Write Proposals That Sell

Given Client X’s staff constraints, YZ Consulting would identify, train, and manage the resources required to conduct lead generation and qualification. YZ Consulting would hand off qualified leads to Client X to actually close sales. Our proposal assumes that all targeted accounts are in the United States.”

As you can see, I clearly specified and quantified the deliverables and time frame for the project. One key element was defining the term “qualified lead” so that we could build our pay-for-performance proposal on clear metrics. Don’t forget to specify where your involvement process ends -- otherwise you can end up experiencing the horrors of “feature creep” as your client asks you to do more and more work without adjusting the contract terms!

4. Use Simple Words

While proposals aren’t high literature, this doesn’t exempt them from the laws of good writing. If you strive to be as clear and concise as possible, take an active rather than passive voice, and use simple language, you’ll make your potential client’s job easier and less aggravating -- both factors that will help push your proposal to the top of the pile. This rule applies regardless of your freelancing activity; even for graphic designers, a well-written proposal (backed up with strong graphical examples) is more likely to sell than a poorly-written one.

For example, consider how you might describe Client X’s situation:

“Client X’s Sales Department is organized in the following manner. The head of the department is John Doe, the Vice President of Sales. Underneath him is a sales consultant, and also contributing are the Director of Marketing and CEO Jane Doe. The sales process that Client X has employed up to this point in time is to leverage the management team’s personal contacts, along with the investors’ contacts, to identify likely sales opportunities. It is up to the VP of Sales to close those opportunities. At this point in time, Client X has achieved a single-digit number of sales.”

Now look what happens if we describe it in short, concise language:

“Client X has one full-time employee dedicated to sales -- John Doe, the Vice President of Sales -- one sales consultant, and two other contributors (the Director of Marketing and CEO Jane Doe). To date, Client X has used a combination of personal and investor contacts to generate sales leads, and has sold a single-digit number of accounts.”

While both examples say exactly the same thing, which is more likely to appeal to a client?

5. The Price is Right (and This is a Buyer's Market)

Finally, though this may seem obvious, be sure to price your proposal realistically. This is a buyer’s market for services, and it’s essential to price your services in a way that reflects both their value and your competitive landscape.

Here’s where it again pays to develop a good relationship with your potential client. Ask the client what range they’re willing to pay; if it’s too low, you’ll know not to waste your time writing a proposal; if it’s too high (a problem we’d all like to have), this is your cue to present a sound proposal as quickly as possible (before the client talks with one of your competitors!).

One vendor I talked with discussed her usual rates with me, and amended her proposal when she realized that my budget was ½ to 1/3 of her usual range. Had she simply presented a standard proposal, I might not have even gotten back to her, thinking that the gap in prices to too wide to overcome.

In the case of my client, the company needed to generate high-level, high-quality leads for its sales team, without adding staff. We priced the project on a retainer plus incentive basis, allowing us to cover fixed costs, but requiring success to turn a profit. What clinched the deal for us was the nature of our success bonus:

“XY Consulting will earn a success bonus of $ABC for each qualified lead generated. Client X judges whether or not it considers a lead qualified.”

By making a significant concession -- allowing the client to judge when we had qualified for our success bonus -- we significantly reduced the client’s risk and made it easy for them to sign the proposal. In practice, we never had any problems with the client trying to cheat us; it was happy just to have results. Most buyers aren’t trying to cheat you; they’re simply afraid that you’ll let them down. Giving up some of your leverage may be the best way to close the deal.

Writing an outstanding proposal won’t guarantee sales. You still need to follow up, court your client, and close the deal. But in this market, submitting a poorly-written proposal will guarantee that you lose the business.

Pointers For Your Next Proposal

If you’re procrastinating over your next proposal, these five pointers should help you get started.

Remember: plagiarism is ok! Take ideas from other documents to create a sound structure that meets the expectations of your prospect. How will you know those expectations? Through research -- you’ll need this in order to show empathy, and flatter your client!

Stating the goals of the project up-front will make it easier for your client to evaluate your proposal, and entice them to keep reading right through to the end. Take care to use clear, concise language, and to ensure your pricing suits the potential client’s budget.

Follow these pointers, and you’ll be five steps closer to winning the gig! Good luck.