The first thing you’ll notice in my proposals is that they’re more like a story that a statement of work.I start with the pain — why is this project on the table? Obviously, the client knows this. After all… they TOLD me this already.But by stating it quickly at the highest of my proposal, I remind everyone why we’re all here: there’s a business problem that needs to be solved.
And then I write a touch of realistic fiction — what will tomorrow got to appear as iffor the client?
What should suck less?Finally, I usher in my offers — ways in which we are able to connect nowadays with tomorrow.
As I’ve been writing my proposals this summer, my focus has been exclusively on the business problems that I’m proposing to solve… which is totally different than the way mostproposals browse (e.g., who am I / who are we, what will we be doing, what will it cost / when will it get done).
Much of the inspiration for the method I write these proposals comes from my expertise having written sales letters for my product (which is that the results ofhaving studied a
lot of direct response marketers). It’s just psychology. Understand what someone’s needs are, and present a solution to that problem.Listing out necessities and deliverables, timelines, budgets, whatever are not solutions — and if this is how you structure your proposals now, you’re leaving it up to your client
to mentally put two and two together… and this is where people fall off the wagon, because not everyone wants to think things through.How do I check that shoppers aren’t shocked by my rate?
Next week I’ll cowl a touch regarding however I justify my rate, but the long and short of it is that I include other dollar figures before I ever present
my cost.In the early parts of my proposal, where I list out what’s at stake if this project doesn’t get done and what’s to gain if it’s done right, I throw out numbers. Big numbers. Based on back of the napkin calculations.And if my final price (which I’ll quote however I gift in second) doesn’t outweigh the potential upsides I will deliver, I don’t take the project.
And I tell the client this, and give recommendations on what to do instead (and let me tell you… this has paid DIVIDENDS for me and my business).But next week I’ll speak a lot of regarding however I anchor my price against the payoff, in conjunction with what to try and do what that numbers not clear or not judicable, so stay
tuned for that.
