Maintain the Competitive Edge When Quoting

Maintain the Competitive Edge When Quoting

When you’re quoting and quoting and quoting, after a while you can have the experience of just going through the motions. You may even find yourself losing enthusiasm and trying to win new work feels like a pain in the bum!

There is a common pitfall when this takes place; you begin to relate to your prospective client as just another client. You can fall into the trap of making assumptions about your prospects knowledge and understanding of the job you are discussing.

Here’s something to remember…It may be the 1000th time you’ve presented a proposal, but it more than likely the first time your prospect has ever seen it. Act like it’s the first time you’ve ever presented a proposal. Be as excited as you were when you first started in business!

Here are some tips to keep your sales presentation fresh:

1. Initial contact: Build rapport and add value. Remember, it’s not about you; how many times do you use the words – me, we, my, I, us, our – compared to you, your, etc.? Treat all potential customers the same, whether you believe they will make a purchase or not- word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool, so make the best impression on all you come into contact with.
2. Qualification: Identify needs, desires, frustrations or concerns- obtain as much background information on your prospect and their situation to make the best recommendation of a product/service.
3. Presentation: Remember; be excited! This is where you recommend your business / service and how you can help them achieve their goal – remember to link it to their emotional involvement – seeking pleasure / avoiding pain and remember to use their words; try to stay away from technical jargon.
4. Price presentation: Present the investment for the product/service in a way that is clear and effective; keep it simple & fun and always use names, body language and facial expressions. Remember: only present the price when you know that your potential customer wants to buy.
5. Ask for the business (convert the quote): Don’t assume it’s a done deal- remember if you don’t ask, you don’t get.
6. Overcome any areas of concern: Dealing with objections and areas of concern is a natural part in the sales/quoting process. Clients will have questions, thoughts, and queries that will need your input to help them make a great buying decision. A great way to minimise objections is to be great at asking better questions earlier on during qualification. If you can deal with any areas of concern early on, you will have less resistance when it comes to making the bigger decisions.
7. Follow up/ what’s next: Whether you win the business or not, you should have a clear follow-up plan in place- it can be the follow up call that really gets things rolling and where value truly begins to show up and the relationship begins to establish itself. This can mean converting the sales/quote down the line, or retaining the client for future opportunities and referrals. Be persistent, be polite, and be professional, but not a pest.

For more information on creating your sales/quoting/estimating process, contact PROTRADE United today.