Cliches are overused words or phrases that have lost meaning or effectiveness. Many proposals often open with seller-focused cliches such as: “We are pleased to have the opportunity to present” or “Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your RFT.” Is your gratitude the most important concern of the customer?
Noticeable cliches distract the customer from your message, detract from and delay the reader from getting the message and reduce the impact and persuasive nature of your documents. Readers remember the first thing they read, the last thing they read and repeated points.
Remember two key principles of organisation to reduce opening cliches:
1.Begin with the most important point to the reader rather than a statement about you
2.Avoid any unnecessary or long set ups
Closing with cliches wastes the opportunity to close with power. Cut thoughtless, cliche closes such as ‘please do not hesitate to call’.
Instead, prompt action. Suggest the next step. Enable action.
For example, ‘I will call you at 5 PM on June 6 to discuss our proposal and to address any questions you might have.’
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