Use your proposal to move the decision maker's focus away from price and toward such measures of value as lower total cost of ownership,higher reliability,direct customer support,documented technical superiority,or message that separates you from your competitors. 2. Compete successfully without having personal contact with every member of the decision team: You may never have the opportunity to meet every member of the team in person. A better proposal can talk to each member of the team,helping make your case.