I Make Proposals But They Don't Get Accepted. What Am I Doing Wrong?

Clearly there are many things you could be doing wrong. The number one reason for failure in proposal is that the consultant isn't working with the economic buyer.

You can’t move forward in the proposal process without dealing with the ultimate decision maker. Economic buyers are those individuals who are authorized to sign the contract to move forward. If you’re dealing with gatekeepers, false buyers or assistants you’re wasting your time.

Don’t negotiate with anyone except the economic buyer. Here are some questions to ask to determine if you’re working with the right people in an organization:

“Who, besides yourself, must approve this project?”
“If we reach agreement are you ready to approve the project?”
“Is this project a part of your budget or will it impact other departments?”
“Who has ultimate approval authority on projects like this?”

In companies of less than 100 employees the economic buyer is almost always the president or owner. In companies of 100 to 500 employees the CFO may or may not approve insurance projects. Over 500 employees and you’ll probably deal with a risk manager or the CFO.

Contrary to popular belief, the human resources department rarely has the ability to approve insurance projects. Double and triple check if you’re dealing with the HR manager. Make sure you are dealing with decision makers.

Practice this statement in front of your mirror, “Mr. Gatekeeper, I can't meet with you unless all the decision makers are present. It’s important to the success of this project that I’m able to gain a complete understanding of the issues and problems you face. I can’t do that unless they are in the room when we meet.”

Failure to include the economic buyer in the formation of a project is the single biggest cause of failure in any proposal. Avoid dealing with gatekeepers and false buyers and you’ll save yourself a great deal of trouble. You’ll close more business too.