To keep the structure of your proposal simple, we suggest following a similar format as your elevator sales pitch. You don’t need to go into as much detail about who you are and what you do this time, but it helps to begin with a quick recap of your agency’s specifics.
Once you’ve introduced yourself, show your potential client that you’re an expert recruiter in their industry. What will set you apart for other, bigger recruitment firms is the fact that your agency has unique knowledge of the sector that you recruit in, and that you dedicate your time to finding the most talented candidates within this.
Next, you want to hone in on the specifics: what your agency can do for the client, what your plan would be for refining their recruitment success, and how you would eradicate any issues they have previously had with recruiting. Use data and case studies here to illustrate the points that you make, but keep these supporting points short. You don’t want to overdo it on presentation slides and graphics.
As with your elevator pitch, keep the bulk of your proposal centred around what makes you different from your competitors, and how your agency specifically is going to make a difference. Remember again to avoid only talking about your agency; approach each point instead in the context of how it will affect or benefit your client.
A useful technique to keep this focus is by asking questions throughout the pitch, with phrases that begin with “Do you often find…?” or “Have you ever noticed…?”. Not only does this keep the client you are pitching to more engaged, but it also helps your pitch sound more conversational and less rehearsed.
Whilst you don’t want your pitch to sound too informal, you also don’t want to throw in a lot of technical jargon just for the sake of it. Dumbing a pitch down unnecessarily can look like you are patronising a client, but trying to make yourself sound smart by using heaps of technical language is equally unhelpful. You should avoid using too many clichés or buzzwords in your pitch as well, unless you want to sound like a robot rattling off as many corporate phrases as possible.
The way that you finish a sales pitch can be make or break for its success, as this will be the last thing that sticks in your potential client’s mind when they look back on your proposal. Don’t bother trying to recap everything you have covered; instead, close with a statement that sets your agency apart from the rest and offers your potential client an unbeatable opportunity. Who could say no to that?
