Measuring Success

I’ve been forever refining my standard initial proposal format.  Over the years it’s become shorter, punchier, ever-more written from the client perspective and, well, downright sexier.

There’s always been a section entitled Return On Investment, or something similarly professional sounding.

Then a delightful thing happened the other day.  One of my prospects was suitably impressed with my initial draft proposal.  I’d provided it for possible enhancement before distribution to his team.  A typical (and proven) ‘pre-proposal review’ process.

His enthusiasm was such, that he felt able to suggest an extra section devoted to “measuring success”.  What intrigued me, is that although he’d understood and accepted my RoI calcs, opportunity cost comparisons and payback scenarios, he plainly felt that the rest of his team (not budget signatories themselves) would be more interested in being able to visualise what success would look like in reality.

So there I was, pleased to have picked up a useful addition to my existing RoI documenting; a half-section within it explaining how success would be felt in terms of impact on the daily routine.

And on this specific addendum, my three sub-headings were; RoI, Opportunity Costs, Visualising Success.