Every sales organization and entrepreneur needs to know how to write winning sales proposals and respond to requests for proposal (RFPs). Amazon recently launched perhaps the biggest RFP in history when it announced that they are seeking a location for a new 2nd Amazon headquarters which will be home to 50,000 jobs.
Cities and economic development authorities across the U.S. are breaking out their strongest proposals for what makes their community the right choice for Amazon’s new headquarters location. There are a few key lessons here for anyone who writes sales proposals, big or small. No matter what you sell, you can learn from the process of pitching for Amazon’s new headquarters to write better sales proposals:
1. Learn about the company culture.
Your prospect is not just in the market for a product with the right technical specs, they often want to know how your solution and your team will fit with their company culture. Knowing about the company culture is essential to a successful sales proposal because it gives you insights into what is truly important to the company, aside from the nuts and bolts of what you sell. For example, Amazon has a reputation for being a “green” company, so many cities are focusing their proposals to Amazon on what their cities do well in regards to sustainability, such as bike paths and public transportation.
2. Align your strengths with the prospect’s biggest ambitions and goals.
Amazon is seeking several things from the location of their new headquarters: a strong climate for business growth, an international airport, good public transit, a strong pool of tech talent and a high quality of life and cultural amenities that help attract a well-educated workforce. (For example, the New York Times suggested that Denver might be the best metro area for Amazon’s new headquarters, based on these guidelines.) Regardless of which city “wins” Amazon’s bidding process, the lesson is the same — pay attention to the overall picture of what your prospect is seeking to buy. Certain features of your solution might be more important than others. You might not be able to compete with other organizations based on every single item on the checklist, but you can try…
