You have
written and delivered a sales proposal to a prospective client, and you have
won the contract. Congratulations!
But the odds
are that you didn't put all the useful information you have into the proposal.
For one thing, if you included everything you know, the client's eyes would
glaze over at the number of pages. For another, a very thick proposal might
appear so intimidating that the client would simply skip over it in favor of
competing proposals that are easier to thumb through.
You probably
have additional information that will benefit a third party, such as the ultimate
recipient of your goods or services, or a third party that will be affected by
a process or the end result of the project.
So why not
put together an additional information packet you can distribute to these third
parties and thus provide more value, gain more name recognition, and
potentially land more business? You can even suggest these information packets
as a bonus service within your initial sales proposal, thereby winning more
points with the prospective client.
So, what
should go into an information packet? The contents would vary by the types of
business and the proposed projects, but the basic answer is: any details that
are specific to the project or your business that you didn’t include in the
proposal, and any information that is important for third parties to know.
Take, for
example, a company selling pest control services for commercial outlets such as
office buildings and apartment complexes. The sales proposal would follow the
standard order and include the standard contents, which would typically be a Cover
Letter, Title Page, Executive Summary, Goals and Objectives, Services Provided,
Services Cost Summary, Options, Assessment, Recommendations, Company History,
and References. This proposal would be sent to management companies that would
contract with the pest control company.
Then the
pest control company would be smart to create an information packet that the
management company could provide to their tenants—the individual office or
apartment residents. The information packet would explain the process the pest
control workers will use, give instructions on how to prepare for the process,
and provide any needed warnings. The information packet would also have the
company contact info on it and would be an additional sales piece that would be
left behind with each resident as well as with the property managers.
For example,
in our pest control case, the information packet would use topics like the
following:
- Cover Letter—A brief explanation of why recipients are receiving the packet along with company contact information.
- What You Can Expect—An explanation of the process. This will help the residents plan for the project.
- Precautions—A description of issues the residents should be careful about, such as cleaning surfaces after a treatment and keeping pets and children away from traps.
- Monitoring—Instructions about how to monitor the residence or office for new outbreaks.
- FAQ—Answers to frequently asked questions.
An
additional information packet works in all sorts of situations. For example,
you might want to create an information packet that describes additional
services or products you offer that you didn't mention in your original
proposal but that you feel the client or associates might be interested in.
When a project will affect neighbors or other parties, you might want to create
an information packet for those third parties—for example, a large building
contractor might want to assemble information for neighbors explaining
potential traffic disruptions and parking issues, noise, and so forth; a
concert organizer might want to create a similar packet.
Information
packets can be effectively combined with your business proposals for many types
of situations and industries.
A technology
company can create technical documentation for their product that can be
delivered with the customer’s shipment.
A healthcare
provider can create an information packet about tips to help aid in recovery
and treatment.
Event
planners can create information packets that include more details for
individual participants such as maps, directions, schedules and parking
information.
Financial
planners or accountants can create information packets that include tips on how
to prepare for taxes and manage their investments.
You can even
put your information packets in PDF format and provide them as downloadable
files on your web site or put them on your laptop or iPad to show clients in
the field. The possibilities for
creating extra collateral material to supplement your business proposals and
increase your visibility in the marketplace are endless.
What you put
into a packet will depend on your business, the project, and the type of
information that will be useful to the intended recipient. You already know
what you want to say to these third parties; you just need to write it down. Be
sure to always include your company information and contact information—you
want to get the credit for supplying the helpful information as well as the
name recognition you'll gain by distributing the packets. You'll be thought of
as a good neighbor and a good organization to do business with, and this can
all lead to more sales.
As with any
promotional piece you send out, make sure to proofread your information packet
and spend some time making it visually appealing. Remember that these pages
represent your organization, just like your proposal does.
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