Would you settle for status quo (of any kind) with millions of dollars and critical missions at stake? Likely not. Why, then, would you expect that from your customer? A compliant proposal is a status quo response. Winning requires customer-centered writing. In proposal development, customer-centered writing is a best practice also known as empathetic writing.
Empathetic writing results in more compelling and persuasive proposals. In his WinningTheBusiness.com article, “The Case for Empathetic Proposals,” Kevin Switaj explains: “Empathetic proposals make a clear emotional connection with the evaluator. It goes further than showing we know what the client needs — it shows we know why they need it.” Writing with empathy cuts to the heart of what motivates a buyer to make certain decisions and addresses the emotional needs behind the procurement.
But is empathetic writing, or putting yourself in the shoes of the customer, enough? To truly be customer-centric, you need to go a step beyond and write with compassion.
Understanding Compassion
Empathy generally refers to the ability to take the perspective and feel the emotions of another person. Compassion, however, is when those feelings and thoughts include the desire to help. In his article, “The Compassionate Instinct,” Dr. Dacher Keltner — founding director of the Greater Good Science Center and a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley — explains that compassion is empathy in action. He writes, “When we take the other’s perspective, we feel an empathic state of concern and are motivated to address that person’s needs and enhance that person’s welfare, sometimes even at our own expense.”
You can be empathetic without being compassionate. When you’re compassionate, you sideline your own agenda.
Applying Compassion to Proposals
So how do you apply compassion to proposals? If you’re motivated by compassion, in addition to considering what the customer needs and why, you also consider:
- What you are willing to give up for your customers (time and/or resources)
- Where you can have the most impact to the benefit of the customer
- What you can do to go beyond simply understanding what their problems are and knowing how to solve them to sincerely wanting to solve those problems using the means that matter most to the customer
Compassion builds credibility, which leads to trust and loyalty. Think about the relationships that matter most to you. What makes them so meaningful and impactful is their selfless nature. You give willingly and generously — whether through your time or resources — out of genuine concern for the other person. Now apply this to your current customers and any prospects. How much stronger could those relationships be and how many more wins could you possibly accrue if your customers knew that what drives you is not what you stand to gain from a win, but how you can best serve them because of a win.
How to Write with Compassion
Compassionate writing shows your customers that your end goal is to serve them, not push your solution. It demonstrates that you understand their needs and have a genuine desire to alleviate their pain-points using solutions you customized specifically for them. Listed below are several techniques you can use to begin writing from a place of compassion.
1. Choose your words carefully.
Use words and proof points that will resonate with the customer. For example, if you know the customer is hesitant about change, don’t use words such as “modernize” or “transform.” They may be misinterpreted and perceived as aggressive, forcing too much change on the customer before they are ready to accept it.
Also, consider mirroring the language and terminology found in the RFP and using terms and phrases you have heard the customer use during your conversations. This helps convey customer alignment and builds trust. Your solution might solve every problem the customer has, but if you’re not careful about your word choice, you may scare them away.
2. Show — don’t tell.
Provide details and don’t be vague. Vagueness can result in a poor evaluation rating because the customer may perceive it as a lack of understanding. This will raise the alarm that you are high risk. In other words, if you can’t provide the details, then perhaps you can’t perform the work. In addition, vagueness creates uncertainty and forces the customer to draw their own conclusions. Fill in the blanks and connect the dots for them. Instead of simply telling them that your IT solution creates performance efficiencies for accounts payable departments, show them how the e-invoicing solution you implemented for ACME Corporation increased staff productivity by reducing manual processes and ensured visibility of every transaction. Give them the peace of mind that they can count on you to solve their problems by providing clear examples of how you’ve done it before.
3. Incorporate customer preferences.
Weave what the customer likes into the narrative. People like the comfort of familiarity. This is especially true of customers who are risk averse and hold on to legacy systems and processes. Therefore, if you know your customer has an affinity for certain people, processes or tools, find ways to integrate them into your response. Don’t simply bypass them. Develop a solution that meets the customer where they are first and then progressively takes them to where they want to go.
Also, consider small ways you can go above and beyond to serve your customer. If you know they appreciate high-touch communication with executive leadership, perhaps you can include how you will schedule quarterly meetings with your CEO. If you know quality is an issue, perhaps you can include how your personnel will exceed service delivery or performance levels by a specified percentage because excellence is your company’s standard. Small enhancements go a long way, much like the little chocolates on your hotel pillow.
4. Customize your content.
Tailor content for each unique customer. Don’t rely on boilerplate, which sends the message that you couldn’t take the time to address the customer’s unique circumstances. Your proposal is a tool you can use to enhance your customer’s experience with you. Just as you want to be treated as a unique end user when it comes to buying products and services, the same is true for your customers. Treat them as distinct individuals with specific needs and concerns, and then develop proposal content that reflects that.
A compassionate approach to writing focuses on how you can best serve the customer, not on how well you can pitch what your company offers. The benefit of compassionate writing is in what it conveys to the customer — that you care because their needs supersede yours.
Lauren Mowbray, CF APMP, CPC, is a senior proposal consultant at Key Solutions, Inc., and is a member of APMP’s National Capital Chapter.
Join the Conversation