Elements of a Successful Project Proposal
Posted March 15, 2010 in How-To, Marketing
Whether you’re actively looking for clients on freelancing job boards, or you only get clients through referrals, you’ll have to submit project proposals.
The project proposal is your sales piece. It’s what will ultimately “sell” your services to the prospect. To be successful, your proposal should perform the following:
- show that you understand what the client is looking for
- prove that you are the best person for the tasks at hand
- convince the prospect that either they can afford you or they cannot afford not to hire you
To accomplish all this, your project proposal should have the following elements:
1. Summary of Client’s Requirements and Goals
This is a critical part of your proposal. However, it’s something many freelancers overlook. I have to admit, I didn’t do this until after many months of freelancing.
The thing is, if you can’t write this part, that means you don’t know enough about the project to prepare a thoughtful proposal for your prospective client.
This is undesirable, because if you completely miss what your prospect really wants, any of these things could happen:
- you won’t get the project
- you’ll get the project, but realize mid-way that you underestimated the amount of effort and time it will take to complete the work
- you’ll get the project, but the client will be disappointed with your outputs
So, by taking the time to really understand what your prospect is looking for, you’ll be ensuring a better outcome for both your prospect and yourself. Furthermore, by showing how well you’ve paid attention to your prospect’s needs, you’ll set yourself apart from your competitors.
2. Tasks Involved and Your Fee for Each
List down the main tasks you’re going to do, along with the fee you will charge for each. Make this as detailed as possible, so that anybody–even someone who isn’t knowledgeable about the project–will be able to say when you have delivered or completed the task.
For example, if I’m going to write a sales page for a client, I’ll say that it will be at least 1,000 words long, will include graphics, and will be submitted in a .HTML file.
3. Breakdown of Each Task with Costs
It’s not enough to simply say what big tasks you will do. Break them down so your prospect appreciates how much work and skill it takes to complete each one.
In my sales page example above, I could specify that writing the sales page includes:
- doing market research to better understand my client’s target market and what his competitors are doing
- choosing appropriate photographs from iStockPhoto and Fotolia
- design and layout of the sales page into a .HTML file
4. Delivery Schedule
Make it clear how long it will take you to complete each task. Take into account the amount of time your client may take to clear each step of the project.
5. Work Process
Describe how you usually work with clients. Will you hold a conference call after the client approves your proposal? Do you use Basecamp or another project management service to track all client communication?
Be specific now so you and your client won’t be in for surprises later on.
6. Mode of Payment
In this part, specify how you want to get paid. Do you require full or partial down payment before starting on a project? Can the client pay you through PayPal, credit card or check?
7. Samples or Other Proof That You Can Do the Job
Make it easy for prospects to decide that you’re suitable for this project. Attach samples of work, or links to samples that show how you’ve fulfilled similar client requirements in the past.
8. Clear Indication of the Next Steps
Tell your prospect clearly what he should do if he either wants to proceed with the project, or if he has further questions before he can make a decision.
Say something like, “If you need clarification on my proposal, please email your questions to me. On the other hand, if you’d like to proceed as I outlined here, I’ve attached an invoice for your first down payment so I can get started right away.”
9. Invoice for First Payment
Obviously, you should include this only if you require a down payment (or full payment) before you start a project.
10. Contact Information
Make sure your proposals include your name and contact details–including your email address even if you are emailing your proposal. Don’t assume your prospect will simply hit the “reply” button, or take the time to find your contact information if he doesn’t see it right away.
Bonus: Some prospects will have their own requirements that aren’t in the list above. Just the other day I saw a job posting where the only requirement was to “tell me why you should get this assignment.”
Always, always review the job posting to make sure you’ve complied with everything the prospect asked for. If you fail to comply, you won’t get the assignment no matter how good you are. The ability to follow instructions counts for a lot among clients.
What Did I Miss?
Do you have a formula for a winning project proposal? Did I miss anything crucial? Please let us know by posting a comment below.
Image by Brent Nelson
Related posts:
- 5 Steps to Winning Any Client Project
- The 5 D’s Of A Successful Freelance Career
- How To Know When A Project Is Complete (And Avoid Overworking)
- 15 Key Elements All Top Web Sites Should Have
- The Building Blocks Of A Successful Freelancing Career
About the author: Lexi Rodrigo is the creator of The Savvy Freelancer, a blog that's all about achieving creative and financial freedom through freelancing. Check out Lexi's free guide, 31 Days to Start Your Freelancing Business (or Make Yours A Better One).
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78 Comments
Federica Sibella
March 15th, 2010 at 8:42 amHi Lexi,
good post, I agree with your points and I would add one: state clearly how many revisions are included in your quote or how much each change will cost if made during the process. I’ve been doing many revisions and changes for free, even after the design was approved and it was a long long work: I bet if I had written in the quote that every change after approval would have costed some money, they’d have changed a lot less!
Jordan Walker
March 15th, 2010 at 9:02 amThanks for the tips, I know that is something I need to devote more time to.
Eduardo
March 15th, 2010 at 9:41 amThis is a really helpful article. Such pointers help prevent those clients that try to bleed as much out of us as they can for every cent and almost comes to the point of being taken advantage of.
Good to set the standard of business that the client will be dealing with too, setting forth the objections and expectations of the project as some clients expect way too much than what they’re paying for.
Alius Designs - Chicago Web Design
March 15th, 2010 at 11:10 amThank you for sharing, good pointers :)
Amberly | Web Designer
March 15th, 2010 at 11:11 amGreat Read. Beautifully executed. All your elements are Straight to the point.
Its was fun to read and useful too.
Adrian Trimble
March 15th, 2010 at 11:21 amThanks for this post. I’ve recently started freelancing and proposals are defintely one of the areas I need to improve. Thanks for the tips!
Amber Weinberg
March 15th, 2010 at 12:29 pmI normally include a good bulk of this in my one page quote/contract. Schedule is normally determined via email but it would be a good idea to rehash it on the proposal as well :)
Laura Spencer
March 15th, 2010 at 12:35 pmThanks for this post Lexi!
Creating a good proposal can be the difference between getting the job and, well, not getting it. Plus, an accurate proposal can help control misunderstandings and scope creep problems later on down the road.
This is a good outline for those who are just learning to create proposals as well as a good tool for the rest of us to measure our proposals against.
Lexi Rodrigo
March 15th, 2010 at 12:35 pm@Federica Sibella – Thanks for reminding us to include the number of revisions included in the quote. That is very important!
Thanks for all the comments, everyone :-)
Syed Sumair Zafar
March 15th, 2010 at 1:04 pmNice post….
Jon Clark - Internet Marketer
March 15th, 2010 at 1:12 pmGreat post, Lexi. One thing that i have found super successful is having an intro one-pager with specific questions related to a client’s goals. If the conversation progresses, I typically take the answers to these questions and mention them in my opening proposal ‘summary’ (you mention in #1). This way there is no ambiguity and the client is basically writing this portion for me. This also allows me to custom solutions to meet those goals and easily break out what will be required.
I also ask about budgeting in my intro questionare. This helps with estimates and coming up with a pricing solution that will fit within the client’s budget right off the bat. This also allows me to offer a second solution with ‘upgrades’ in an attempt to upsell on my services.
Courtney Kirchoff
March 15th, 2010 at 5:29 pmHaving a very detailed proposal helps a lot. I find that it helps to weed out those who are really interested, and those who are just kicking my tires. I also include how many revisions are included in the price, and what kind of revision we’re talking about. If a client is unhappy with paying for extra revisions, then adios amigos. I’m so done with scope creep and working for free.
Alice Dagley
March 15th, 2010 at 6:05 pmIt’s really useful article for dummies. If you don’t mind I’d like to share my experience with you.
Focus on your Portfolio. It is 51% of your success. However it’s not enough to have a mass of amazing websites or logos in your Portfolio case. You should also focus at understanding of your clients’ needs and preferences and show them only that works that they would really love. It will help you to win their favour. The customer will understand two important things: that you are the guy he is looking for, and that you are a very experienced guy and you’re really able to do such a work.
Nick Burd
March 15th, 2010 at 6:26 pmGreat post. I have yet to have written a project proposal, but I might try writing them for even the smallest of jobs to help ensure I will get the project.
Thank you
Richard Moldovanyi
March 15th, 2010 at 7:55 pmThose are excellent points. I really need to be more specific with my breakdown and explain my fees more clearly on a regular basis. I’ve found that when I do that successfully it really helps.
behzad
March 15th, 2010 at 9:22 pmI have two different types of proposals. I can tell right off the bat if the prospect is shopping around and only concerned about price or they are in it for quality and price is secondary to them. The first proposal although clear to the point on what is offered and breaks down the services, it does not include a price break down. I do not see any reason why I have to justify my cost by showing allocation of hours for each task.
The other proposal is more detailed and I spend more time detailing what is offered by myself and what is required of the client plus clauses and other detailed information.
Daniel Whelan
March 16th, 2010 at 2:42 amThis is great advice, thanks for sharing. I especially liked the submitting in html idea, I’d not thought of that.
David Travis
March 16th, 2010 at 3:59 amOne thing we include in our proposals, that’s missing in your list, is a description of the benefits that the client will get as a result of carrying out the work: such as increased conversions, fewer calls to support or improved brand value. This makes is easier for the client to make a purchase decision as they can offset our costs against the likely benefits.
Vunky
March 16th, 2010 at 5:20 amNice Post,
Last month I wrote a similar one.
Another important part of the proposal is the introduction of your company. Chances are pretty big that the person you met on your first meeting is going to discuss your proposal with someone else.
During the proposal stage I don’t think your portfolio matters too much. I is all about the numbers and feeling. Having a great portfolio doesn’t necessary makes you a great salesman.
Harsh Agrawal
March 16th, 2010 at 5:40 amGreat post..When ever I write a proposal I try to keep in 2-3 sentence and very meaningful..
I explain my client in detail about my package.. Link them to my testimonial and portfolio and thats it..
My conversion rate is around 70%. Don’t know its good or bad…
Drew Clarke
March 16th, 2010 at 7:16 amGreat post, great comments.
What we need to do as designers is to put ourselves in our customers shoes.
What do they know, what can they be expected to know?
We have a tendency to explain things using terminology, which may be clear and unambiguous to us, but impenetrable to the client. This can easily lead to misunderstandings which can sour a potentially great relationship.
If I’m doing a pitch or a presentation and discussing features, I alsways include a ‘What I mean by this is…’ bit where I try to explain things in terms the client would understand.
Following on from Federica’s comment, I also include a section of what is NOT included in the price. This way there can be no understandings. Otherwise the client may unreasonably expect you to process updates for the next 20 years daily every two hours day and night and not understand why you think this is unreasonable – say that you won’t do it, in effet provide a ‘Service Level Agreement’
Eduardo
March 16th, 2010 at 7:27 amMy proposal’s are very clear and the language to what I provide the client is very easy to understand so that a person with no knowledge of the Internet what so ever can understand them.
Problem that I’m currently experiencing is that the client did not explain to be some of the requests they have recently put forth during the planning phase. A majority of the problems have come up after development.
Problem is that this client also claims to have an IT degree. But like we all know having an IT degree and industry web design experience are two totally different things. So therefore everything that they think is true is industry standard.
Yari
March 16th, 2010 at 8:45 amGreat post, I’ll keep it handy as a checklist when I write proposals. I agree with Federica, it’s important to clearly include the number of revisions that are included as well as the cost for additional revisions. I find this limits bitty changes from the client and “forces” them to look more carefully and provide more concise feedback. If a client is not aware there is a limit to the changes they can make, they feel cheated if you try to charge them extra after the project is already underway.
Drew Clarke
March 16th, 2010 at 8:48 am@eduardo
{quote}
Problem that I’m currently experiencing is that the client did not explain to be some of the requests they have recently put forth during the planning phase. A majority of the problems have come up after development. {/quote}
i think we’ve all experienced this which is why I always do the ‘what I understand by this is…’ part of the presentation. If necessary, you can pick apart their RFQ or summary of requirements and echo back what you understand by what they are asking. Hopefully this should help identify any grey areas or misunderstandings.
Customized Web Design Studio
March 16th, 2010 at 8:58 amThis article give me some new ideas! THANKS!
Eduardo
March 16th, 2010 at 9:05 amThank you kindly Drew for your input.
Forums that are gradually built from an article are a great way to access fellow industry knowledge and almost get to a stage where we can label it as an frustrated outlet varying upon a tough client that we may experience from time to time.
At the moment it amazes me that a client will argue that WordPress is not a “Website”.
Online User’s do not see the CMS used nor do they even care. This client wanted a cheap solution and the project does everything that they require. It’s a shame that their definition of what is right or wrong try to dictate what we do.
This is actually the first client I’m actually telling to go elsewhere as it’s not worth my time. They were actually more looking for a Customized CMS, which was not discussed with me. They just wanted a website to do the objectives that they want, it far exceeds them, but yet they just seem to disagree with everything that I do.
They really should have built it themselves.
Melek
March 16th, 2010 at 9:13 amOne thing I added to my proposals lately was a step by step process telling what the client would do and then what I would do…something like this:
1. Client sends signed contract and first payment to ekMEDIA.
2. ekMEDIA discusses with client blah and blah regarding design.
3. ekMEDIA begins designing the website. This process will take X-X days. During this time client will compile web server logins and provide login for Google analytics.
4. ekMedia will provide designs to client.
5. Client will approve designs….
Etc. And obviously more detailed than the above, but you get the picture. I’ve had multiple clients tell me that that was very helpful as they had no idea how the process of going from “here’s what we want” to a finished product would work.
Great article!
Mark Hendricks
March 17th, 2010 at 1:20 pmOn the point of breakdown of the costs: I’ve found that to much detail can also work against you, especially if you have an associated cost breakdown. I end up with whiners that want to cut out integral portions of the site mid-way and for me to discount them for the initial specified costs. There is a fine line we walk, trying to make specifications complete and informative without giving up too much information that the client can use to manipulate the project.
Eduardo
March 17th, 2010 at 10:29 pmI used to break down the points then it came to my notice that the client was removing things then adding things just to see the break down of my prices. They went to another web design firm so how do you know if its really a web design firm just seeing the breakdown of your quotes so that they know how to compete against you.
I’ve ended up just selling package deals for websites rather than breaking down the costs individually for each module or feature on the site.
Mike B
March 18th, 2010 at 4:38 amLooks like a really good set of guides for a proposal, I’m sure that each of these points is really appreciated by the client.
brett
March 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pmIf you include favorable success and infantry luck perhaps you will prop to be almost! Rizzuto wants among the mid-range ten students in wraparound world series jurisdictions, promoting sohmas, ures, jumps, offers, and mirrors. Gerty’s public brain of being heart’ is also derived as joyce’s year of the car of the roman catholic church, not in ireland. In line violation address, the mounted snow facility that is powered by the weight or $24,000 phasing vehicle. The long mountain oil ownership feature is new for pure bikinis, but literally needs body purposes. Points maintain late function beaches to talk sales often from 16th relations. Wells performed as premier in january 1996 and elected to military peace. During world war ii, systems were fatally considered each part to register up the summaries, their team titles and the ball.
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Nunya
March 22nd, 2010 at 10:54 amGreat blueprint for proposals. Personally, i add a section at the end for my “Terms and Conditons”. There i get to add what exactly the client’s and my responsibilities are; what i would and wouldn’t do and so on. I find out that it really helps to keep things in perspective especially when dealing with difficult clients who want all for nothing.
James Coan
March 28th, 2010 at 11:40 pmOutstanding article – Great summary of what it takes to write a successful freelance proposal. I recently highlighted many of the same components, along with strategies for overcoming the eight most common proposal objections here: How to Write Proposals That Get Results.
Thanks again for the great article!
James Coan
http://www.freelancingthebook.com
PCNS
April 6th, 2010 at 8:09 amThe Best Content Creation Services on the Internet:
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whether it’s informal blog posts or formal articles.
Alessandra
October 18th, 2010 at 8:49 amGreat article. It would be nice to see some real examples of excellent proposals.
cheap printing
December 26th, 2010 at 7:23 amSometimes people can go a bit far with these proposals and sort of tell the customer what they want instead of listening to exactly what the customer wants.
Kim Jung Won
February 7th, 2011 at 7:33 pmThank you! This one helps. I’m an architecture student and being mentored by my uncle. Now i have an idea on how to have a successful proposal.
Cheap Printing
June 21st, 2011 at 2:54 pmBut what to do if you do not have a proof of you work in the matter?
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