Why are good proposals not selected? Perspectives overlooked in winning projects

People who can't win projects have a misalignment in their premises, not their proposals
"I was confident in my proposal content, but I keep losing deals."
"The client seemed happy with the proposal during the meeting, but it didn't sell."
"The proposal was well-received, but no matter how long I wait, I never get the order..."

Whether in sales or consulting, in proposal-based businesses,
this is a common story.
I have actually experienced this myself; it's painful when you can't make a sale...

In this case, many people think like this:
・The proposal document was bad
・The explanation was insufficient
・The price was too high

Of course, those can be causes.

However, in reality,
it is often not the proposal itself, but a misalignment inpremise recognitionthat is the case.
This time, I will organize the common points of people who cannot win projects.

1. Customers are not buying a "proposal"

There is something I want you to understand first.
That is, the customer is not buying the proposal document.

What the customer wants to buy is
problem solving.

For example,
・Wanting to increase sales
・Wanting to solve a talent shortage
・Wanting to improve operational efficiency

They want to solve these issues,
and the proposal itself is not the goal.

If you lose sight of this,
the phenomenon of "it's a great proposal, but it doesn't resonate" occurs.

2. You are making assumptions about the customer's issues

The more a person cannot win projects,
the more they think based on their own experience.

For example,
"This company has weak sales promotion."
"This company needs DX."
"This company has a talent development issue."

Of course, there are cases where this is not wrong.

However, the problem is
that the customer themselves does not necessarily think so.

Actually, I still tend to do this even now.
Even though I should be conscious of supporting management as a consultant,
if the customer doesn't recognize the issue as an issue,
the conversation gets misaligned,
and the customer gets confused.
I can identify issues immediately from experience, but

a process of talking with the customer
and conveying the true issue is necessary.
The proposer's issue and

the customer's issue are misaligned.
This means the conversation won't click.

3. The battle is decided before the proposal

Actually, winning a project
is rarely decided at the proposal stage.

The battle is much earlier.
・What you asked
・What you understood
・How much you drew out their true feelings
It is decided here.

Because
the customer
" this person understands me "
will request from the person they think that about.

In other words,
understanding is more important than proposal ability.
This is the reality.

Consultants also need this understanding,
and empathy is what counts.
There are still times when I think I need to train myself
as a consultant.

4. Even good proposals can fail

It's a bit ironic, but
there is a trap that even excellent people easily fall into.

That is,
giving the answer too quickly.
Because they have a lot of experience,

a solution comes to mind the moment they hear the story.
However, the customer

has not organized it that far yet.
Then,
the proposal is correct, but it is not accepted.
This happens.

It's sad, but it's a common occurrence.
People with a lot of experience (which is different from being excellent)
fall into this.

5. So, what should you do?

What is important in winning a project is
aligning the premises rather than polishing the proposal.
① Confirm the issue recognition before the solution

This is what is needed first.
Not "What are you having trouble with?"
but
digging down to "What is the highest priority issue right now?"
The accuracy changes just by doing this.
② Doubt your own hypothesis
The more experienced you are, the more dangerous it is.

When you think "This is probably it,"
stop for a moment.
This is important.
③ Create a common understanding before the proposal
Ultimately, this is it.
Before the proposal,

share "The issue is this, right?"
If you can do this,
the proposal will be much easier to pass.

Summary

The reason you can't win a project
is not necessarily a lack of proposal ability.
Rather, in many cases,
it is a misalignment of premise recognition.
・What is the customer having trouble with?

・What are they prioritizing?
・What do they really want to solve?
If you propose without understanding this,
no matter how great a document you make, it won't resonate.
Conversely,

people who can align the premises are strong.
A proposal might be

not the work of showing an answer, but the work of sharing a problem.