Smart Strategies for Creating Vending Service Proposals 

By IVA Staff 

Making a proposal to a prospective client is your chance to demonstrate the benefits that you can offer their company.  Because of this, proposals are an important resource for closing accounts and can contribute a lot to the growth of your business. 

Presenting a strong proposal is especially important if the client already has a vending service. Usually, in order for a location manager to have enough incentive to switch to your service from that of another vendor, you will need to convince them that your service represents a significant improvement over their existing operator.  

If you seem uninterested, sloppy, and unorganized during your presentation, you are broadcasting to the prospective client that your service will be of low quality. An energetic, focused, and informed presentation, however, testifies to high quality service and solid professional credibility. 

Here are some tips that will help you craft successful proposal presentations. 

●  In order to present a successful presentation, you will need to do some research to learn about the location, their needs, and their current vending service (if they have one). You will need to tailor your proposal to that specific site: their size, their demographic, and their desires. And if you don't know anything about their current vending service, how can you promise to improve upon it? 

●  Your presentation should focus on selling the benefits your service will offer your prospect's company. It should be directed more at who your client is than who you are. 

●  Find out who will be making the final decision concerning whether or not to use your vending services. You don't want to waste time making an elaborate presentation to someone who isn't the decider. 

●  Personalize your proposal to each specific business's environment. For example, if you learn that your prospective client sponsors a youth club or has a favorite charity, try to incorporate that information into your proposal by offering to donate snacks to the club or their commission percentage to their charity. A small gesture like this will highlight your dedication to customer service. 

●  Usually your client will not make a decision immediately after your proposal. They will probably ask for time to think about it and say they will call you back. You should not simply wait for their call, however: you need to be persistent and follow up with them. 

●  Don't give up. Even an excellent proposal will strike out sometimes. Rather than allowing yourself to get discouraged, focus on learning from your mistakes, practicing your pitch, and keep moving forward. 

To learn more about creating winning proposals, join the Independent Vendors Association. 

© Independent Vendors Association 

September 2006, IVA Bulletin  

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