Use professional pizazz to promote your business

When choosing one company over another to engage in some type of purchase or service, you will likely weigh the potential vendor's substance, qualifications, reputation and ability to provide the right product at a fair value. But sometimes the best companies make the costly mistake of not creating compelling presentations and proposals to help their sales over the finish line.

Imagine hiring a landscaper to build a retaining wall. You meet with two companies and ask for proposals to be dropped off for your review.

Company A provides a one-page estimate with quantity of materials, number of man hours and a final cost.

In contrast, Company B provides you with a cover-page letter, a color printout of other retaining walls they've built in recent years, references and an estimate.

If the prices were the same, you would likely hire Company B. Even if Company B was 10 percent to 15 percent more expensive, my bet is that you would still select Company B anyway.
A good presentation says that you are real and demonstrates an outward pride about your company or product.

It also adds essential credibility to your product or service, especially when a homeowner wants to sleep at night not wondering if his or her retaining wall will collapse.

Keep your Web site updated

When you write a proposal, be specific to the client you are hoping to gain. Avoid generic language. Demonstrate that you understand where they want to go and how you can take them there.

Whether you're selling IT services or accounting counsel, a one-page letter agreement will not stand up to a competitor's outline and narratives that include a situational analysis, program elements, tactics and scope of work.

Making compelling proposals means creating quality collateral materials to accompany your bids. Providing an overview about your company with a brochure or cut sheet touting your competencies or portfolio helps do the selling — even when you're not there.

Make no mistake; the first place a potential customer will go to check you out is your Web site. If you have been saying it's under construction for the past 3 years or are constantly making excuses that it's out of date, waste no further time and fix it now. Besides you, your Web site is your most important external touch point.

In today's tough marketplace, don't be held back by lackluster presentations.
Create proposals that will be representative of how you want to earn and maintain the business of potential customers.

Josh Sommers is president and CEO of Focus Media, a marketing and public relations firm serving the Hudson Valley. He can be reached at josh@advertisingandpr.com or 796-3342, ext. 303. Read his blog at focusonmarketing.blogspot.com or visit www.advertisingandpr.com. His column appears Fridays.