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Your_Proposal_Was_Rejected__But_Why
| Your Proposal Was Rejected ... But Why?
Copyright 2005 Diane Hughes
When a request for proposal (RFP) comes in, you get excited!
It’s a chance to earn income, develop more business contacts,
and expand your client base. You work your little heart out in
order to be thorough, compelling, and professional. Everything
is in place. Your RFP is geared to show why your product or
service will meet or exceed the client’s goals. With fingers
crossed, you submit.
Whether through non-response, a phone call, or an email, you
find out your proposal was rejected. But why? Have you ever
wondered? Have you ever asked? You should!
Finding out why proposals are rejected can lead to some valuable
insights that - in turn - lead to increased proposal acceptance.
But how do you go about asking? Many people find this is an
uncomfortable situation to approach. It’s really quite easy, if
you handle it professionally.
Step One - Create a Form
Create a form or questionnaire that lists a few questions you’d
like the answers to. You may want to ask:
• if the proposal itself was clear • whether all the information
the prospect needed to make a decision was included • if the
price was too high based on the services provided • whether your
product/service was flexible enough • if any element was missing
from your proposal
Don’t:
• ask to see the winning proposal • ask which company won
These questions are too probing and will likely make your
prospect feel defensive.
Step Two - Ask Permission
Ask your prospects for permission to send the questionnaire.
This will give them the opportunity to refuse if they don’t care
to participate.
Step Three - Send the Form
Email works best in these situations, so, if possible, send your
questions via email. Your prospects will have time to think
about the answers and what information to provide.
If email is not possible, send the form via postal mail. Be sure
to include a postage-paid and addressed envelope.
One note: While follow-up is usually a good thing, in this case
it’s not advisable. If the prospect is too busy or simply
changed his/her mind about responding, let it go.
Step Four - LEARN!
When you get your responses, review them carefully. Don’t make
radical adjustments based on one or two pieces of feedback.
Instead, wait until you’ve collected several forms then look for
trends.
If you see that most prospects are making reference to the same
things, you’ll know it’s time to make some changes.
By asking a few simple questions, you can find out an enormous
amount of information that can help to turn losing proposals
into winning ones. Simply be professional. While no one will win
every project they bid on, with some “inside information” direct
from your prospects, you’ll have a much better shot at creating
winning RFPs in the future.
About the author:
Diane C. Hughes * ProBizTips.com
FREE Report: Amazingly Simple (Yet Super Powerful) Ways To
Skyrocket Your Sales And Build Your Business Into A Tower of
Profits! ==>> http://madmarketer.com/diane
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