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UK-based. Working with sales teams across Europe.

Proposals That Win

Turn discovery into a compelling business case, with proposals that connect customer goals, clear value and agreed next steps.

You own the number, but not every part of the buying decision. Research competes with meetings, discovery can stay on the surface, and a promising demo can still end in silence. We understand the pressure to create pipeline, earn trust and keep a complex opportunity moving without pushing the buyer. The AE Lab gives you space to sharpen the conversations and judgement behind the result.

Two sellers role-playing a customer conversation while a colleague observes
The Sales House
Explore. Practise. Perform.

Duration

Half day · 3.5 hours per half day

Group size

8–10 delegates

Format

Online or face to face

Price — Face to face

From £1,150

+ VAT

Price — Online

From £900

+ VAT

where understanding becomes useful —

Why this course matters

A proposal should make the buyer's decision easier to understand and justify.

What you’ll explore in the Lab

Too many proposals read like product brochures, leaving customers to work out the value and sellers wondering why the conversation has gone quiet. This half-day course helps account executives, bid writers, consultants and professional services teams turn discovery into a proposal built around customer goals and outcomes.

Delegates learn to structure a compelling proposal, build a simple business case, show a clear return on investment and present their recommendations with confidence rather than simply pressing send. The focus is on making the buying decision clearer: connecting value to customer priorities, following up with purpose and agreeing next steps at the proposal stage.

a real challenge. a purposeful response.

The challenges this addresses

  • Proposals repeating product features instead of agreed customer priorities
  • Recommendations without a clear scope or agreed next step
  • Business cases missing a clear link between investment and outcomes
  • Proposal follow-up reduced to checking whether the document was read

What this can change at work

Make the proposal a clearer decision tool, not the point where the conversation disappears. Sellers and bid writers connect recommendations with discovery, customer outcomes and a simple business case, then practise presenting the rationale. Managers can review whether value, scope and next steps are explicit. For the business, that helps keep proposal-stage opportunities anchored in the buyer’s priorities and a purposeful discussion about the decision ahead.

Customer outcomes lead

Proposal drafts open with the customer’s goals and agreed priorities before explaining the recommended scope and how it supports those outcomes.

Business cases explained clearly

Sellers present the investment and expected value together, walking buyers through the business case rather than leaving them to interpret it.

Follow-up agreed in conversation

Proposal presentations end with a discussion of questions, decision requirements and a specific next step rather than an unplanned wait for feedback.

Explore. Practise. Perform.

Less theory. More application.

What participants will practise

Realistic sales scenarios, role-play and peer feedback around linking value to the customer's goals and structuring a winning proposal. Where helpful, participants work on their own live (or anonymised) opportunities.

What they’ll take away

Take-away materials with the questions, frameworks and techniques covered, plus a short personal action plan for the next customer conversations where the skill matters.

How we help it stick

Reflection and action planning are built into the session. Reinforcement such as manager guides, follow-up labs or coaching depends on the programme you choose and is agreed with you.

How we make learning stick

Inside the workshop

Working in a small group of 8–10, delegates move from proposal structure and business-case development to live presentation practice and purposeful follow-up. Interactive breakouts and peer-to-peer learning provide opportunities to test how clearly their proposals connect customer goals, value and return on investment. Delegates leave with a practical proposal structure, a clearer approach to presenting recommendations and a plan for agreeing next steps.

Make Proposals That Win relevant to your business

Tell us where you want to make progress with linking value to the customer's goals. We can discuss suitable workplace examples, priorities and access needs before agreeing the scope. Choose live online or face-to-face training for your UK or European team, with delivery arrangements agreed before booking.

Discuss a customised version

What the training covers

The scope below sets out the subjects covered. Workplace examples and practice are shaped around your team within the booked format.

  • Linking value to the customer's goals
  • Structuring a winning proposal
  • Building a simple business case and ROI
  • Presenting your proposal live
  • Following up with purpose

What’s included in your booking

Your booked time and format
Half day · Live online or face to face, agreed before booking · 8–10 delegates.
Included in every course
  • Interactive, facilitator-led learningLive, hands-on sessions built around practice and participation.
  • Group discussionsShared conversations about real situations, so people learn from each other as well as the facilitator.
  • Breakout exercisesSmall-group practice, role-play and problem-solving, online or in the room.
  • Take-away materialsCourse materials, tools and templates to use back at work.
Facilitated learning and practical application
The subject coverage, exercises and facilitator feedback described above, with space to connect the learning to relevant workplace situations. The workshop description sets out the specific plans, prompts or tools developed in this course.

Follow-up coaching, refresher sessions and additional delivery days are not automatic inclusions; any additions are agreed in your proposal. Travel, venue arrangements and any software licences are confirmed separately where relevant. Prices exclude VAT.

Outcomes

The capabilities delegates work towards through the training and practice:

  • Structure a proposal around customer outcomes
  • Show a clear return on investment
  • Present proposals rather than just sending them
  • Agree next steps at the proposal stage

the next conversation is where it counts —

Take it back to work.

Choose a real situation where you want to apply the learning. Use it to turn an outcome into a manageable first step, then reflect on what changes.

Choose

Start with one priority: Structure a proposal around customer outcomes.

Apply

Try the approach in a relevant task or conversation. Note what felt useful and what you would adapt.

Review

Reflect on what happened, seek feedback where appropriate and choose your next step. Follow-up support can be discussed separately.

Bring this topic to your next event

We can discuss adapting Proposals That Win into a keynote or large-group session, focusing on the themes most relevant to your audience. Depth, activities, timings and any follow-up depend on the format and package you choose; an event session is not a substitute for the full course.

Explore Speaking & Events

More from Account Executives Lab

Flagship programme

AE Online Lab Pt 1:
Win More. Sell Smarter.

Five live online labs that sharpen how account executives plan their week, lead discovery, qualify with MEDDPICC, handle objections and keep deals moving.

5 × 2.5-hour live online sessions (12.5 hours)Maximum 8 participants

Course synopsis

Strong opportunities are built week by week — in the questions you ask, the evidence you gather and the next step you secure. AE Online Lab Part 1 equips account executives with the skills, confidence and commercial discipline to create stronger opportunities, improve deal qualification and win more business. Across five live online sessions, AEs take control of their sales week, move discovery beyond the surface, apply MEDDPICC with confidence, explore objections without becoming defensive and drive clear next steps. Each session is a small-group working lab with breakouts, role-play and personal coaching. Between sessions, AEs apply an agreed action and bring their experience back to the group.

5 live sessions · 2.5 hours each

Outcomes — you'll be able to

  • Plan a sales week around high-impact activity and routines
  • Lead discovery that uncovers and quantifies business pain
  • Use MEDDPICC to identify qualification gaps, deal risks and missing stakeholders
  • Respond to objections on pricing, timing, competitors and value
  • Secure clear next steps and mutual commitments

Included in every course

  • Interactive, facilitator-led learning
  • Group discussions
  • Breakout exercises
  • Take-away materials

Live online

From £4,450 per group+ VAT

Course details

Flagship programme

AE Online Lab Pt 2:
Advance, Negotiate & Close

Three live online labs to deliver proposals that win, protect your value in negotiation and close with confidence — without high-pressure tactics.

3 × 2.5-hour live online sessions (7.5 hours)Maximum 8 participants

Course synopsis

Late-stage selling is where value is tested — in the proposal, the negotiation and the moment a customer decides. AE Online Lab Part 2 strengthens the commercial skills account executives need to present compelling solutions, negotiate effectively and secure customer commitment. Across three live online sessions, AEs structure customer-focused proposals, plan negotiations around trade-offs rather than discounts, and build closing strategies aligned with how the customer actually decides. Practice uses real-world deal scenarios, role-play and personal coaching, so every participant leaves with a plan for a live opportunity.

3 live sessions · 2.5 hours each

Outcomes — you'll be able to

  • Structure a customer-focused proposal with a differentiated value proposition
  • Plan a negotiation with clear trade-offs and protected margins
  • Handle discount requests and pricing pressure confidently
  • Recognise buying signals and gain commitment without high-pressure tactics

Included in every course

  • Interactive, facilitator-led learning
  • Group discussions
  • Breakout exercises
  • Take-away materials

Live online

From £3,300 per group+ VAT

Course details

your sales team. your priorities. your programme. —

Build your own sales programme.

Combine courses, focus on your skills gaps and shape the learning around your sales cycle. Standard workshops run with 8–10 delegates; BDR and MEDDPICC sessions have a maximum of eight; Sales Leadership workshops run with 6–8. Smaller bespoke cohorts can be discussed, with pricing agreed for your programme.

Where better selling begins.

Your team doesn’t need more slides. They need skills that stick.

Know you need help? Book a relaxed, no-obligation 30-minute call. We’ll talk through your team and challenge, and you’ll leave with an honest view of the options — no brief or programme needed.