. Lead with what you know is important to me and connect the specific elements of your recommendation directly to my interests. I do not have time to wade through a mire of information only to be left wondering, “How does this make sense for me and my organization?”

Mistake # 3. You are missing the most important page.

According to InfoTeam Consulting’s 2014 study, “What Really Matters in B2B Selling,” buyers consider an Executive Summary to be the second most important aspect of a good written proposal. (A clear description of the solution and its price is # 1.) Yet 62% of buyers say they are dissatisfied with the Executive Summary in vendor proposals. The more staggering finding is that dissatisfaction with the quality of Executive Summaries has risen by 44% since 2008! Given this is the only page likely to be read by all decision influencers, it is insane to submit a proposal without a winning Executive Summary.

Your Executive Summary must clearly and succinctly articulate:

• Your understanding of the client’s ultimate objective, priorities and buying criteria. And why this initiative is important to him, his stakeholders and organization.
• An overview of your recommendation, why you chose this path (make the connection) and how your organization is equipped to effectively and efficiently get them to their destination.
• An introduction to the proposal layout. The “how to read this document” guide that will enable each stakeholder to effortlessly find the information he or she requires to make an informed decision.  

The real tragedy today is that proposals filled with great ideas are losing because not enough thought is put into who is reading the document, why they are reading it, and what they need to move the buying process forward. Do not let this happen to you. Make the necessary shifts to set yourself up to win.

A sweet incentive for you: If you are interested in receiving objective expert input on a specific proposal, or general input on your current process and format, I want to hear from you. Simply email me with “Proposal” in the subject line, and I will be in touch. Be one of the first three people to send me an email to receive your complimentary review of the proposal of your choice and my top three recommendations to enhance the document’s impact.