Tags |
|
|
Links |
|
|
Case Upon - 8 Ways to Win more Contracts
The main objective of any presentation is to communicate effectively and efficiently the information, the ideas or plans with the audience. Speaking before an audience and making an effective presentation is an art, which has to be learnt with serious effort.While working in an organization or in business, there may be many occasions for public speaking, where you have to make a presentation such as launching of a new product or service, presenting new business plans or making a marketing or sales proposal. Whatever be the purpose of your presentation, it always requires careful preparation to make it a successful presentation.Following 5 steps can help y
5. Provide an incentive
Many contractors add some financial wiggle room to their bids to protect themselves from unforeseen costs. If your rates are fair, you’re comfortable with a smaller “disaster” cushion, and this client will likely be a good source of contracts in future, you can sometimes cement the sale by offering a small discount on this contract or contracts in future.
** Not sure if you're charging the going rate? Check out our Writing Your Bio
In the traditional work environment we used resumes and cover letters to introduce ourselves. As a business owner we use a bio as a way of introducing who we are. You are not applying for a job but attracting ideal clients. To do this you have to step away from responsibilities and address your accomplishments through your skills and experience. Most bios are written in the third person. Some combine the third and first person by adding quotes of the person being written about. It can sometimes be difficult or feel strange for us to write about ourselves in the third person however it presents a more objective view rather than as someone blowing their ow
Let’s face it—winning a contract can be one of the most bewildering parts of running your consulting business. It doesn’t have to be such a tremendous dilemma. I’ve worked with hundreds of very successful consultants through the years (and been one myself), and I’ve found that those who flourish take these 8 steps:
1. Prepare to make a great first impression
You never get a second chance to make a first impression, and you make a great first impression by being prepared. Research the company and subject matter, using any available means, including your contacts at the company. Study the company's history, key personnel, current technologies, existing and foreseeable problems and solutions. Preparation bolsters your confidence, and lets you initiate meaningful discussions about the client's needs and goals.
2. Focus on the client
Remember, an interview with a prospective client isn’t about you–it's about the client's desire to solve their problem cost-effectively. Avoid rambling explanations about your expertise. Be concise. Prepare and practice a 10-second synopsis of your expertise and value.
- Come prepared with a series of thoughtful questions aimed at better understanding the client’s needs.
- Listen carefully to the client’s responses to your questions, and respond with your own summary of what you’ve just heard.
- Ask if this is correct, a technique known as “active listening.”
- Don’t try to solve the problem now; just make sure you both agree on the issues.
3. Anticipate objections
Prepare a compelling response for each potential objection the client may have for hiring you. Such objections may include:
- Attractive options proposed by the competition
- Your rates
- Estimated turn-around time
- Internal bureaucracy/resistance
4. Create a sense of urgency
Most companies know that excellence is in high demand. If the prospect seems on the fence about a decision, you can point out that--while you’re excited and eager to work on his project—your other clients are asking for your time, and you’ll need to reserve space for him soon. (Assuming this is true) Make sure you first understand why the prospect is hesitating. If he has undisclosed constraints that put a decision on a longer timeline, he could walk away.
5. Provide an incentive
Many contractors add some financial wiggle room to their bids to protect themselves from unforeseen costs. If your rates are fair, you’re comfortable with a smaller “disaster” cushion, and this client will likely be a good source of contracts in future, you can sometimes cement the sale by offering a small discount on this contract or contracts in future.
** Not sure if you're charging the going rate? Check out our How Important is Vaule of Brand to the Consumer & Company?
The Brand: A source of value for the consumerAlthough we are primarily dealing with brands and their optimization, it is important to clarify that brands do not necessarily exist in all markets. Even if brands exist in the legal sense they do not always play a role in the buying decision process of consumers. Other factors may be more important.For example, research on ‘brand sensitivity’ shows that in several product categories, buyers do not look at the brand when they are making their choice. Who is concerned about the brand when they are making their choice? Who is concerned about the brand when they are buying a writing pad, a rubber; felt tipusing any available means, including your contacts at the company. Study the company's history, key personnel, current technologies, existing and foreseeable problems and solutions. Preparation bolsters your confidence, and lets you initiate meaningful discussions about the client's needs and goals.
2. Focus on the client
Remember, an interview with a prospective client isn’t about you–it's about the client's desire to solve their problem cost-effectively. Avoid rambling explanations about your expertise. Be concise. Prepare and practice a 10-second synopsis of your expertise and value.
- Come prepared with a series of thoughtful questions aimed at better understanding the client’s needs.
- Listen carefully to the client’s responses to your questions, and respond with your own summary of what you’ve just heard.
- Ask if this is correct, a technique known as “active listening.”
- Don’t try to solve the problem now; just make sure you both agree on the issues.
3. Anticipate objections
Prepare a compelling response for each potential objection the client may have for hiring you. Such objections may include:
- Attractive options proposed by the competition
- Your rates
- Estimated turn-around time
- Internal bureaucracy/resistance
4. Create a sense of urgency
Most companies know that excellence is in high demand. If the prospect seems on the fence about a decision, you can point out that--while you’re excited and eager to work on his project—your other clients are asking for your time, and you’ll need to reserve space for him soon. (Assuming this is true) Make sure you first understand why the prospect is hesitating. If he has undisclosed constraints that put a decision on a longer timeline, he could walk away.
5. Provide an incentive
Many contractors add some financial wiggle room to their bids to protect themselves from unforeseen costs. If your rates are fair, you’re comfortable with a smaller “disaster” cushion, and this client will likely be a good source of contracts in future, you can sometimes cement the sale by offering a small discount on this contract or contracts in future.
** Not sure if you're charging the going rate? Check out our Online Registration Success: 3 More Short Tips
My past articles have hopefully given you some ideas on how to make your online registration campaign a successful one. Here are 3 more 'quick tips' to help your event be a great success.1. Recruit Testers to Break your RegistrationFully test your registration pages before going live with them. It is much easier to spend the time up front than to have the hassles and embarrassment of a misaligned registration form.
Sometimes you can just be too close to it and need another set of eyes to do an adequate job of testing.The more testing you do, the smoother everything will go. Rehearse the registration while it is still in testing modes aimed at better understanding the client’s needs.
3. Anticipate objections
Prepare a compelling response for each potential objection the client may have for hiring you. Such objections may include:
- Attractive options proposed by the competition
- Your rates
- Estimated turn-around time
- Internal bureaucracy/resistance
4. Create a sense of urgency
Most companies know that excellence is in high demand. If the prospect seems on the fence about a decision, you can point out that--while you’re excited and eager to work on his project—your other clients are asking for your time, and you’ll need to reserve space for him soon. (Assuming this is true) Make sure you first understand why the prospect is hesitating. If he has undisclosed constraints that put a decision on a longer timeline, he could walk away.
5. Provide an incentive
Many contractors add some financial wiggle room to their bids to protect themselves from unforeseen costs. If your rates are fair, you’re comfortable with a smaller “disaster” cushion, and this client will likely be a good source of contracts in future, you can sometimes cement the sale by offering a small discount on this contract or contracts in future.
** Not sure if you're charging the going rate? Check out our High Cost of 'Not Doing!'
9/11, 2001 has hit a whole lot of business. But the most badly hit was air industry. US airlines were virtually on the ground for most of time rather than in the sky. As old adage says. Planes are safer at the ground. But they are built to fly and that where they should be all the time. Almost whole aircraft industry was badly hit by being grounded. Million of jobs evaporated and billion of dollar went under drain. All these were due to not doing anything.Peter Drucker, in his book ‘Managing for result’ defines the cost point in the whole supply chain.1. Productivity cost
2. Support cost
3. Policing
4. Waste or Idle time.Drucker acction the client may have for hiring you. Such objections may include:
- Attractive options proposed by the competition
- Your rates
- Estimated turn-around time
- Internal bureaucracy/resistance
4. Create a sense of urgency
Most companies know that excellence is in high demand. If the prospect seems on the fence about a decision, you can point out that--while you’re excited and eager to work on his project—your other clients are asking for your time, and you’ll need to reserve space for him soon. (Assuming this is true) Make sure you first understand why the prospect is hesitating. If he has undisclosed constraints that put a decision on a longer timeline, he could walk away.
5. Provide an incentive
Many contractors add some financial wiggle room to their bids to protect themselves from unforeseen costs. If your rates are fair, you’re comfortable with a smaller “disaster” cushion, and this client will likely be a good source of contracts in future, you can sometimes cement the sale by offering a small discount on this contract or contracts in future.
** Not sure if you're charging the going rate? Check out our Critical Change
Change is critical to your success and happiness. I cringe to think what might happen in our lives if we don't allow ourselves the opportunity to make the appropriate changes. Sure, we can pretend that we don't need to change, that there is nothing wrong with our lives. Then, however, we soon forget the consequences of not taking action and making the changes we know we need to make.
One story that illustrates this point well is from Samuel Whitman. The ice storm wasn't generally destructive. True, a few wires came down, and there was a sudden jump in accidents along the highway.... Normally, the big walnut tree could easily have borne the weight thatwhy the prospect is hesitating. If he has undisclosed constraints that put a decision on a longer timeline, he could walk away.
5. Provide an incentive
Many contractors add some financial wiggle room to their bids to protect themselves from unforeseen costs. If your rates are fair, you’re comfortable with a smaller “disaster” cushion, and this client will likely be a good source of contracts in future, you can sometimes cement the sale by offering a small discount on this contract or contracts in future. ** Not sure if you're charging the going rate? Check out our free rate comparison tool **
6. Avoid auctions
Competitive bidding situations are usually a losing proposition for contractors. You either lose the contract or you lose money by steeply discounting your rate. You can avoid a competitive bidding situation by letting the prospect know—nicely—that you don't bid against other companies or individuals. Instead, stress your value. More experienced consultants are simply more efficient and thus less expensive in the long run.
If your prospect has another, much lower bid, make sure the bid is for an equal level of service, and that the company is a peer in expertise and experience. Ask your prospect to check with references for both sides. Reference checking—which surprisingly few companies do—can often turn around a sale.
7. Keep in touch
Always ask for the contract at the end of the meeting, but don’t expect to get it right then. Instead, ask when the company expects to make a decision. Plan to stay in touch with the prospect with a polite e-mail expressing your eagerness. Then call back weekly until you get a yes or a no. Never take a lack of response as a personal affront or a lack of respect. I’ve seen many contractors make this mistake, firing off nasty missives that burn bridges.
8. Know when to walk away
As with any successful negotiation, have an acceptable fallback or compromise position. For your own long-term happiness and reputation, it's better to walk away from an unfair deal than to accept a gig you perceive as unfair. Ill feelings damage the quality of work and poison your job satisfaction. If the prospect is unreasonable in the negotiation process, the chances are they'll be unreasonable to work with, too. Sometimes it’s better to move on to more promising opportunities
HTTP = HTML link (for blogs, profiles,phorums):
<a href="http://www.answerupon.com/article/36600/answerupon-8-Ways-to-Win-more-Contracts.html">8 Ways to Win more Contracts</a>
BB link (for phorums):
[url=http://www.answerupon.com/article/36600/answerupon-8-Ways-to-Win-more-Contracts.html]8 Ways to Win more Contracts[/url]
Related Articles:
Benefits of a Merchant Account for Your Business
How Can I Do A Resume With The 5 Key Words?
Bookmark it:
|