Mastering Proposal Development

Lesson for Consultants - Don't Give Away Too Much in Consulting. Protect Your Value. Here's a lesson I've learnt over the years that I thought I'd share with you. It also cost my firm over K1 million in lost opportunities in 2024 alone. If you're in the consulting or advisory space, remember not to give away too much to clients during the initial exploratory stage where you're just having preliminary meetings and submitting proposals. This phase is about understanding the client's needs and assessing if there's a mutual fit for collaboration — not a free masterclass in your expertise. If anything, use this time to share success stories, highlight the outcomes you've achieved for other clients, and showcase the impact of your work. Avoid revealing your unique methodology or problem-solving frameworks too early. In my experience, many potential clients, unfortunately including ASX-listed corporations and even PNG government agencies, engage consultants to "pick your brain," extract ideas, and then never follow through with the engagement. Worse, if your proposal is detailed enough, they might implement your strategies internally — essentially receiving tens of thousands worth of consulting, problem-solving, and advisory services for free. Don't undervalue your expertise. Don't give away too much. Key Recommendations to Protect Your Value 1. Share Results, Not Processes Focus on case studies, testimonials, and measurable results rather than how you achieved them. I share outcomes, not my detailed methodology. 2. Limit Proposal Detail Provide a high-level overview of your approach but avoid detailed strategies or step-by-step solutions 3. Introduce a Discovery Phase Offer a paid discovery session where deeper insights and strategies can be shared in exchange for compensation. 4. Use NDAs When Necessary For sensitive or proprietary strategies, request a non-disclosure agreement before sharing insights. 5. Qualify Clients Early Identify whether the client has the genuine intent and budget to engage you before investing significant time. Also, make sure you are dealing with a decision maker, not someone who does not have the authority or influence to formally engage you. 6. Package Your Expertise Create premium reports, webinars, or workshops that can be monetized rather than giving insights away for free. Note that you can give away some services for free, but only if that is part of your strategy to secure more paid work from clients. 7. Set Boundaries in Meetings Politely steer conversations back to the problem and expected outcomes rather than delivering solutions. This is perhaps the most difficult to do, especially if you are trying to impress your clients with your subject matter expertise and you end up oversharing. Your expertise has value. Protect it, respect it, and get paid for it. 💡 #Consulting #BusinessAdvice #ProtectYourValue #Entrepreneurship #ProfessionalServices #SuccessMindset #Leadership #BusinessGrowth

During my time at Qwilr, I’ve seen THOUSANDS of proposals. Here are 4 proposal plays that the best sellers use to close deals: #1 Lead With Problems Start your proposal by articulating your prospects' problems, ideally in their own words. Using quotes from relevant stakeholders within their organisation will grab your buyers’ attention and show you understand their problems. This immediately demonstrates that this isn’t just a generic pitch – you actually understand them and are focused on their specific issues. Doing this also puts decision-makers in somewhat of a tricky situation. They must either… 1. Disregard the opinions of their team as incorrect 2. Acknowledge they’re facing a problem, but decide not to look for a solution 3. Look for a solution (which you are providing in the rest of your proposal) Most (good) leaders will opt for the latter and will read on to better understand your offering. #2 It's Easy to Digest You MUST ensure your proposal is clear, straightforward and easy to understand. Remember, the folks who will be reviewing your proposal are incredibly busy and don’t have time to decipher endless information, searching for what is relevant for them. If your offer is easy to understand, it’s easier to say yes to. Avoid dense walls of text, and use images, graphics and interactive elements to simplify complex ideas. Always steer away from jargon. While it might showcase a level of expertise, you have to keep in mind that it’s likely a number of people will review your proposal. You need to make sure that EVERYONE will buy in. #3 Make It Relevant Buyers want to know that you’ve helped organisations that look like them, or the type of organisation that they aspire to be. Making sure that your proposal speaks to your buyers’ industry, needs, challenges and objectives will increase the likelihood of engagement Build your case by including concrete data and case studies that resonate with your client’s situation. CAUTION: It can be tempting to litter your proposal with logos and quotations from your “biggest” clients. You should not (always) do this! Instead, focus on featuring logos of similar companies or aspirational peers, not just massive brands. Remember, just because a company is “big” to you, that doesn’t mean your client will care. They want to know you can help THEM! #4 Keep Next Steps Simple It’s essential that you break down your proposal into clear, actionable steps – giving your client a roadmap on how to proceed and what will happen when they sign. You should also educate your champion on how to position the proposal to the buying committee, arming them to sell internally. Meet with them and go through your proposal, asking what needs to be removed and added (for other stakeholders) and how they plan to share it more widely. Want to send proposals that impress buyers and close deals? Try Qwilr for free at https://getqwilr.com

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝, 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫: 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬. Taking shortcuts can lead to wasted money and a world of headaches downstream. (𝘙𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵-𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘙𝘍𝘗 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬𝘴?!) 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝: 💡 𝙁𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩: Be specific about your needs in RFx docs. If you’re unclear, suppliers will be, too. Before going to RFP, always have quantifiable evaluation criteria finalized and approved by the Spend Owner. 💡 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙚: The cheapest option often costs the most in the long run. Prioritize value over price. Suppliers who price things materially lower than benchmark norms usually cut corners somewhere to meet margins. 💡 𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙠 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙡𝙮: Source independent references via your network. Past performance tells the real story. Ask the right questions and listen closely to the answers.  💡 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙: Can the supplier grow and evolve with your business? Are they innovative and flexible? Does their company culture and ways of working align with yours?  💡 𝙆𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙠𝙨: Most suppliers come with some level of risk, the key is understanding and managing it. Conduct due diligence on short-listed suppliers. Outputs should inform the down-selection process, with material deficiency action items included in the contract. 💡 𝘾𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙧𝙨: The best suppliers care about your long-term success and aligning with your goals.  Look at proposals holistically, thinking beyond the transaction and into value creation. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠: Looking back, I’ve been at firms in seasons where costs were prioritized over total value, often leading to short-term gains but long-term challenges. There were times I should’ve taken a firmer stance about material supplier risks identified and bias in the selection process.  As procurement peeps, we provide recommendations based on long-term value, risk management, and partnership potential. This includes having the courage to speak up with informed and actionable guidance when things don't pass muster. The goal is to ensure sourcing outcomes build a foundation for success, not just a quick win. 📢 𝙋.𝙎. 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 “𝙨𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙨” 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛?

Crafting the perfect corporate training proposal. A Deep dive into proposal components Writing proposals is a chore. What to include? what not to include? Having written hundreds of them, here's what I include and why: 1. Executive Summary: ↳ Think movie trailer, not dry summary. Captivate with the vision, not just the facts. 2. What We Heard: ↳ Mirror their language, not yours. Show you've listened, by reflecting their words, not just their needs. 3. The Opportunity: ↳ This isn't just a gap to fill. It's a launching pad for their potential. Highlight the transformation, not just the transaction. 4. Consultation Service: ↳ Position this as a partnership, not a service. Emphasise collaboration, not just consultation. 5. Approach and Methodology: ↳ Innovate, don't regurgitate. Present methodologies that are as unique as their challenges. 6. Project Roadmap: ↳ This is the journey, not just the route. Make it visual, engaging, and clear. 7. Investment: ↳ Transparency builds trust. It's not just about costs; it's about value creation 8. Terms: ↳ Make this easy to say 'yes' to. Simplify legal jargon into clear commitments. 9. The Team: ↳ Sell the dream team. Highlight unique strengths and past successes as a cohesive unit, not just individual CVs. 10. Case Studies/Testimonials: ↳ Show, don't tell. Use stories of transformation and success that resonate with their specific context. Each section of your proposal should not just inform but also engage and inspire. Think beyond the conventional and inject each part with a strategy that shows you're not just a provider, but a partner in their success. What are your top tips for great proposals? #ProgrammeBuilder #OfferActivator #BusinessDevelopment #LearningAndDevelopment #TrainingAndDevelopment #Facilitation #Workshops

Every single sales team I’ve evaluated has one thing in common Their lowest score is on the closing competency. Most teams lose the deal long before they ever talk numbers. If your sales reps can’t clearly articulate the client’s pain, connect it to a specific solution, and build a narrative that positions your offer as the only logical next step. They’re not closing. They’re just quoting. ❌ Combining discovery and proposal into one call short-circuits the sales cycle and kills momentum. ❌ Leading with company-centric messaging instead of client pain points loses buyer interest early. ❌ Generic, uncustomized pitch decks fail to engage and don’t advance the deal. When I coach leaders through this, their close rates go up because the conversation shifts from "here’s what we do" to “here’s how we help you.” Here’s how I coach teams to flip the switch: Customize the proposal based on THEIR stated needs and pain points Start with their top 3-5 challenges (from discovery) Confirm you captured them correctly, it builds buy-in Connect ONLY the relevant solutions to each challenge Limit your company’s slides to 2- 3 slides with clear value proposition, this isn’t about you Share a relevant testimonial right before presenting pricing THEN present pricing once they see the value. If your team is stuck in the present and pray proposal cycle, let’s talk. It’s time to teach your sellers how to connect, position, and close with purpose.

"Send me a proposal." Sounds like progress. But it's actually one of the most dangerous moments in BD. Because most people say "I'll get that over to you by Friday." And that's where the deal quietly dies. After thousands of BD conversations, here's what I've learned: A premature proposal isn't a next step. It's a polite way of ending the conversation. Before you write a single word, ask yourself these questions: Do I actually understand their problem? ↳ Without that, your proposal is just a guess. Are they shopping around? ↳ Ask: "What criteria matter most in your decision?" ↳ Now you can write something that actually fits. Have we agreed on scope? ↳ Ask: "Can we spend 20 minutes aligning on goals first?" ↳ Clients approve what they helped shape. Is everyone at the table? ↳ Ask: "Who else should be involved before I write this up?" ↳ The person not in the room is usually the one who stalls it. Has budget come up? ↳ Ask: "Do you have a range in mind for this work?" ↳ Design the right solution — not just any solution. Does this even feel real? ↳ Ask: "Is this a real priority right now?" ↳ An honest conversation now saves weeks of wasted effort. And the most powerful shift of all? ❌ Don't say: "I'll draft something and send it over." ✅ Do say: "What if we worked through the approach together in 30 minutes?" Clients commit to solutions they helped design. Every time. The proposal isn't where you win the work. The conversation before it is. Stay curious. Ask better questions. Co-create the path forward. And when you do send that proposal? They'll already know the answer. What's one question from this list you could use this week? ♻️ Valuable? Repost to help someone in your network. 📌 Follow Mo Bunnell for client-growth strategies that don't feel like selling.

I learned this lesson after a client rejected my proposal and it changed how I work 🚨 I’d spent hours writing that proposal Personalized it Explained everything I could do Added examples of my past work I thought it was perfect ⭐ But the client replied with just one line: “We’re going with someone else.” At first, I was frustrated. Then curious So I asked, 'What made you choose them instead?' Their reply hit hard 👇🏻 “Your proposal was good. But it felt like you were trying to sell your skills, not solve our problem.” That changed everything. From that day on, I stopped writing proposals like a sales pitch and started writing them like a strategy plan. Here’s what I do differently now: ✅ Start with the problem, not myself Show I understand what’s broken before offering solutions. ✅ Talk in outcomes, not tasks Clients don’t buy “posts” or “strategy calls.” They buy visibility, leads, consistency, trust. ✅ Write less, personalize more. Every line should make them feel this was written just for me. Since then, my close rate has doubled. Not because I changed what I offer But because I changed how I talk about it. Now the first question I ask any potential lead is 'What are your goals?' People don’t hire skills They hire solutions. 💭 What’s one mistake you’ve made in your proposals that taught you something big?

I’ve scored more than 40 RFP submissions in the last 90 days (media buying and/or marketing and comms.) Seriously, this is the stack and it’s about ½ of what I've read. From that- I've come up with a checklist that will stop you from writing an incomplete proposal and take you into finalist status. 1. Check. The. Boxes. Mirror the RFP structure the organization has put out and answer every prompt. If we ask for goals in your case studies, give them. Are creative examples required? Put them in. 2. Social media impressions aren’t outcomes. Stop with the vanity metrics. We need to understand if you make things HAPPEN. Show business impact: leads, lift, conversion, cost per result, CTR. 3. Prove you understand the problem. Understand the brand and the challenge before you start to write your response. Then summarize the brand challenge in their language. Bonus points for adding 1–2 data points that will direct the organization towards success. 4. Use relevant proof. Parallel case studies beat “your greatest hits” every time. I've seen the EXACT SAME examples in three of the RFP's I've scored lately- you don't know who is reading your work and may have seen your other responses. 5. Name the actual doers. Who is leading strategy, buying, creative, reporting? Don't just send a stack of resumes. And be realistic. Don't name your president when you know that appearance will be rare. 6. Methodology > vibes. If you’re “now doing buys” and not just a PR or content work company anymore OR if you're a traditional broadcast company at heart- show your process, not just results. 7. Don’t just say what you do, show how you do it. “Statewide reach” is a claim. What’s the plan that gets you there? 8. Create a Table of Contents that matches the RFP sections. And then add anything else to the TOC that you feel is important. This way you address everything we're asking for + share your bonus information on why you’re the one to do the job. 9. Put Quality Assurance into this team process like your life depends on it. Double-check. And then check again. No leftover text from another proposal. Ever. I unfortunately have seen it. If you’re writing an RFP response anytime soon: save this. Want a 1-page RFP response template? Comment “RFP” and I’ll share it. I hope this was helpful!

I looked at over 100 proposals worth over $500K as a B2B buyer. I only remember a few. Here are 4 ways you can set yourself apart (and why most proposals never get looked at): 1. Built for the buying committee - not just the champion Most proposals assume one person makes the decision. That’s rarely true. The best ones were written with execs in mind. Mobile-friendly, easy to skim, and structured like a story, not a spec sheet. The kind of doc I could forward without rewriting a single thing. (like Qwilr!) 2. Helped me sell internally The proposals that stood out made me look good. They included visual slides I could screenshot into a board deck. Framed the problem. Showed the cost of inaction. Made the ROI feel obvious. They gave me language to use with my CFO, not just the vendor’s pitch. 3. AEs tracked engagement and followed up with a purpose Great sellers didn’t “check in.” They followed up based on what I actually did. They knew when I viewed the proposal, which sections got read, and what was skipped. Every email felt relevant—because it was. They weren’t guessing what mattered. They had data. 4. AEs pre-empted objections I hadn’t even voiced yet Before legal asked for terms, I had a friendly breakdown of the key clauses. Before procurement jumped in, I had a clear explanation of how pricing scaled. It felt like the AE knew my internal process better than I did - and helped me get ahead of it. TAKEAWAY: Most proposals are written to present. The best proposals are built to sell. Qwilr turns your proposal into a selling tool—one that’s interactive, trackable, mobile-ready, and designed for the whole buying committee. It helps your champion make the case. And it helps you win deals - even when you’re not in the room. If you want to stand out, build proposals that do more than inform. Build proposals that close.

Be comfortable pushing back on the client/prospective client. An engagement has to set you up for success, too. Examples: 1. The client wants a proposal but won't tell you the budget or where the money will come from. Potential solution: Suggest a range and get verbal approval that the range makes sense and that the client can find the money or knows how to influence the people who can. Spend time understanding the process for moving forward to a decision, including all people involved; if the client won't tell you or doesn't know, wait until he does. Why send a proposal that the client can't/won't approve? (Often potential clients ask for a proposal because it is easier than saying no, and often potential clients either have no decision-making authority or just need to collect a bunch of proposals before hiring the vendor they already want to hire). 2. The client says they need your help creating a full-blown strategic plan, but the team will only allocate a half day for a retreat to get it done. You know from experience that a lot more time is needed. Potential solution: Don't overpromise. Either get the client to agree to the time you need or suggest that you do a part of the strategy in the time available, like a SWOT analysis. 3. The client wants you to facilitate a meeting about a sensitive topic but won't let you interview any participants ahead of time. Potential solution: I would avoid this engagement unless I can interview participants ahead of time. Otherwise, there are too many risks/unknowns and it could be that the client wants to shift the burden of leadership to me. I never want to be the lightning rod. 4. The client wants you to coach all of his direct reports to work better together. However, you have already done an assessment and learned that the client is likely the real obstacle. Potential solution: Present this data and suggest that you coach the client first about how he can better engage the team and set the tone. If the client balks, happily move on. 5. HR wants you to coach a manager that they most likely want to fire anyway. They want you to document the coaching. Potential solution: Tell HR that you don't do "coaching as a last resort" coaching. You would prefer to coach managers that the company wants to keep and develop. 6. HR calls you to facilitate a retreat of senior leaders to determine the culture of the company. The CEO/founder isn't going to be there, even though he controls the company and is the primary shaper of the culture. Potential solution: This was a real case for me, and I refused to do the engagement unless the CEO was there or at least would work with me throughout to be sure this wasn't a "check the box" exercise. HR wouldn't let me do that and so I passed. Other colleagues of mine said they would have done this work anyway, because it could have led to more work to implement and involve the CEO. Thoughts? Let me know any other cases where it makes sense to push back.