In this short Q&A video, Ryan Dohrn answers a listener’s question about the essential changes to make every sales proposal more effective. He cites research indicating that most readers scan rather than read proposals, leading him to recommend three core improvements: (1) drastically reduce the amount of text in the proposal; (2) present three pricing options, noting that the middle option is most frequently chosen and that three options increase win rates compared to one or two; (3) replace remaining text with visual elements, as people comprehend information better through pictures. He concludes by inviting viewers to contact him for personalized proposal consulting via his website or email.
Chapters
Hey friends, Ryan Dohrn here. Thanks so much for sending in your listener questions to ryan@ryandohrn.com. All right, next question from Barb from Wisconsin. Hey Barb from Wisconsin, and let's go to your question. Your question is, if there are— are there 3 or 4 things you would change on every proposal to make it better? Great question, Barb, and the answer is yes, there is. All right. Lots of research out there. I'll cite a stat from Heiler-Hillman. 79% of test users scan pages of what they read. Only 16% of people actually read word for word. So what that leads me to understand, if 79% of users, uh, according to Heiler-Hillman, they don't read, only 16%, that would say tip number 1, Do your best to remove as much text as possible from every proposal because people aren't reading it. Second thing, I recognize in all of my business dealings that 65% or more of the proposals I present with 3 pricing options always do better. Science tells us if you give one option, it's, it's pretty much like a 50/50 chance. If you give 2 options, it creates choice, which increases your chance of getting a deal. With 3 options, about 60-some percent of proposals will win business. Normally, people will choose the second or middle pricing option. The third thing is, after you remove the text, replace the text with pictures. We learned everything in life through pictures. So that's gonna be a really great way for you to convey what you're trying to get across. So get that text out of there and replace that with pictures. And I think, Barb from Wisconsin, you're gonna have some winning proposals on your hands. Hey friends, one of the things that I love to do is talk with your teams about proposals. We like to revamp your proposals, help you really understand why you're winning or losing business. So reach out to me over at ryandohrn.com. And we'll be sure to get you set up and get you straightened out. All right, friends, if you got questions, send them in to me, ryan@ryandohrn.com, and we'll see you next week.
