What makes you believe a statement is credible — especially if it’s coming from a potential business partner you don’t know?
That’s the quandary many of our prospects find themselves in every time they read through an RFP proposal. So much data, so many claims… which ones are true?
Our minds tend to seek out information that supports our most deeply-held beliefs, while at the same time sending up a red flag when information outside that belief system is presented. We are naturally skeptics at heart.
What does that mean for the proposals we are submitting? Are we starting from a point of perceived trust or skepticism? If you answered skepticism, give yourself a gold star.
Now the big question: who should we position as the hero of our narrative? We’re proud of the bells and whistles, those ultra-amazing features that only our product or service offers. We want to be problem solvers for our clients. Isn’t it logical that our solution is the hero?
The hero of the story is the reader (or evaluator) of your proposal.
Logical perhaps… but the bigger question is: what does our prospect think? Unless the person reading our proposal has a long history of great outcomes with our brand, they are very often reading between the lines. We may position ourselves as problem solvers but, ultimately, the person on the other side of the table has a vested interest in how well the purchase decision plays out.
If the solution isn’t the hero, then who (or what) should be? The answer is simple yet profound: the hero of this story is the reader or evaluator of your proposal. This is the person you are trying to influence or the person who makes the purchase decision. Your solution is the tool they will use to get the job done.
When you craft your write-up with this in mind, think how much your brand journey changes. You are writing empathetically, walking in the reader’s shoes, and experiencing the solution from another vantage point. You don’t tell them to trust you because, honestly, they have no reason to. You give your reader the ability to follow the narrative and reach their own conclusion, that your solution is the tool they need to be the hero they were made to be.
By Jen Borucki
In addition to supporting her team at PDS Tech Commercial, Inc., Jen Borucki is an entrepreneur who solves a broad range of business and marketing needs via traditional, digital, and social media. She is currently preparing for her APMP Foundation Certification. Jen is an active member of the Marketing Communications Committee for the APMP Greater Midwest Chapter. Connect with Jen: jen@jenbcs.com
