16 Presenting Evidence and Proving Your Points HEN WE WRITE PROPOSALS OR CREATE SALES presentations, we typically try to establish the superiority of our recom- mendations by offering some kind of proof. In the world we work in, there are four kinds of proof we can offer to a prospect: the things we say about ourselves; the things our clients say about us; the things third- party, outside experts say; and the documented experience we can point to. Let's consider each type of proof. Things we say about ourselves. Every proposal contains some of these statements. "Our software is designed to be user friendly." "We are passionate about customer satisfaction." "We are a leader in developing W