- New Business Team to Train on a New CRM Tool
- Increasing the Rate of Consumer Credit in a Specialty Furniture Store Chain
- Helping a Team of Sedentary Sales Reps Revitalize MarginsManufacturer of technical aluminum products (bars, sections, veneers, blocks) with a strong service focus (finished product).
- Optimizing Negotiation Management in the Wholesale SectorDVD film distribution
- Generating Additional Sales in a Chain of BoutiquesCustom-made swimwear
- Securing a Management ContractAsset management bank catering to corporate clients
- Securing Meetings with Senior ExecutivesConsultant firm specializing in the organization and optimization of manufacturing plants
- Advanced Negotiation Training for Executive EngineersAutomobile equipment manufacturer (AEM)
- Negotiation Training for Business ConsultantsRegional retail bank
- Boosting Referral and Retention RatesMobile telephone customer service department
- Reviving Sales for a Line of ProductsRetail bank
- Boosting Confidence Before Key NegotiationsMobile phone manufacturer
- Training and Certifying Distributors on Getting New OffersTelecommunications
- Providing Training Prior to Key NegotiationsIndustry
- Assisting with the Design of Internal Communication Media for Sales TeamsRetail bank
- Assisting with the Recruitment of Sales PersonnelInsurance
Proposal Management: How Can You Increase the Number of Sales Proposals Signed?
Why are companies increasingly opting for PROPOSAL MANAGEMENT?
So what’s left and makes it to the client is the proposal!
On November 14, 2008, 40 sales managers accepted the breakfast invitation of Anderna and Jack in The Box to meet and talk about Proposal Management.
The event was headed by Philippe Le Guillou, Director of Major Development Projects for Anderna, and Giandra de Castro, Project Manager for Jack In the Box. The purpose of the breakfast was to share experience with managers on proposal management projects as well as their keys for success.
Ali Zeboudj, Branch Director of SFR Entreprises, attended the breakfast and spoke about the implementation of a proposal management system for SFR's distribution teams and corporate accounts.
Giandra De Castro
Jack In The Box Project Manager
Since 1999, Jack In The Box has been the only specialist in proposal management in France, offering a network of over 30 specialists along with dedicated tools.
Their proposal management tools are implemented in companies across many different sectors such as Sacer, INEO, La Saur, Cyborg, ADIA, Cetelem, Arval, Lowendal, Xerox, SFR Entreprises, Neopost, Pall Filters, etc.
You often speak about the path of persuasion.
It's key, because client types do not exist, and therefore neither do proposal types. The same company could have a different path of persuasion for any given proposal depending on its sales environment: Taking over SMEs or corporate accounts, transactional or solution sales, revamping or maintenance of the field, specific market segments, etc. A well-structured proposal is based on coupling the best offer with the client's circumstances.
How does the system work for the sales professionals who use it?
First, the sales professionals choose the document option. This step determines the structure based on the “paths of persuasion” and the content.
Then, the dynamic assembly model inserts the desired content into its proper place. These early steps take around two minutes.
This means that the sales team will be able to devote their time to really personalizing the material. Once the foundation is set, the team can fine-tune the customization of the proposed texts (modify, add, eliminate, move, etc.), appendices, estimates, etc.
Finally, the document is generated as a PDF formatted using the company's visual identity.
In concrete terms, what are the results?
A study carried out by the US firm APMP (Association of Proposal Management Professionals) revealed a 20% increase in the success rates of companies using proposal management tools. This means that a company with a 50% success rate could expect to reach 60%.
Though the time saved certainly varies, it is real. Some companies have saved one hour per day per sales rep.
- Solid improvement in the average quality of proposals truly tailored to the client.
- Making proposals stand out in a given market
- Consistent corporate language and image
- Capitalizing on the best proposals
- Strengthening proposal management and making success rates easier to predict
The starting point for a proposal management project is often based on the following observations: The written proposals are too heterogeneous.
First, the client must receive a quality answer. Many times the proposal targets a single reader, usually the person with whom the sales rep has met. This does not take into account the decision-making group often working on the project.
The solution's return on investment is almost never highlighted, yet it is a key issue for clients. Finally, the "cut and paste" technique does not always go undetected.
Then, differentiation. Too many proposals are still focused on the offer's sales pitch (what it's about, how it will work, etc.) instead of on the client benefits (what it does for the client). Cutting and pasting from old proposals could lead to outdated content being used in the new proposal, and should therefore be avoided.
Time spent researching and drafting is essential, and yet, more often than not this work and, particularly, "winning" proposals are not capitalized on.
While other areas of sales productivity follow-up mechanisms have been perfected, we note that in this area, many times there is no one "piloting the plane" who is in charge of quality control or the implementation of an ongoing follow-up mechanisms.
A proposal management project requires facilitation tools and skill to sustainably implement new work methods for sales reps.
The Anderna - Jack In The Box partnership was born out of this commonality.
What we really liked with Jack In The Box is that their way of approaching projects is similar to ours. Jack In The Box's management team is made up of sales managers focused on results, not computer technicians using a tool.
Furthermore, our skill sets are very complementary.
In the key pre-project phase, the proposals are analyzed by the critical eye of the Anderna consultants who apply their expertise acquired through the sales projects they have handled.
We must never forget that the end-users are the sales reps and that they rarely view a new tool as good news!
The greatest risk with this type of project is the possible gap between expected return on investment and real results. Anderna's teams offer real added value for expanding business by using its proposal management training for sales reps as a leveraging tool to create loyalty and help to win clients.
Long-term success depends on the involvement of the managers. The managers need to be walked through the proposal coaching process. It's worth noting that the tool provides management with crucial assistance in managing sales activities. It analyzes the number of proposals issued, short-listed, won, lost and abandoned, and it catalogues them by sales rep, offer, client, sector of activity, etc. This system facilitates this process and is not just another reporting task for the rep.
It is also a very useful tool for management! It's a goldmine of information to help them define priority areas, identify projects and offer support for identified projects. It also helps them set priorities for sales rep coaching on: "prospecting," "sales" or "negotiation."
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