The freelance proposal is the most important document a freelancer can have in their arsenal. Without it, you’ll struggle to find consistent work and build a sustainable career as a freelancer. The good news is that with the right template and process, you can create winning freelance proposals that get results!
That’s why we made this guide: to help freelancers like you win more business by crafting great freelance proposals.
You’ll learn how to write proposals with our sample templates and writing guide, how to make them look amazing with our pre-built design system, and how to jumpstart your career as a new freelancer or designer (without even needing to create your portfolio).
| Takeaways from “Freelance Proposals Template Writing Guide” |
|---|
| 1. Understand the importance of well-crafted proposals |
| 2. Learn best practices for writing freelance proposals |
| 3. Discover templates that can help structure your proposals |
| 4. Tailor your proposals to address client’s specific needs |
| 5. Highlight your expertise and value proposition |
| 6. Keep your proposals concise and focused |
| 7. Include a clear project description and scope of work |
| 8. Consider including a portfolio to showcase your work |
| 9. Follow up on your proposals to stay engaged |
| 10. Continuously refine and improve your proposal-writing skills |
The Freelance Proposal Template
A template is a good way to stay organized and save time. You can use it as a checklist or guide for your proposal, making sure that you don’t forget any important details. The template will give you the right information and keep your proposals consistent.
Think of it as a recipe: if you follow the directions exactly, then chances are pretty good that your dish will turn out well (or at least edible).
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Cover Letter
A cover letter is a prospective client’s first impression of you as a writer, so it’s important to make a good one. Cover letters should be personalized and tailored to each potential client.
Start with your contact information: name, email address, and phone number(s).
Include an overview of yourself in the first paragraph, who you are, what you do for work (if applicable), and any relevant skills or experience you have that would help them with this project.
This can include job titles from previous jobs or companies that may help show how experienced you are in whatever field they need writing help in; don’t just say “I know a lot about writing!” though back up any claims by citing specific examples of past projects.
Be sure to mention if this is an area where other writers have already been unsuccessful at meeting their needs (that way they know why hiring someone else might not work out well). This section should be no longer than three sentences long; keep it concise but don’t skimp on detail either!
Next start talking about the project itself: who will benefit from it (i.e., the company or person paying for it), why they need help right now, or why having something like this written specifically by someone else could make all the difference between success/failure (be honest!)
How soon before the launch date would ideally like a delivery date if available; also mention any special requirements such as file format types accepted etcetera…
Your Introduction
It’s a good idea to start with a brief introduction, so the buyer knows who you are and why they should read your proposal. This is typically where you’ll include your name, job title (or company), and any relevant experience.
A few lines about your qualifications will be helpful as well; don’t forget to list any certifications or licenses that might make your skills more desirable for the job.
Your introduction can also give potential clients an idea of what kind of work you do and if there’s anything specific they’re looking for in their freelancers’ proposals, this would be the place to mention it!
Your Past Clients
It’s always a good idea to mention your past clients, especially if you are a new freelancer. You can easily show the client that you have already done similar projects and that you can deliver the same quality of work as other times.
- Who were your past clients?
- What was the scope of the project?
- How long did it take to complete this project?
- What kind of outcome did you achieve with this client?
- Did they give any feedback from their team after working with you (positive or negative)?
- Did they do another project with you again in the future?
- Or did something go wrong during their first experience with your company/company’s team members, which resulted in them not wanting to work together anymore?
- How would they rate our work overall on a scale between 1-10 (with 10 being great). And what would be some ways we could improve our services moving forward – based on our experience working together so far 🙂
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Your Offerings
This is where you get to tell the client what you do, how you do it, and why your services are unique. Here’s a template:
- What We Do
- How We Do It
- Why Our Services Are Unique/How They Stand Out From The Competition
Do you have any special skills or areas of expertise? Any certifications or licenses that would make clients confident in your abilities? This is also the place to mention any “perks” that will convince someone to hire you instead of another freelancer.
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Your Pricing
Every project is different and the price you charge should reflect that.
The needs of your client: If they have specific needs that require you to do more research or use more advanced skills, then they’ll expect to pay more.
Your experience and expertise: If you’re an expert at writing landing pages, don’t charge the same as someone who specializes in copywriting for SaaS software.
How much time it will take: The longer a project takes, the more it costs (duh). But this can sometimes be hard to estimate without knowing all of the details of a project before agreeing on a price quote.
This can lead to confusion later down the line if things change during development so make sure there are provisions for contingencies in case anything goes wrong with either party’s schedule/schedule changes during development!
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Your Timeline
You need to think about the timeline from the very beginning. You don’t want to be left in a situation where you’ve finished all the work but haven’t told your client when it will be delivered, or worse yet, have already missed your deadline.
Your timeline should be clear and concise so that you and your client can understand it easily. It should also be realistic, with plenty of room for changes if they occur (this is particularly important if you’re working on an hourly rate).
Make sure to update any changes as soon as possible so that everyone knows what’s going on, especially when there are tight deadlines involved.
Keep Your Proposals Professional, Detailed, And Focused On The Client’s Needs
If you’re pitching a freelance gig to a client in the creative industry, you want to use a template that is tailored to that industry. A template isn’t just one of your tools for selling yourself it’s also part of your brand and image. You want it to reflect the best qualities of what makes you unique as an individual or business, which is why we always recommend using a professional template like this one: https://www.freelancetemplates.co/freelance-proposal-template/.
Keep in mind that even though it may seem obvious, keep your proposals professional. This means no memes or jokes about cats or other animals (unless they are really funny). Also, keep them detailed; if there is any confusion about what exactly it is that needs doing or how long something will take then spell out those details!
Finally, make sure they are focused on their needs rather than yours – most people will hire someone who can deliver great results at an affordable price rather than someone who wants more money upfront but doesn’t know what they need yet.”
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Conclusion
I hope you found these tips helpful. If there’s anything else you’d like to know about writing successful proposals, feel free to leave a comment below or send us an email. And if want more resources for freelance writers and designers, check out the following articles:
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources on writing freelance proposals:
How to Write a Winning Proposal for Freelance Work: This blog post provides valuable insights and practical tips for crafting winning freelance proposals.
A Freelance Proposal Example and Template: Explore this article to find a comprehensive freelance proposal example and template that you can customize for your own projects.
Writing Proposals as a Freelancer: Tips and Tricks: Discover useful tips and tricks for writing effective proposals as a freelancer in this informative blog post.
FAQs
What Is A Freelance Proposal?
A freelance proposal is what you send to potential clients when you’re looking for work essentially, it’s your “cover letter” for the job of writing content for them.
It’s a quick way to demonstrate your ability to write content that fits their needs and style and gives them an idea of how much they can expect to pay you per page. The client will then decide whether or not they want to hire you based on the proposal.
What Is Its Purpose?
The purpose of a freelance proposal is to give potential clients all the information they need about your level of expertise and how much it would cost them to hire you (and only them) for their project.
What Does A Freelance Proposal Include?
A freelance proposal includes:
- An overview of what you bring – what makes you unique? What are your strengths? Why are you the right person for this job?
- A breakdown of how you’ll complete the job – what steps will be involved, who will do what parts of the work, how long it will take, etc.
- A timeline for when everything will happen so everyone knows when they can expect things from each other,
What Is The Difference Between A Freelance Proposal And A Business Plan?
- The main difference between a freelance proposal and a business plan is that the former is for a specific project, while the latter is for an entire company. –
- A freelance proposal is created by freelancers to present their ideas to clients to win work. –
- A business plan is created by businesses to show investors or lenders that they have a sound business model.
I am a content writer, and I love what I do! Writing makes me feel like the words are flowing through my fingers, and then onto the keyboard, like magic. My experience as a writer has taught me that writing makes me feel good, as well as helps others to feel better too!
