When you are writing a proposal to a client or presenting your offerings in front of a prospect, are you addressing the inevitable questions that customers ask -sometimes silent questions – as they read your proposal or listen to your pitch? If you are, you are doing what is called preemption, anticipating their concerns and possible objections and addressing them before these are voiced…
All prospects and customers go through a “What’s In It For Me” or WIIFM thinking process. The process is about the level of comfort and assurance the customer feels when doing business with you.
To arrive at that level of comfort, they ask themselves a number of key questions and it is the job of the proposal writer or the presenter to anticipate what these are and to address these directly.
Not all clients will ask exactly the same list of questions. Individuals and organizations have varying needs and priorities and “hot buttons”. However it is generally best to prepare for and address all or at least most of these as you would not know exactly which “silent” question has been asked by whom.
Here is a list of the top questions that prospective clients are going through as they process your presentation or proposal:
-What exactly are you offering?
-What is the value or tangible benefit?
-Is this affordable?
-What is unique – that no one else is offering?
-How does this stack up against competitors?
-Do you have a reference, some track record of delivery?
-Can we implement it easily – will our staff use it?
-How long will it take?
-What’s the risk factor?
-Do these people seem trustworthy?
The last question is a very important one because the person who is selling is as much a factor in the decision making as the product/service itself.
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