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The Storybook of Every B2B Sale

Proposals are stories in book-like form where clients are the heroes. Sales proposals must give clients emotionally engaging reasons for why, now, and from you.

Couple of weeks ago I taught classes on Generative AI + Sales Proposals at UW Foster School of Business.

To be honest, I had concerns beforehand because as a consultant, I’d only taught experienced professionals. Yet here at U-Dub, I was going to be teaching undergraduates who didn’t have a sales background or industry knowledge.

Well, I needn’t have worried. Those students, about 100 in total, were fantastic. They were obviously intelligent but were curious, respectful, and engaging as well. They’ll definitely make the next generation of sales professionals better.

But this got me thinking, as a kind of “thought exercise.” I imagined how I would teach sales proposals to an even younger audience. Say high school students.

And like a cat at a laser show, that thought jerked me awake. Hey, winning sales proposals is really easy — If you know how. And here’s how…

The Story Goes…

Winning B2B sales proposals are Business Storybooks that answer clients’ three questions:

1. Why Buy This?

This most basic question means sellers must have in-depth knowledge of how their offering is used AND benefits their clients. Not just the clients who will use it, but how by using it the overall client’s business benefits from it.

For example, facility managers benefit from great janitorial service by avoiding angry occupants AND their business benefits by a more productive, distraction-free workforce.

2. Now?

Some clients must rebid large dollar purchases according to contract terms, others buy as needed. Whenever the opportunity arrives, sellers must know the time-pressures that clients face when delaying a decision or staying put (status quo). The “burning platform” sense of urgency is part of the emotional engagement and persuasive narrative.

3. From You?

Unfortunately, many sellers focus entirely on why they think they’re better than the competition (competitive advantage). While this answer is important to clients, the winning proposal includes sellers’ answers in the bigger picture context of “Why Buy This?” and “Now?”

Easy peasy, lemon squeezy

Simple but hard work. Good luck.