What does it take to reach 100? As part of our 100th anniversary celebration, we’re posting a piece of Berglund’s history on our blog each day for 100 days. Check in each day to learn new tidbits about our company, win prizes based on your Berglund knowledge, and, most of all, to help us celebrate.
Secrets of Success: More-Than-Decent Proposals
You learn a lot of lessons on the way to turning 100. Throughout our 100th anniversary blog, we’re sharing the takeaways that have helped us make it through our first century – and might help your business do the same.
This week’s piece of advice? To craft a winning proposal, remember: It’s not you, it’s them.
Writing proposals is a big part of Berglund’s job, and a convincing proposal is key for landing a coveted construction project. We’ve picked up a few proposal tips and tricks over the years, but the best advice we can share is to focus on the potential client — not yourself.
While it may sound obvious, plenty of companies get swept up in tooting their own horns during a pitch. The prospect’s typical response: So what? Instead of focusing on your strengths, focus on how the prospect will benefit from your strengths. Berglund doesn’t just use proposals to tell prospects that we have LEED-accredited staff, or that we use building information modeling software on projects. We take it a step further, explaining how our value-added services, such as cost-segregation studies, can save project owners money, and that our enviable safety record will mean quicker project delivery because of less missed time for accidents. By putting the focus squarely on your customer, you’ll have a much better shot at getting your foot in the door.
