Stage 5: Proposing
Writing a proposal takes serious energy; only move an opportunity into stage 5 if the client has both need, interest, and allocated budget. A client stays in stage 5 from the day you start writing the proposal to the day he accepts it.
If your goal is 1 new client each month and your conversion rate at stages 5 and 6 is 1/2, you need to add 8 opportunities to stage 5, every month. And deliver 8 completed proposals to interested clients over the same timescale.
(This is where metrics start to matter. If your conversion rates earlier in the funnel start dropping, or if there was a gap in lead gen activity in month X, you'll suffer a reduced number of requests for proposals 3-6 months later, and you'll have no way of putting it right.)
When they accept your proposal, punch the sky, but remember the game's not over yet. Move them into stage 6: contract negotiations.
GET ME IN YOUR INBOX: blank email to
What I do for clients: sales[at]redpump.com
Rate card: rates[at]redpump.com
Book links: book[at]redpump.com
Contact info: contact[at]redpump.com
Writing a proposal takes serious energy; only move an opportunity into stage 5 if the client has both need, interest, and allocated budget. A client stays in stage 5 from the day you start writing the proposal to the day he accepts it.
If your goal is 1 new client each month and your conversion rate at stages 5 and 6 is 1/2, you need to add 8 opportunities to stage 5, every month. And deliver 8 completed proposals to interested clients over the same timescale.
(This is where metrics start to matter. If your conversion rates earlier in the funnel start dropping, or if there was a gap in lead gen activity in month X, you'll suffer a reduced number of requests for proposals 3-6 months later, and you'll have no way of putting it right.)
When they accept your proposal, punch the sky, but remember the game's not over yet. Move them into stage 6: contract negotiations.
GET ME IN YOUR INBOX: blank email to
What I do for clients: sales[at]redpump.com
Rate card: rates[at]redpump.com
Book links: book[at]redpump.com
Contact info: contact[at]redpump.com