Sir Richard Livingstone’s “danger” has passed, and you’ve narrowed down your options and decided to respond to a particular Request for Proposal (RFP). But what do you do next? After answering the questions that helped you to determine whether to respond, there are a few additional things you’ll want to consider—especially with regards to preparing a presentation that will help close the deal.


As a business development consultant, advising law firms on the art of closing the deal is one of the cornerstones of the Closers Group’s service offerings. Closing the deal involves presenting the prospective client with the best and most persuasive information possible and in a way that best represents your firm. Even if your firm does not win the bid for that particular RFP, making a good impression now will be important if you want to be considered for future business. So how do you make sure you make the right impression? Here’s what you want to consider as you prepare and present your response:

• The time frame: How much time will you be given to present your offer? If they want you in and out in an hour, they may just be going through the motions in order to appease upper management, or superficially shuffling through a large number of prospects. Understand how much time you’ll have to make your case and you’ll be able to better gauge the client’s level of seriousness about the project and interest in your firm.


• The format: In what way will you be asked to present your response? Find out their preferred format and then plan accordingly. No matter the format, ensure that you focus on their key issues and how your firm can meet them. Ensure you give clear examples of how you have solved other clients’ issues rather than just giving a general overview of your firm’s abilities.


• The lasting impression: Give them something to remember you by—create a brief but meaningful leave-behind piece and take a minute to walk them through it before leaving.

First impressions are essential to closing the deal, so when you meet with a prospective client ensure that you take advantage of every opportunity to show them why your firm is the best to solve their problems. Invest the time in preparing your presentation script and your presentation materials, and your results will likely take you to the Red Zone!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 11th, 2011 at 7:38 am and is filed under Business Development. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.