Crafting persuasive proposals: Key strategies for winning over stakeholders

Have you ever had a colleague who seems to drift along the professional highways hitting green light after green light? Chances are, they're a master of persuasion.

Whether for a sales pitch or an in-house strategy, learning the dark art of persuasive proposals can boost your influence and success in the workplace. Don't stress if you're not a natural — persuasive techniques are something you can learn.

Here, I'll show you a few secrets to help your proposal turn the light green.

Proposal structure

A rule of thumb for proposal writing is to aim for precision and clarity in your structure. Complexity can overshadow excellent ideas. Start by organising your proposal logically so each section builds upon the next.

Also, keep an eye on the type of language you use. If your audience is unfamiliar with technical terms or jargon, make sure you explain them clearly. When delivering proposals to clients, I put everything into layman's terms to avoid confusion.

Understanding the audience

Conduct an audience analysis and learn everything you possibly can about your stakeholders. Who are you presenting your proposal to? What's their background? What are their personal or company goals?

Focus on demonstrating how your ideas will help listeners achieve their objectives. Framing the proposal as a win for everyone will likely increase stakeholder engagement.

Persuasive techniques

Now, let's get into the nitty-gritty. According to American psychologist Robert Cialdini, writing in Harvard Business Review, the six laws of persuasion are:

• Reciprocity: The idea here is to offer something to receive something back. In your proposal, give information or demonstrate how the audience benefits from your idea.
• Commitment: If you can get your stakeholders to agree on something small early on, they're better positioned to agree to something bigger later.
• Social Proof: People sitting on the fence tend to align decisions with others. Emphasise to your listeners that people "just like you" make the same choices.
• Authority: We are more easily convinced when an authority figure endorses an idea. Search for quotes or examples where similar proposals were successfully executed.
• Liking: When somebody likes you, you gain more power of persuasion over them. During presentations, I always establish a connection with my audience through empathy or shared goals.
• Scarcity: When we believe an opportunity is limited we're more likely to act. Highlight what's unique or novel about your idea and why now is the best time to act.

Visual aids and presentation

Using visuals will make your presentation more engaging, but keep it short and sweet. A few bullets or images to underscore your main points will drive the message home.

Finally, remember you're delivering a proposal because you have something to say. Speak with confidence!

Take your proposals to the next level with ICML

Learning to sway your audience can boost your career and almost every other aspect of your life. If you want to discover more about writing and presenting persuasive proposals, check out our Presenting with Confidence course.