A well-written and presented freelance proposal can make all the difference between winning new business and losing it to a competitor.
Here are 6 things for you to consider to help you create a winning freelance proposal.
Pay attention to the layout
Although professional logos and branding can be impressive, the actual layout of your proposal has a significant impact on how it will be read and received. A messy, hard-to-follow format can mean you miss out important parts of the proposal or parts that should be emphasized and highlighted are lost in the content.
So before you even begin your proposal – think about the layout and structure. Be strategic about where you place certain parts of the proposal. Just like a story, it will have a beginning, middle and end.
Write short paragraphs and include appropriate spacing between them. You might also like to use bullet points or break up the proposal into short ‘bite-sized’ sections.
If you are unsure how it should look, there are plenty of free proposal templates online.
You can also make good use of proposal software.
Include an executive summary
An overall summary of your proposal at the beginning makes it easy to digest at a glance. Any more detailed elements should come later. The summary can include a brief overview, state the project’s objectives and how you, with your strengths, skills and experience, will help the client achieve the desired outcome.
Depending on the project, you can then break down the proposal into various parts. It’s crucial that this first section wows the client from the get-go and gets them to read more. You need to be seen as the solution to their problems (as well as understanding what the problem is in the first place).
While some proposals will need to be further broken down depending on the nature of the project, a proposal shouldn’t be lengthy, so make sure you are as concise as possible. Breaking the proposal into sections will give you more clarity, too and can be used as a time-saving template for future proposals.
Use their language
If you’ve been on a call or in a meeting with your prospects before drafting the freelance client proposal, take note of the language and phrases they use for the particular project and repeat it back to them.
You will be literally talking their language.
This type of mirroring is an effective sales rapport technique and works with body language too. However, as we are using the written word, we can achieve a similar effect with the language we employ. It also shows that you were actively listening during the meeting and understand where they are coming from – which is important for your future relationship with them.
Reframe price as an investment
Reframing your price as an investment is a great way to convey your value. When people invest in things, they expect a return on their investment and can see the value, whereas they perceive a sum of money due as a cost.
Where relevant, you should also include a breakdown of the investment per deliverable, payment due dates, how long the project will take, and any initial deposit requirements and late payment fees.
You might also consider offering two to three different package options and amounts for the client to choose from.
Tell them what to do next
So, what must the client do next if they want to proceed? Here you need to clearly detail the steps the client needs to take, for example, respond by a specific date, pay your initial deposit invoice, sign a contract or all three.
With Invoice Ninja, clients can quickly turn your quote into an invoice and pay you with just one click. Likewise, if you require a deposit to commence work, you can set up the deposit invoice and once paid, the invoice will automatically update itself with the balance due and set the new final invoice due date.
It’s a good idea to add an expiry date to a proposal. This way, even if the client doesn’t want to proceed (or for whatever reason does not respond), you will not be left hanging as the quote would have expired. This also prevents clients from coming back months down the line expecting the same price.
And finally, keep it error-free
While you don’t have to write like Shakespeare, your proposal must be as typo and error-free as possible. You’re not going to get marked down for a misplaced Oxford comma, but getting an important name wrong or sending a proposal littered with mistakes will most likely reflect poorly on you and the service you provide.
An easy-to-read, concise and well-structured document that summarizes the project, the problem, the solution and the desired outcome well will put you ahead of the competition and help win clients.