Price is the easiest part of a proposal to see. Buyers can compare it, ask for revisions, and take it into an approval process. But for me, discussing a product sale for mining needs on price alone makes the conversation too narrow. Other questions deserve room: does this product fit the need, when can it be used, and what happens when delivery does not go to plan?
My background covers product sales for mining and coal, construction projects, F&B ventures, and Business Development in an IT Solution company. I want to use that cross-industry experience to look at a proposal more completely. Not to claim that every industry is the same, but to explain the approach I am prepared to stand behind when I sit across from a prospective customer.
A price needs context
I do not want to dismiss price. A budget is a limit that has to be respected, and a seller needs to understand that limit. But two proposals are only worth comparing once the scope is clear. Are the specifications the same? Is shipping included? What is promised after the goods arrive? Without that clarity, a price gap invites conclusions that come too early.
A useful experience does not always end in a sales win. Sometimes the buyer still chooses the cheaper proposal, and that is reasonable. What matters is knowing why they decided, not guessing.
A product has to be read together with its use
In this article I want to put fit for use at the centre of the conversation. Product names and specification sheets matter, but I also need to know what the product is being offered for. I do not want to promise benefits just because a product looks right in a catalogue.
For me, asking detailed questions is a form of responsibility. When I do not yet understand the technical requirements, I need to say so and involve someone who can examine them. Being in sales is no reason to guess. This is exactly where I want to build trust: by explaining what is already known, what still needs checking, and when an answer can be given.
Certainty has to become commitment
The word “ready” in a sales conversation needs a clear meaning. Is the goods in stock, already allocated, or still waiting for supplier confirmation? To me, those three cannot be presented as if they were the same. A buyer deserves to know what a promise rests on.
What I can control should also be stated honestly. I cannot guarantee that every obstacle disappears. What I can commit to is accurate information, a clear follow-up, and the willingness to say when circumstances change. I want service to be measured in actions the buyer can see.
Carrying the same questions into other fields
When it comes to IT solutions, I want to use the same discipline of questioning: which need is being answered, and how will the work be judged? A proposed solution has to be discussed together with scope, user readiness, and who is responsible for delivery. That is the working approach I propose, not a claim that every IT project has the same problems.
In construction projects and F&B ventures the context is different again. I have to be careful before moving a lesson from one field to another. The similarity I look for is in how a need is understood and how a commitment is made, while the technical details still have to be checked field by field.
Relationships worth keeping
I want to be known as someone you can discuss a need with openly, including when my proposal is not the right fit. The business relationships I want to build leave room to say “I don’t know yet”, to correct information, and to refuse a promise that has no basis.
Price still has to be competitive and explainable. But I also want every proposal to answer three things plainly: what fits the need, what can genuinely be delivered, and who is responsible for following it up. That is the position I want to take as a seller and a business developer.