The Impact of a SMARTproposal

Far too many proposals are unnecessarily stalled. Though many estimators like to blame it on scope clarifications, a SMARTproposal overcomes this. A SMARTproposal empowers the buyer to make smart decisions, it displays the options and by clearly conveying the differences makes it easier to decide. It also educates, as the various moving parts may impact price. Phrases such as “Do you want one coat or two coats?” usually are not required to be clarified to submit a timely bid. They delay the proposal turnaround – just provide two options, one for the one coat, and one for two coats. Side by side, in an easy-to-compare way. Show the impact on schedule and price right there in the grid.

Another item that can be added is which you recommend and why – again further educating the buyer. The key to great decisions is an informed person making the call. Every client has different needs and views and it is the estimator’s responsibility to understand this and communicate appropriate proposals.

If the client needs a storefront repaired at a location that it only going to occupy for 6 more months, is it helpful to only provide a proposal to replace it? If it can be repaired then its probably wise to provide a quote to repair, a quote to replace, and maybe even a combination of the two. Other items that impact price include hours of completion, restraints of schedule (before/after hours, nights, weekends), amount of calendar days to complete, material choices, security needs, and so on. By taking the items that impact price and schedule and establishing them within the comparison grid, a buyer is better armed to make their decisions.

Make it easier for clients to hire you by empowering them with SMARTproposal’s.