How To Structure A Proposal When Writing As A Freelancer

Well, first of all, congratulations! You’re about to start working for yourself as a freelancer. It’s an exciting time, but it can also be daunting.

There are many different ways to structure a good proposal for a client you want to work with, and the exact structure you choose will vary depending on what type of work you’re doing and who the client is. As a rule of thumb, though, I always follow this basic framework:

Freelance Proposal: How to Write a Proposal for Freelance Work

Takeaways
Understand the importance of a well-structured proposal as a freelancer.
Start your proposal with a strong introduction that captures the client’s attention.
Clearly articulate your understanding of the project and the client’s needs.
Present a detailed plan or approach for executing the project.
Include relevant samples or portfolio to showcase your skills and expertise.
Provide a realistic timeline for project completion.
Communicate your pricing in a transparent and professional manner.
Proofread and edit your proposal to ensure clarity and professionalism.
Tailor your proposal to each client’s specific requirements.
Follow up with the client after submitting the proposal.

Table of Contents

Understand The Job

Before you can structure a proposal, you need to understand the job. There are several key things to consider:

Understand the client’s needs. Know what they want, how they want it, and when they want it.

Understand the project’s scope and limitations. If you don’t know what “a website” or “an iOS app” means in today’s world, then how can you possibly know if your idea will work? Make sure you’re clear on what is expected of your deliverable before committing yourself in writing (or email).

Be aware of competing products and services that could be used instead of yours and make sure yours has an edge over these alternatives in some way!

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Review The Client And The Company

When you’re writing a proposal, it’s important to understand the client and their company. The more you know about them, the better able you are to tailor your proposal in a way that will make it stand out from other proposals they’ve received.

Review their website. Look at their website carefully and make note of its structure and design, as well as any other marketing materials or social media pages that may be relevant for this project (such as blog posts). You can also look at competitor websites for ideas on where your client’s site falls short.

Review their social media profiles (if any). Note which platforms they’re active on and shareable content makes up most of what appears here and see if there are any opportunities for collaboration between yourself or other freelancers working with them already (this will help show that you’re familiar with the work environment).

Read Any Marketing Material

Read any marketing materials for the client, including:

The website. You can learn a lot about a company by simply looking at its website. What do they want their users or customers to know about them? How do they describe themselves and what do they do?

Do they use the same terminology over and over again in different parts of the site (i.e., “We are just like [insert competitor here] but better!”)? What keywords are they trying to rank for? Is it easy to find contact information on the site or must you dig through several pages before finding it?

All these factors can tell you a lot about how seriously this company takes its marketing strategy as well as what its target audience might be looking for when considering working with them.

Social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn). Can you see where your prospective client’s audience is primarily hanging out online? Do they have many likes/followers/friends on Facebook compared with other social media platforms?

Do any of those posts generate comments from people who aren’t employees at your prospective client’s business (which would indicate an active community)?

Are there any shared photos and videos from within your prospective client’s business that show smiling faces enjoying themselves while working together in an open office environment or does everything seem more formal and stiffly posed than that

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Talk To The Client

The next step is to ask questions about the project. You don’t have to be a detective and interrogate your client, but you must understand their needs, goals, and budget before writing any proposals. Ask them:

What are you trying to achieve?

Why does it matter?

How does this affect other departments/people in the company?

How much money do you have available for this project right now? And how much more is needed beyond what we are already working on together (this can help me plan my finances better).

Research The Market And Competitors

Researching the market is a must. It’s your job to find out who your competitors are, what they offer, and how much they charge for it. You should also look at what they don’t offer or do well so that you can be different from them.

You should also take into account how these companies are perceived by their customers and clients. This helps you make sure that whatever you’re offering is better than what they’re currently using or using at all (if there’s nothing).

Create A Realistic Timeframe For Completion And Be Flexible If Necessary

When creating a proposal, it is important to be realistic about how long the project will take and the resources you will need. If your estimate is too short or if you are unable to complete the project in time for the client’s deadline, it could impact your reputation with them.

On top of that, one thing to remember when creating a timeline for completion is that there may be unforeseen circumstances that prevent you from completing it as planned.

For example: maybe your computer breaks down halfway through working on the proposal, or perhaps one of your team members has an emergency come up and cannot work on this project at all; or maybe something else happens that causes delays in finishing what was originally estimated by X amount of time (i.e., something unexpected comes up).

Whatever these hiccups might be, always make sure that contingency plans are included within this proposal so nothing goes awry!

Organize Your Proposal Document

When you’re trying to find the best structure for your proposal, it’s important to make sure that your client will be able to understand what they can expect from you.

It’s also a good idea to include all the details the client wants in one place, so they don’t have to go searching through multiple documents or try and remember when you mentioned something earlier on in the conversation.

You should also include some basic information about yourself, like who you are and where you’re based (if this isn’t obvious), as well as any other relevant details that may help them get an idea of what kind of person they’d be working with if they hired you.

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Title Page

Before you get started, you need to think about how long the proposal should be. Your client may request a certain number of pages, or they might want it in a specific format. If your client doesn’t specify any length or format requirements for the proposal, consider whether you’re working on a large project or one that will be completed quickly.

Then, write down some basic information about yourself and your company: who wrote the proposal (you!), when it was written (today!), etc.

Your goal here is just to provide context for whoever reads it later your boss or another freelancer who’s been hired on an ongoing basis so there’s no need to go into detail about all of these things yet!

This section will also include information like contact information for both you and your potential client(s).

Explain Why

Next, you will want to explain why you’re the best person for the job. This is where you can show off your writing skills by crafting a clear and compelling argument.

Start with a simple statement: “I am the best candidate because I have many years of experience in writing proposals and can provide an effective solution to this problem.” Then go into more detail about how exactly your experience makes you qualified for this project.

You can make an emotional appeal by describing what meaningful impact this project could have on people or organizations in need (e.g., “For every dollar spent on this project, $10 would be saved in the long run by preventing future health care costs from rising).

Define The Goals Of The Project Or How You Will Help Them Out With Their Project

Now that you know what the client wants, it’s time to set some goals for yourself. The most important thing is that you deliver on those goals and how you will help them achieve their goals.

This is where your experience comes in. Your proposal should include information about what kind of experience and skillsets have prepared you for this project, why they should choose you over someone else offering similar services, what they can expect from working with you, and also what they should avoid if they want to work with you.

Once again: it’s all about the client’s needs!

Outline Any Technicalities Involved With Execution, Implementation, And Rollout

Once the customer has been convinced of your skills and the benefits of your project, it’s time to outline the technicalities involved. This is where you’ll be able to tell them about any specific requirements that need to be met, such as:

A timeline for execution, implementation, and rollout (if applicable)

Deliverables that will be provided at different stages in the project lifecycle

Budget for all aspects of the execution/implementation phase (if applicable)

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Risks Associated With This Particular Proposal/Project

You can also include resources required for execution/implementation and rollout if applicable. For example Marketing resources like social media influencers or PR firms; Human resource departments may need the training to execute certain tasks.

Legal or financial advisors who may need access to confidential information to provide legal advice on intellectual property issues etc.

Explain What Is In It For Them – What Value Will You Bring?

This is Especially Important if You Are Seeking a Long-term Relationship with a New Client or High-paying Project.

This is especially important if you are seeking a long-term relationship with a new client or high-paying project. It’s always good to address this point when pitching any business idea, whether you’re working as an independent contractor or have been hired by an agency.

But when your proposal contains specific deliverables, be sure to explain how they will help the client solve their problem. What exactly are they getting out of all this? Why should they believe that your services will be worth their investment?

The best way to do this is by showing your audience that you understand their needs and desires and then showing them how those needs can be met through the use of technology (or whatever other service you provide).

Expand On Your Methods Of Communication And Availability

This section is meant to help the client get a sense of how you will work with them. In this section, you can provide your readers with an idea of how often you will be working with them, as well as what methods of communication they can expect to use.

You may also want to include what kind of availability you have. Are there times when it would be better for the client if they didn’t contact you? Will there be certain days and hours when communications are not possible? If so, this is where those details should go!

Both parties must know what the project timeline and process will look like from start to finish and this is where that information belongs! Consider including any specific tools or processes that might be used throughout the project (such as Trello).

You should also let clients know how long it will take for an assignment and any other relevant deadlines (like if their materials need to be submitted before an event).

Outline a Reliable Method of Payment by Carefully Defining Your Terms and Conditions (i.e. Milestones) Be Sure to Include Items such as Late Payments, Revisions, Overages, etc. When Applicable – This is Where Legal Assistance May Come in Handy.

A proposal is a detailed description of what you plan to do, how you will do it, and why you are the best person for the job. The word “proposal” may conjure up images of writing a business letter or email. While these are great places to start, remember that this document must be tailored specifically for your client’s needs.

So take time to consider if any other documents might be applicable in explaining how you will handle their project from start to finish? If so, include them as attachments with your proposal using the following format:

Title: XYZ Company Proposal for XYZ Project

Attachment 1: XYZ Company Terms & Conditions and Payment Schedule Attachment 2: XYZ Company Revisions Policy Attachment 3: Sample Contract

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Conclusion

If you’re writing a proposal as a freelancer, don’t just list the services that you’ll be offering. Your client wants to know much more about your company and how you can help them. With this in mind, you want to make sure your proposal is more than just an invoice with some service offerings listed on the side.

They want to know about who was involved in the planning, how all of these different services fit together into a cohesive whole, and how your vision for their project is likely to unfold so that your business becomes an extension of their team.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are The Proposals?

A proposal is a document that outlines the goals, objectives, and scope of a project. It’s a way for you to show potential clients why they should hire you over other freelancers or agencies. Proposals are also helpful for keeping track of your time and accomplishments, so they can be referred back to later if necessary.

How Do I Write Proposals?

Write a brief introduction explaining who you are and what you do as a freelancer (who you’ve worked within the past, what your previous projects have been). Then explain why this particular client should hire you over anyone else.

Provide examples of your work (if applicable), including links to any relevant websites or social media accounts where it can be seen by all parties involved in the project.

What Do I Include In My Proposal?

Assemble all necessary paperwork before writing your proposal: contracts, invoices, etc. you never know when they might need something from you! Include any relevant details about the project at hand deadlines, payment schedules, etc., and remember to include references from past clients if possible! If they ask questions

How Do I Write A Proposal For A Project?

You should begin by writing a summary of the project, detailing what you need to do and how long it will take. Then, provide a list of all the elements that are required and estimated costs for each one. You should also include any work samples or references that might be of interest to the client.

What Are Some Tips For Creating Proposals?

When creating a proposal, it is important to consider the needs of your client first. Your proposal should be as specific as possible so that there can be no confusion about what is expected from them once they accept your offer.

What Should I Include In My Proposal?

You should include information about how much time you think it will take to complete the job and what kind of experience you have done similar projects before this one was brought up by someone else (if any).

You should also include any other relevant information such as previous references or samples from past clients who have been satisfied with their work (if any).

Costantine Edward

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.