Freelancing, whether you’re a writer, designer, chef, or consultant, can be a great way to make money on the side while avoiding the 9-to-5 grind. Freelancers are expected to make up an estimated 43 percent of the U.S. workforce come 2027.
That’s over half of all workers pretty impressive! With so many people entering the freelance world and trying their hand at this growing market, you’ve got to stand out from the crowd to get ahead. And one of the best ways to do that is by crafting killer proposals that land you more projects than ever before.
Whether you’re just starting as a freelancer or have been doing it for years, here are some of my favorite tips for writing successful pitches that will help your business soar!
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Clearly articulate your skills and expertise |
| Understand the client’s requirements |
| Showcase relevant samples of your work |
| Personalize your proposals to stand out from the competition |
| Tailor proposals to match the client’s needs |
| Highlight your unique value proposition |
| Provide clear pricing and delivery timelines |
| Include testimonials or references from satisfied clients |
| Conduct thorough research on the client and their industry |
| Demonstrate a deep understanding of project objectives |
| Propose creative and engaging ideas |
| Communicate effectively and professionally |
| Seek resources to improve freelance proposal writing skills |
Highlight Your Client’s Problem
When you’re writing proposals, you should make sure to highlight the problem.
Crafting a persuasive freelance proposal is crucial for winning clients. Our comprehensive Freelance Proposals Template & Writing Guide provides you with valuable tips and a customizable template to enhance your proposal-writing skills and increase your chances of success.
Why Is This Important?
Your client has a problem with their business that they want to be solved. They want to know why what they are currently doing isn’t working and how your services can help them grow their business or solve the issue that is currently affecting them negatively.
How Do I Make It Clear What The Problem Is?
Describe what the current situation looks like and provide details on how it affects your client’s bottom line. Provide numbers where relevant (revenue, expenses). Show how much money they could save or earn by hiring you instead of someone else or by doing it themselves.
Connect Your Skills To The Solution
When writing a proposal, you’re selling your skills to solve a problem. So how do you prove that? One of the best ways is by connecting your skills to the solution.
For example:
You can show that you understand their problem by telling them how many times they’ve been in this situation before and what types of similar projects you have completed in the past.
You can show that you have the skills necessary for solving their problem by referencing specific examples of work where you used those same skills successfully (and even better if it was for another company/client like theirs).
You can show that you have the experience necessary for solving their problem by showing them examples from previous projects where your experience helped guide decisions or solve problems.
Showcase Your Experience
A portfolio of past work is a must in any professional application, whether it’s for freelance writing or anything else. If possible, include links to your previous projects so the client can see exactly what you have done in the past and get an idea of what they might expect from working with you.
If your portfolio isn’t ready yet (or if it doesn’t contain enough examples), be sure to explain any gaps in experience or availability by showing how hard you are willing to work at building up those skills and creating more samples.
As we mentioned above, including a list of previous clients is also extremely helpful for potential employers who don’t know who you are yet but want some reassurance that other people trust and value your work enough to hire you again.
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Establish Your Credibility
When you’re thinking about how to write a freelance proposal, it’s important to remember that the client is evaluating your experience and the quality of work you can deliver. To do this effectively, you’ll need to make sure that in your proposal you:
Showcase Your Experience
What projects have you worked on? How many years of experience do you have? Are there any case studies or other examples in which clients were satisfied with the results of their projects?
Showcase Your Skills
What are some skills relevant to this project that show off your talents as an expert writer? This could include software programs (such as Scrivener), writing processes (like outlining or outlines), and even personal traits like being able to communicate well verbally or over email with clients.
Showcase Your Personality
How would someone describe working with you: friendly, professional, patient…or something else altogether? Any partner who does business with an individual wants someone who will get along well enough so as not to distract from their work obligations – but also so they won’t be bored by endless small talk every day!
One way writers can overcome this challenge is by showcasing their personalities through content-specific examples such as blog posts or videos about topics related specifically to writing interests like technology trends affecting the journalism industry today etc…
Make sure all these things showcase accurately represent what kind of person would write back if hired right now!
Price Is Not The Main Concern
Price is not the main concern. Price is not the only thing that matters. Price is not the only thing that will make a client choose you over another writer.
The client cares about their budget, yes but they also care about making sure they get the best possible product at the best possible price. If you can offer them both, then you’re well on your way to looking like an industry expert who knows what she’s doing and has a proven track record of delivering results for clients in this arena!
Let Them Get To Know You
When you’re writing a proposal, it can be tempting to focus on the facts and figures of your business. Be honest and open about your team, but also friendly and engaging. Show that you are a real person who is excited about working with them, not just a company or logo.
Don’t be afraid to show some personality in your proposals: no matter how serious their business may be right now, people are always on the lookout for something fun.
And if they see that you have an interesting style or sense of humor when it comes time for them to choose who they want to work with? That will help push them over the edge into selecting your firm as their partner!
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Share A Project Time Frame And Deliverables
When you’re negotiating project details with your client, it’s important to set a deadline for the work. But how do you convey the importance of deadlines without coming off as pushy?
To be fair, if you’ve taken the time to write up a proposal and pitch your services, then setting a deadline shouldn’t be an issue.
And yet many writers find themselves backtracking and apologizing for setting such aggressive deadlines in their proposals. The thing is: clients are going to want a concrete timeframe for when they can expect everything from you and if they don’t see one in writing (or on your website), then they might start worrying whether or not it’ll get done on time.
So make sure that any guidelines or expectations are clearly outlined as part of your proposal document so that everyone involved knows what’s expected from them moving forward.
And speaking of delivering on time…
Explain How You Will Communicate With Them
If a client wants to talk to you on the phone or meet in person, it’s important to let them know in advance. If they want to do all of their communication via email, that’s great but if they prefer phone calls or meetings, make sure they know before they hire you.
Also, let your clients know how often you will communicate with them. You may need to send weekly updates or monthly reports; that’s fine! Just tell them what kind and how often so they can be prepared for it.
It’s also important that you explain how and when you plan on communicating with other people involved in their project: For example, if a customer is going through a redesign phase but doesn’t have website traffic yet (meaning there won’t be any visitor data), then maybe daily emails might not be necessary at first.
Or maybe there are several stakeholders from different departments who have been waiting for months for some information from each other – so weekly meetings would help keep everyone on track until everything gets sorted out!
Demonstrate That You Are Ready To Work
The first thing to consider when writing a proposal is what you’re selling. Let’s say you’re presenting your proposal for a social media strategy. You want the client to hire you and pay for something they don’t know anything about yet, so it’s important to demonstrate that you are ready to work.
- Make sure your proposal is complete. Do not leave anything out! This includes:
- A timeline for the project (i.e., when do I start working? When will my deliverables be due?)
- Details about budget, payment terms, and expectations around payment schedule (i.e., how much will this cost? When can I expect payment?)
- Include a list of past projects on which this one will build to prove that this idea has already been tested with success in the past; preferably these should be recent projects because older ones might look dated or irrelevant now that social media trends change rapidly every year or two
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Talk About What Happens Before And After The Project Starts
It’s important to talk about what happens before and after the project starts. This is where you’ll outline your process, and make it clear exactly how you will work with your client.
This can be a great way to help clients understand that they are hiring someone who has a proven process in place, so they feel confident that things will run smoothly on their end as well.
You may also want to include information about any additional costs or fees associated with the project (like time spent working remotely).
If something goes wrong at any point during the project or if changes are being made after it’s already underway, it’s best if both parties know exactly how this will affect them financially so discuss this before anything happens!
Prove You Know Their Business
There’s no better way to prove that you know their business than to show them that you’ve done your homework. If possible, find some way to demonstrate your knowledge of the company in your proposal.
For example, if I were writing a proposal for a company called “Excelsior Software,” I might mention that they started as a personal finance software app in 2002 and have since expanded into accounting, tax preparation, and other areas.
You can also mention key milestones such as the year they went public or when they had an acquisition offer from Microsoft (if it’s relevant). This sort of thing shows that not only did you do basic research on the company but also took the time to dig deeper into its history and understand how it got where it is today.
Make Sure That Your Proposal Is Flawless
If you want to land more projects, make sure that your proposals are flawless.
Grammar
Your grammar should be perfect and free of errors. This means no typos or incorrect punctuation marks (such as you’re vs. your), and no mistakes in sentence structure (“The dog is eating a bone” vs. “The dog eats bones”).
Spelling
You should be able to spell correctly at least 95% of the time when writing your proposal any greater amount is acceptable but not required since there’s always some room for error due to human error or mispronunciation during an interview call or otherwise informal conversation like via email threads between client/writer teams who’ve worked together before without issue).
Formatting
All formatting must match up from section to section; if it does not then the whole document looks sloppy which will turn off potential clients before they even get through reading all the details about what services you provide them with!
Include Testimonials From Previous Clients
Testimonials are a powerful way to show clients that you can deliver. If you have been in business for a while and worked with many different types of clients, then it would make sense to include testimonials from some of them in your proposal.
Testimonials from willing named (and/or anonymous) clients will help persuade prospective new ones that they’re working with the right person for the job as long as their comments are relevant!
Keep It Organized And Professional-Looking
- Use a professional font (and don’t use Comic Sans).
- Use a template that is easy to read, easy to modify, and easy to print (or email).
- Keep it organized in an easily searchable format so you can find the information quickly when asked for it by clients or potential clients.
- Make sure you have the most up-to-date version of your proposal available on all platforms where you share it with people so they have no excuse not to read through it thoroughly before they contact you with questions or request changes after reading your proposal.
Thoroughly before contacting you with questions or requests for changes after reading their proposals and proposals from 10 other writers who are offering similar services at competitive prices
A well-crafted freelance proposal can significantly impact your chances of winning clients and securing projects. Check out our article featuring 15 Tips on How to Write a Freelance Proposal for Your Next Project to enhance your proposal-writing skills and create compelling and persuasive proposals that stand out from the competition.
Greet Them Warmly, But Professionally
As a freelancer, your first impression is important. You want to come across as someone professional, friendly, and confident.
Here are some things you can do to make sure they feel like they’re talking with the right person:
Be polite and respectful when you greet them. Don’t be overly formal or casual be yourself! If you’re emailing via LinkedIn or Twitter direct message, use their name in your message signature line so they know it’s truly from you.
Address them by title if their job description has one (such as “Mr.” or “Ms.”). If not, just use their first name that way there’s no chance of confusing them with another person of the same name!
Come across as enthusiastic about working with them on this project. This will help ensure that any questions are answered thoroughly without hesitation on either end.
If this isn’t possible due to time constraints during busy periods such as summer vacation months then schedule an appointment for later once things have calmed down again.
So both parties can enjoy unhurried conversations without feeling rushed by phone calls from other clients asking what happened.
Since no one got back within 24 hours after initial contact was made via email sent through the LinkedIn messaging system using non-secure connection method which could’ve been intercepted easily by hackers using sophisticated tools available today thanks to advances made over the past decade…
Be Upfront About Costs And Fees That May Crop Up Later In The Process
As you know, the best way to get your freelance consulting business off the ground is by making sure you are clear about your fees and costs. This will ensure that clients feel confident hiring you and that they feel like they are getting their money’s worth.
If you aren’t sure exactly how much a particular project will cost in total, just ask! You may have some expenses as well (for example, if you need to buy supplies for a client), and it’s better for everyone if those expenses are known upfront.
Once this information has been shared with the client, be sure to include it in your contract so there are no surprises later on down the line when things get complicated or unexpected costs to crop up unexpectedly
By Making Your Proposal Stand Out, You Increase Your Chances Of Landing The Job!
When you are writing the proposal, make sure that you are clear about what you are offering. Are you going to write a blog post for them? Write an ebook? Write their blog posts for 3 months?
Make sure that you are also clear about your pricing. Do they pay per word or hour? Will they need to pay a deposit before work begins and how much will it be? Will this project require research, and if so will it be done by yourself or someone else?
How many revisions will they receive before the final payment is made? Make sure that this information is clearly stated in your proposal so there are no surprises later on down the line when work starts!
Make sure that any deadlines given by clients are honored religiously by yourself. This can mean working late nights or over weekends sometimes but if clients know they can rely on us being available whenever needed then we’ll get more repeat business!
Conclusion
We hope you have a better understanding of how to write a freelance proposal now. With these tips in mind, you’ll be able to land more clients and build your portfolio.
Further Reading
Writing Proposals as a Freelancer: Tips and Tricks: Discover valuable tips and tricks for writing effective freelance proposals on freelancermap’s blog.
Write Winning Freelance Job Proposals: InvoiceBerry’s blog provides insights and guidance on writing winning freelance job proposals to increase your chances of success.
Tips for Winning Freelance Writing Proposals: ClearVoice offers useful tips specifically tailored to freelance writers looking to improve their proposal-writing skills.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is A Freelance Proposal?
A freelance proposal is a document that you send to potential clients before you start working with them. It outlines your work process, payment structure, and other details of the project.
Why Do I Need A Freelance Proposal?
You need a freelance proposal because it helps you demonstrate your expertise and professionalism. It allows you to show off your writing skills and lay out the terms of your services so that the client doesn’t have any surprises later on in the project.
How Long Should My Freelance Proposal Be?
The length of your freelance proposal depends on what type of project it is and how many pages or sections it contains. For example, if you’re applying for a website design job, then an executive summary might be enough to communicate what needs to be done and why (and why you’re the best person for the job).
But if you’re applying for a copywriting gig where there are multiple deliverables involved (e.g., blog posts, social media content), then a longer document detailing each step of the process will probably be necessary.
What Is The Best Way To Write A Freelance Proposal?
The best way to write a freelance proposal is to make sure that it includes all of the information about your services in clear, concise sentences. You should also include any relevant information about your previous work experience and why you are qualified to complete this project.
How Long Should My Freelance Proposal Be?
Your freelance proposal should be no longer than 2 pages. If you have more than 2 pages worth of material, consider breaking it up into multiple proposals based on the different parts of the project (for example content strategy vs. research vs. writing).
Should I Send My Proposal In Word Or Pdf Format?
We recommend sending your proposal in PDF format because it keeps formatting intact and allows us to quickly print out copies if needed.
What Is A Proposal?
A proposal is an outline of what you plan to deliver to the client. It’s the first step in getting paid for the work you do, so it should be a detailed and thorough description of what will be done and how much time it will take.
Why Do I Need A Proposal?
When you’re freelancing, having a good proposal can help you land more clients, get paid more often, and make sure your clients are happy with the results of their projects.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.