I propose that you STOP sending quotes.

The word quote has become so mainstream in nearly every sales cycle we can’t seem to help ourselves. It’s really just a bigger word for bid, which is a different word for price. It’s also a word used in place of this conversation; Buyer: What’s your price? You: My price is X. A sales opportunity meeting with a potential buyer too often ends with the following weak close... "Thank you for your time today, Mr. Customer. I’ll get you a quote in the next (insert timeline here).” Even worse; a lot sales people feel a sense of accomplishment having gotten that far in the sales cycle. They feel that they have done their job!

It really doesn’t matter if your quote is cleverly disguised in an email attachment--A PDF, PowerPoint, Word or Excel document. If it looks like, reads like or seems like a quote, it’s just a price. The word quote is so transaction based it seems a waste for a true sales professional to even have it in their personal lexicon.

A quote is another word for price as in “here’s my price.”
It seems to offer no value, no extras, and no subtle nuance.
It is nothing more than just a price.
It is just another quote from another ordinary, garden variety sales person.
It’s so “vanilla” that the buyer is left to make his or her decision based upon the lowest price.
Are you going to quote your way to success, or become the low price leader?

Proposal; now there’s a word with some GUTS. Guts as in; “I proposed to my wife. I didn’t quote her.” Guts as in; “Mr. Customer I have put some thought and effort into this, and based on my understanding of what you’re trying to accomplish here is what I propose. Here is the benefit of ownership and the return on your investment”. A statement like that, a winning statement, is going to show some commitment, some guts, and has a far better chance of being taken seriously--a better chance of being given some real consideration.

So, we have two totally different words with different meanings yet we’ve allowed them to become interchangeable. Dollarize as many points as you can. Far too often proposals get treated like quotes and bids because the buyer jumps to the end. Eager to get to the “Bottom line” a buyer will go to the price page and just compare it to all the other quotes and bids without the benefit of considering the return on investment. You have to assign a dollar value to as many of the main points in your proposal as possible. If the total return is greater than the total investment, you have a shot.

In today’s new “Re-set Economy” you can’t afford to be like everyone else. You can’t look, act, talk, walk, speak or even smell like the other guys. Does your proposal have an executive summary, a recap of the benefits of ownership and a projected return on the buyer’s investment? Does your proposal look like the other guys quote? Do you know what your competitor’s quotes look like? If not, you’d better find out.

Here are 3 ideas to increase your odds:

1. Present it in person.
This can be tough, but nothing beats a live meeting to present your proposal and value proposition. If your client is anywhere near your local geography, you should hand deliver your proposal. Present it like this: “Mr. Customer, I’ll have a proposal ready for your consideration by (insert date or time line). When would be the best time to present it to you?” Yes—many purchasing agents insist on an email and you can send it electronically AFTER you hand deliver a hard copy.

2. Call the buyer before you email it.
If you can’t present in person get the buyer to open your proposal while you have them on the phone. “Mr. Customer, are you near your computer? I am ready to send the proposal and I would like to go over three very important points with you.” This is your opportunity to reinforce the value. Review the points and dollarize them before you get to the price.

3. Have FedEx help you.
If you can’t hand deliver it and getting them on the phone for a real time review doesn’t work, have FedEx give you a hand. Have a hard copy of your proposal delivered to your prospect and use their tracking system to know when it’s arrived. Once you know it’s been delivered, make your call. “Mr. Customer, I see our proposal has been delivered and I would like to spend just a few minutes reviewing a couple of very important points.”

Bonus Idea:
So none of the tactics above are working? What if, in addition to your emailed proposal, you included a short video link via YouTube along with your proposal? A video of you recapping your proposal, dollarizing the main points, showing the product, or a testimonial from one of your valued customers who have used the same product or service would be powerful. One thing’s for sure, if done well, the buyer will probably talk about it. I guess they would talk about it if it’s done poorly, too.

What do you think they will say if you just send them another quote? I’m just sayin’….feel free to QUOTE me!

Les Lent, a true “Product of our product”, joins Sales Coach International as our newest Coach. He brings with him 15 years of Sales and Sales Management skills. Look for more articles from Les in future issues of our Smart Selling® Newsletters. For more information about our Coaching program and how Les can help your business, contact us toll free at (866) 979-5296.