Here’s my favourite way to get commitment in a proposal. At the end, I write:
Confirmation of acceptance
To accept the proposal, and for it to form an agreement between us, please sign page 3 and return it to x@y.com.
As soon as we receive this, we’ll start our project, by doing (exciting things X, Y and Z).
I like this because:
- It’s crystal clear what the reader has to DO
- They know the exciting things I’ll do, as soon they’ve DONE it
- And they also know the exciting things they’re missing-out on, if they don’t DO it
- There’s a sense of urgency about it. It feels ‘do it now!’
With emails, to get commitment, it’s a similar approach. Instead of the usual Email Ending of “should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call”…
(btw, I hate this. It doesn’t ask the reader to DO anything. So they won’t DO anything)
… Instead, I say:
Please can you (insert their action to DO) by (insert their deadline DATE). And then I will (insert the action I will then DO).
And to get commitment at the end of a meeting, it’s the same idea again:
- What would you like me to DO as the next action?
- What will you DO, as your next action?
- What DATE shall we get back together?
In super-short summary, we want every communication to end with the 2Ds:
- DO – what do we want the other person to DO… and what will we DO, once they’ve done it; and
- DATE – what DATEs will we do these actions? And, when relevant, what DATE are we next meeting?
Imagine if all your communications ended with agreeing these 2Ds. You’d always have actions. You’d always have dates. You’d always have momentum.
So, I guess I’d better role-model this, by ending this Tip with 2Ds…
Action Point
…Today (that’s the DATE!), for your next five communications – please DO this:
- Before you start them, identify upfront what 2Ds you want to achieve from each one
- And then, end these communications by asking for these 2Ds
- And then… keep doing this. Forever.