You Need to Know About the Event Proposal Hierarchy of Needs…
Watch this 9 minute presentation or read the transcript below:
Transcript from Video:
Hopefully you’ve heard of ‘Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs’. If not then it is a theory of human motivation usually depicted in a pyramid like this.
Well, In just a second I am going to show you the ‘Event Proposal Hierarcy of Needs’, as this should make it crystal clear on where your proposals currently stand and where you can make huge improvements TODAY!
Now I have to give Carl Dickson, an expert on all things proposals from CapturePlanning.com, some credit for introducing the general concept. I have taken his idea and applied it specifically to event proposals, which are unlike proposals in most other industries as they are (or should be) inherently more visual in nature.
1 — Requirements
So the bottom layer of this pyramid is the basic foundation of all event proposals. This is making sure you are actually meeting all the specified RFP or client requirements for the proposal. This could come in the form of formatting instructions, order of sections, how the budget is handeled or many other things.
You HAVE to get this right or you are already out of the running. If you don’t meet these requirements then you have already shown that you are not up to the job of working on the client’s event.
While interviewing over 200 event professionals regarding their proposal frustrations, Caroll Reuben, CMP/CMM, said that “if the proposal questions are not answered in the same order that they are given I will not consider that proposal”. This may seem harsh to some but you are not the one reading through all those proposals. The ability to follow instructions and deliver what is expected is the first test that you MUST pass.
You’ll notice that 99% of event professionals get this one right, which is great, otherwise there’d be something seriously wrong in the industry.
2 — Messaging
This is one of the most critical factors in the proposal as this is where you really show that you have an understanding of the clients needs, desires and fears. If you do not show that you have a good grasp of these then there are plenty of other proposals that will.
You need to demonstrate that your company is the best fit for the event by addressing the needs, desires & fears and explaining how your company will meet or exceed them all. Your goal here is reassure and inspire the prospect — relevant case studies & testimonials also play an important role here. The more you can use client focused language, that is language articulated from then cleint’s perspective, the better.
Around 85% of event proposals meet the basic messaging criteria but this percentage is probably generous. Far fewer use prooerly client focused language.
What this means is that you are thinking about and telling them what they want to know and NOT what you want to tell them. If way more of your sentences start with ‘We’, ‘Our’ or your company name rather than ‘You’, ‘Your’ etc then you are probably getting this wrong.
If you are not doing this now then here is a small tweak that can make a massive difference, so go back and take a look at your proposals with this in mind.
3 — Images
The middle layer of this pyramid is Images and the use of graphics within the proposal. As you can see the majority of event proposals use some kind of images to provide a bit of pizzaz, so please don’t think that you are doing anything special by adding images. Using images alone is not going to set your proposals apart, as most companies do this.
However, if you are not adding images to your proposals then you should start doing this straight away.
It probably also means you are thinking about your proposals in completely the wrong way. Your proposal is a marketing document and should be traeted as such. You are marketing your brand and your services.
As mentioned before your goal is to reassure and inspire. Providing visuals that help to paint the picture you are trying to portray of the venue, food, decor etc should be standard practice.
4 — Design
OK, we have covered the factors that are considered by the large majority of event professionals when they create proposals. To be completely frank — these are the bare minumum requirements for you to really even be considered by a new client who is reviewing multiple proposals for an event.
Next come the two areas where you can really move away from the pack and start to set-yourself apart.
The top 20% of event profs also focus on layout and design as a crucial factor in their proposals. Now I want to make it clear that there is no point focusing on this if you do not have all the other elements below in place. Great design will never make up for poor messaging so it’s only when you are confident that you have all the elements below this in hand that you should concentrate on this area.
Having said that, if you are meeting all the proposal requirements, your messaging it great & you have used images well to illustrate your event and design concepts then getting a designer in to ensure the look of the proposal matches and elevates your brand is the icing on the cake.
This can make a MASSIVE difference to how the prospective client perceieves your professionalism, enthusiasm and level of service.
And don’t worry — this can be easy, it doesn’t have to cost thousands of dollars. I will show you exactly how in a moment or two.
5 — Innovation
But first, I want to tell you how the top 5% in the industry get more business than all the others with their proposals.
It’s simple. They WOW their prospects with something they have never seen before right from the first impression. They demonstrate innovation and show they have gone the extra mile, which ensures they truly stand out from their competition.
“But how the heck do I innovate?” you may be asking.
The answer is simple. Think outside the tradition event prof box. There are tons of ways you can show innovation. Here are 4 of my favorites:
- Record a 30–90 second custom video intro to your proposal
- Include 3D renderings or virtual tours of venues
- Use short relevant testimonial videos
- Send your proposal in an unexpected format with embedded video
Innovation is the key to differentiation which enables you to not have to compete on price.
BOOM!
There you have it. That is what you need to do to truly excel with your event proposals and climb to the top of the industry.
You may be thinking that “this is all well and good but you just don’t have the time for much of this, I am already swamped”
And luckily for you I have a simple solution to your problem…Check out our 24 HOUR PROPOSAL MAKEOVER SERVICE…See how we can give you incredible Design AND Innovation without any extra effort by you required.
