source: GASQ Article |
A successful proposal presentation that gives you the best chance to win that great contract begins by letting the client know right up front that you understand their company and its unique security situation. You want to make sure you explain to the client their improvement opportunity by using your security services. Decision makers need to make an informed purchasing decision. Many times that decision will need to be made quickly. Your proposal presentation must contain the critical information and financial value that helps them make that crucial decision. Your proposal presentation should provide a workable solution that is equal to or less than what the client would pay if they performed those same functions in-house.
We believe that our proposal presentation suggestions can help you fulfill and exceed the needs and expectations of the buyers of your security services. GASQ has prepared a working template sample that will give you a head start in formatting your next proposal presentation. Visit our website to access the downloadable version of the template.
- The presentation should provide your understanding of the client’s situation/problem.
Decision makers want to know that you understand their business and have identified viable safety and security solutions focuses specifically on their business. If your presentation doesn’t give them that impression, they will probably question the reliability of your proposed solution. Make sure your presentation helps the client understand why and how your services and physical security systems can improve their business and help protect their valuable assets. - The presentation should provide a workable solution for the client.
Make sure that your presentation provides the physical security elements needed to successfully solve the client’s problem! Your presentation should (1) show the current security posture (profile) of the company, (2) highlight areas where greater (or lesser) security is needed, and (3) show the facts needed for the justification of cost effective countermeasures. As mentioned above, your presentation should provide a workable solution that is equal to or less than what the client would pay if they performed the function in-house. - The presentation is not complicated for the client to understand and implement what’s being presented.
Your presentation should explain how your proposed services and physical security systems can work in the client’s business. By including your proposed physical security systems or and implementation plan in your presentation, you can answer many questions that the client may have. A clearly defined implementation plan can also give you the foundation you need to identify benefits to your clients. Your proposed physical security systems and services can be the critical determinant of information that the decision maker needs to have in order to make an informed buying decision. - The presentation should highlight unnecessary or unwanted risk.
Your presentation should identify critical and sensitive business assets, threats and vulnerabilities. Specific countermeasure recommendations that when properly implemented—can reduce your client’s current exposure to losses and liabilities. Pointing out these areas of risk and your countermeasure solutions will go a long way in convincing the decision maker that you have the best plan to meet their needs. - The presentation is specific in terms of time, how much it will cost, resources, etc.
In this area, the more specific your presentation, the better. The decision maker will respond the way you want them to if they are given specific information to solve their problem. Be prepared to provide time details, costs analysis, and staffing or equipment resources. Financial calculations and charts must be clearly displayed and labeled so they are easily understood and if requested, any change in the scope of services (staff, hours or equipment) can be easily modified. - The presentation should cover your planned approach, and how you will achieve them.
Highlight how your physical security system will neutralize the threat and/or intruder. Your presentation should include how you plan to implement the recommended countermeasures. Be specific. Your presentation should also answer the questions that your client may have about how you will implement the security project, how long it will take, and who will be the project lead for their site. - The presentation should show why you are qualified to perform the job.
Let your client know that your company has been there, and done that! You want to include information about your company, your staff qualifications, and prior experience. You also want to assure the client that your company can deliver on the contract. You should also consider including information about the additional services offered by your company, which will help to further differentiate you from the competition. - The presentation should show the cost for services, what benefits and/or value will accrue.
Your presentation should make known and specify the buyer’s total cost of your services and proposed solutions you plan to use to neutralize the threat and/or intruder. As you might expect, the client needs this information to make their decision. The more detail about the cost of services and solutions that you include in your presentation, the fewer surprises your client and you will have. You want to let the client know about everything that you expect them to pay out as part of the service agreement. You also need to show how your proposed service can help the client reduce or avoid costs—the financial benefits of your services. - The presentation should show the “in-house” cost vs outsourcing ROI.
Your presentation should clearly highlight the Total Cost of Ownership, also known as the “in-house cost” which is the best guess estimation of the expense associated with the cost to a client to acquire, retain, develop, support, and maintain both (in this case) security personnel and equipment if they performed the function themselves in-house. As a service provider, by not knowing a client’s Total Cost of Ownership to perform your function in-house affects your ability to negotiate a fair and reasonable price and show value for your services. In addition, knowing the Total Cost of Ownership helps you quantify the cost of your services to the client. It offers you a more accurate basis for showing the value of your services–shows the client’s in-house cost vs. outsourcing ROI–of the client’s investment rather than how we currently do it by the lowest billing rate. Also, by knowing the Total Cost of Ownership helps reduce the risk of underbidding or low bidding the security project. - The presentation should show the financial and non-financial benefits of using your services.
Your presentation should show how the financial benefits of your services will reduce losses, liabilities, and avoid costs. Your presentation needs to include the client’s specific financial benefits based on the client’s total cost of ownership or in-house cost. The financial benefits you include in your presentation showing the break-even point, payback and recovery, and return on investment can provide compelling reasons for the client to purchase. Make sure you highlight your company’s additional service capabilities into financial benefits for the client. - The presentation should show the asking price for your service is fair and reasonable.
Your presentation should show the specific cost and profit calculations you as a vendor used in arriving at the price. Your price should show that your proposed costs are in line with what is reasonably economical and efficient service should cost.Security Guard firms can validate their pricing decisions by educating customers about the process of bringing their services to market. If your service is more expensive because it includes recruiting, training, support and physical security system features that are labor-intensive to advertise and acquire, you can show how a higher price represents a better value to the client.
Get A Security Quote has provided a full presentation template sample (27 pages) that is available for download by opted-in security professionals.
Author: Grayling D. Livingston is president of Get A Security Quote, a lead generation and referral services that advertises competitive bids for matching buyers of security services with sellers of security guard and patrol services.