Translating personal rapport into written sales proposals

Dale Carnegie’s six principles on how to make people like you also apply to sales proposals.

Principle 1: Become genuinely interested in other people.

Building rapport with our clients entails having a genuine empathy for them and putting ourselves out to do things for them; things that require time, energy, unselfishness and thoughtfulness. For most sales professionals, that is the easy (and fun) part. However, communicating that rapport in a written proposal can be quite a challenge, especially when deadlines are tight and templates are tempting.

People may forget exactly what you said but they will always remember how you made them feel.

In his book 'How to win friends and influence people', Carnegie suggests we ask ourselves these questions:

• Do you genuinely care about your client?

• Are you grateful that they choose to spend time with you and make it possible for you to earn a living?

• Do you consciously put yourself in their shoes when shaping your solution?

The mindset we are in before we start writing influences the tone and words we choose to make sure our message lands as we intended. Use these questions to stimulate your empathetic, client-focused brain and you will find that articulating your proposition flows more easily.

A generic, cut-and-paste or AI-generated proposal may be technically correct but it cannot convey the rapport we have established in person. It is worth the extra effort to write proposals that make our client feel seen and respected and may even be the differentiator before pricing is considered.