If you have some success stories, these have to play a key role not only on your website, where most of us share them, but also on your business proposals. But, why?
The first reason is that this is some sort of portfolio where you will show your work. But apart from that, you’ll be more transparent to others’ eyes and will impress those other companies you want to work for.
On this post we will show you how to write some success stories and the best way to add them up to your proposals. Of course, your Quoters proposals.
Let’s move on!
Shaping your success stories
Before even trying to write a line, you need to review your strategy. Focus on it. Picking the right clients is key to share to the world the right idea about our company. Not only that: it will show what we want to show to the world.
Yes, we know every single client is the most important client, but each story might be relevant or not depending on what or who we are selling at that very moment. So, select the most relevant success stories for that new client, the ones that will help that future client that you are the perfect choice.
Strategy is everything
So, we do now have our first step to start sharing our customer success stories: select the right clients for the proposal we will be sending.
If you are running several business areas within your company or have clients on different sectors, our advice is to choose the right success story that might be represent you the best.
As you need your client to know what you are doing, your best experience is the one they already know or, at least, understand. If you are sending a proposal to a huge company, your sales success story about a tiny store in your quarter might not be the best idea. And viceversa. Do you get the point? But, of course, it’s relevant enough (e.g. you are sending a proposal about low-budget viral videos), well, you can add that as a success story 😀
Once your list of successful stories is ready, time to start writing.
The 5 W’s
Who. When. Why. Where. How. The answer to those questions will be your successful story.
As I’ve already tolde you, each client has it’s own needs, so your sales stories will be using the same structure. Or not.
The format you will be using to explain how you did it will make the structure of your story different. Will you be sharing it on your website? Will it be a video on your company YouTube channel? Or an Instagram Live video? A photo gallery could be enough?
No matter the format you will be using, you need a basic structure adapted to each platform or media used to share it. And that structure is the same as any story: the three act structure. Yes, you have to think of it as if you were writing a short novel:
- Setup: introduce the story. You can write or tell about your clients needs and why they chose you. Aims and objectives are always a good starting point for this.
- Confrontation: here is where you show your best. How you solved potential issues raised during the project, the solution and how you dealt with changes. And, yes, people love nice stories, but did you have an easy project ever?
- Resolution: HOORAY!! After all the struggles, issues and back and forth emails, you finally solved your client issues successfully. What did you achieve? More clients? Saved time and money? Focus on that. And highlight it.
Recommended reading: Business proposal writing: your guidelines for 2020
Use them in your proposals too
A key role of your proposals might be showing your work, specially during the first stages of your sales funnel. A proposal is an incredible chance to introduce yourself to prospects, as you will be showing them your work and make them to love your work.
That’s the main reason you need to add at least a success story to your proposals. But don’t force it: do it if it makes sense and as natural as possible, e.g., showing it as an example of what you did (or are doing) for an actual client.
If you are using Quoters to send your proposals, you can use either a video or a gallery to express yourself. Add links, tables, whatever!
So, yes, do it. Start showing your sales success stories to get more and better clients.
