After many years of blogging, and consistent with my desire to move toward retirement, we have ended the Insights blog. Thanks to Doug Bedell for his years of blog support.

When Proposals Don’t Click, Keep Making Them Anyway

Posted on November 11, 2016
Filed Under Business, Communication, Technology | Leave a Comment

We don’t want to be associated with the ilk of consultants who have their proposals rejected, but we all experience rejections. We’re not know-it-alls, at least that anybody much recognizes.

So Bart Leahy’s post on Heroic Technical Writing, “Dealing with Proposal Losing Streaks,” is taken kindly and appreciated.

“This past week,” Bart writes, “a proposal I helped a customer write won the bid. This was a moment of joy for the customer and a great relief to me. I’ve worked on a lot of proposals over the past 3-4 years. To the best of my recollection, I’ve lost nearly every single one, going back to 2012 – the last time I can recall a confirmed win.”

We’re not suggesting that a “losing streak” like that is normal or to be emulated. But rejections are probably more typical than acceptances for many of us. The important thing when they occur is to remain stout-hearted and ready to pick up and move on to the next hopeful tender.

Neither the U.S. nor world economies are organized around any of us. It’s a hurly-burly out there and we’re probably not known or appreciated to the extent we may feel we’re due. Even if we were, selling services is always a challenge – prospective clients have genuinely competing uses for their funds.

So, in the spirit of the Godfather, Bart advises that, “It’s not personal, it’s strictly business.”

Beyond ruing reality, though, there are steps to be taken to bolster the pertinence and timeliness of proposals. The first is to know prospective clients and their needs as appropriately as possible. “Appropriately” means in an applicable business context – not just their own wares, but what competitors are offering.

Timeliness and, yes, spelling and crisp writing count a lot. “People judge you based on the quality of your spelling.” Bart writes, “Those are the same people picking on you for typing in Twitter-speak.” Now there’s a term for our digital times – yet don’t be too hard on Twitter, it’s not proposing, it’s promoting, and that’s hugely important too.

There are several other helpful advisories in Bart’s post, but you can, and should, get them from there rather than here. The point we’re trying to make is, “Don’t be disheartened by rejection, it happens to the best of us.” Just keep on proposing.

Remember, as Bart Leahy advises, the Chicago Cubs manager who put it, “Anyone can have a bad century.” And try to add a little something more to your pitches. – Doug Bedell

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When Proposals Don’t Click, Keep Making Them Anyway

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