PCA Articles

When there’s a lot of potential profit on the table, it can be difficult to know how to approach your proposals and sales negotiations. In a recent podcast conversation, Ian Siegner of Siegner & Company and Gina Koert of Shamrock Painting Inc. explained making sales is not always about the numbers. Success lies in building rapport and setting up systems to set your company apart.

The Development

First, determine what you can do with your bids that will make you stand out from other contractors. Answer questions your prospects didn’t even know they had and provide more information in a variety of areas. As you build out your proposals, you’ll spend a bit more time personalizing each one, but it will pay off in the long run.

To use this approach, include information specific to the prospect about their budget or schedule. This is your opportunity to make breakouts and personalize everything based on their needs. In return, the prospect will spend more time reading what you provided and the likelihood they’ll call you will increase.

Pitching the Bid

When you get to the sales meeting, it’s important to develop your own style of relating with prospective clients. Focus on being relational instead of contractual. You can lighten the mood of the conversation by meeting over lunch in a relaxed atmosphere. Then, you can jump into the numbers and run through your proposal.

If you’re doing commercial work, your prospects can relate to business topics, and you can leverage this to make conversation. Open up your meeting by chatting about things your businesses have in common– new technology, hiring employees, etc. This will break down the barrier and start the conversation.