Awesome The Art of Creating Proposals your Clients will not Refuse

The most successful and important proposal in my life was a quick win. With the ring decision aside, it was based on three fundamentally important ingredients: clarity, timeliness and problem-solving power. My intentions were clear and unambiguous, the offer was made in due time and solved a relationship evolution dilemma that all couples inevitably face, sooner or later.

Simply put, it was a win-win that both of us have been enjoying ever since. But can this personal success tactic be easily copied and applied to an online business, where mutual interest is short-lived, where opportunities may suddenly come in plenty and vanish just as fast, and where competitors line up to pick your client an instance after you make a mistake?

Proposal and Contract image from Shutterstock

Turns out it can – given that you have the right attitude and tools.

Imagine that you have been building up a pre-sale relationship with a client for some time (it doesn’t matter whether it’s been hours or months) and you need to make the final move and present your proposal. Although few of us actually manage to roll a perfect strike with the first ball and meet all of the customer’s expectations to the last point, the goal is that you do, or at least come close. Having a well-structured and detailed proposal submitted which leaves no room for ambiguous interpretation of its clauses usually gets the first prize or unlocks the door to further negotiation, leaving your competitors behind.

This is exactly why your proposals should be prompt and well rounded, and every person on your sales team should follow this rule. Your guys can achieve this goal with efficient communications, thorough analysis of requirements and also with an impeccable presentation of your ideas. If you think you score high on these requirements, ask yourself a question:

“Do I send prospective customers proposals that really stand out from the crowd of similar quotes?”

If you paused for more than a couple of seconds, the answer is most likely no.

Solution

Follow these recommendations to create great looking and easy to interpret business proposals:

Address the problems identified by the client (or deduced by you from the client’s RFP) in your document and describe how the proposed solution will solve them. Any project or effort must solve a problem or even several problems at once– otherwise, it not worth starting altogether. The value of your proposal lies in its problem solving power and transparency, not in a perfect description of a complex system with a vague purpose. For example, if you are a fruit wholesaler or an owner of a small deli shop supplying premium bratwurst to local sport pubs, this principle applies to your business just as much as a web design outfit. Smaller daily shipments of fresh oranges can help a juice factory optimize its work flow, while a steady supply of top-notch sausage can easily increase customer loyalty at your client’s pub. These are two problems solved – and all of these seemingly minor details can and should be reflected in your proposal.

Be very clear about the items you are quoting on. Don’t let vague definitions appear on your list. The fewer questions the client has about your initial cost breakdown, the better. If you can’t explain the scope or meaning of a proposal item on the spot, you may lose what little credibility and trust you’ve managed to win so far. Avoid terms like “miscellaneous”, “other” and – God forbid! – “etc”. Lack of clarity creates understandable suspicion and can also be used against you later on with references to these vaguely described items.

Be sufficiently detailed. A very general quote always incites customers to ask for more details. However, an extremely detailed breakdown may also raise questions (e.g “How come this will take you 2 hours? I can easily do it on my own in half this time!”) and leave no room for a risk buffer. So the rule of thumb here is to provide customers with just enough information for them to be happy and ask a minimum amount of questions (if at all). So unless your lead is a deeply technical person (and you are OK dealing with such an inquisitive and all-doubting client-to-be), try keeping things on a layman’s level to prevent unnecessary and time-consuming negotiations.

Do your math homework. Always check and double-check numbers. Miscalculations tend to create a bad impression with customers who look for perfect accuracy from day one. Utilize an Excel spread sheet to eliminate errors, or you can resort to specialized online proposal management services to create mathematically sound proposals.

Keep the timing right. Being the first one to submit a proposal does not necessarily mean you are going to win the bid. Sending your proposal too soon is risky if it is not yet a quality contract, so take your time and do your best work possible – but keep in mind that time is of the essence.

Be creative. Customize your proposals. A document with a nice header, footer, proper formatting and a click-able table of contents will definitely score higher than a lackluster list of items that is hard to navigate, so do your best to make your proposal aesthetically pleasing. If you are a design company, make this proposal a demonstration of your skills. If you are quoting for business analysis and application modeling services, make sure that the client sees how good you are at interpreting high-level business requirements into specific tasks and pieces of functionality. Be professional and creative – and rest assured that your client will notice your efforts.

Here is one BIG tip that will really aid you in this process. To make things easier on yourself, you can use specialized tools for proposal creation and editing, one great example being QuoteRoller.

But the bottom line is this: don’t rush and don’t be late with your proposals, suggest possible solutions of the client’s problems and be creative. If you did everything right, there is a pretty good chance that your client will give your proposal the green light and your pre-sale relationship will finally turn into a successful commercial marriage.

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Awesome You (the Designer) and I (the Client), We Make a Team

It takes more than compelling content and intelligent coding to produce a great website. A successful relationship between a designer and a client is, perhaps, just as imperative.

Take a look through your portfolio. Are there any projects in there that you weren’t quite happy with? If so, think back to your relationship with that client. Were both parties on the same page, so to speak?

Over the years, I have found that some of my best work has been done in collaboration with clients, not in spite of them. Working with my client as if they are a teammate, rather than someone ordering a sandwich from me at a fast food counter, often means good things are in store for their website.

On the other hand, there have been clients who have been more difficult to work with. Or, perhaps it was me who was more difficult to work with at that time. Either way, the quality of the finished product tends to suffer in these situations.

Here are some tips for teaming up with your clients:

Find a Balance of Power

As designers, some of us (myself included) tend to think the world revolves around our opinions. After all, we’re the experts who have been hired to do the job right.

Sometimes the very mention of a certain idea from a client sends a chill down our spine. The more arrogant among us may even make an ill-regarded comment about it.

The trouble is, at that moment, we’ve tried to shift all the power to our side. While it’s certainly nice to have a lot of say in the design process, the relationship between designer and client can be harmed.

Images source: Services via Shutterstock

Be humble. The key is to listen to what your client has to say. Then, try to figure out what they are trying to accomplish with it. As the expert, try and take what they have suggested and build upon it in a way that makes sense for the project. If you’re not sure what their intent was, don’t be afraid to ask them to provide more clarity.

The bottom line is, the client must have some say in the process. How much say really depends on the individual(s) involved. Some people are more hands-on than others. The idea is to form a relationship where both sides can speak honestly about their ideas.

Be Accessible (Not Just in Your Code)

There are a lot of people out there who are a bit intimidated by technology. When they hire you to create an amazing new site for their business, they may not know how to communicate with you. As a designer, you may also have problems communicating with someone who doesn’t know WordPress from GoDaddy.

Images source: Business Office Workplace via Shutterstock

A lack of communication with your clients can lead to a lot of misunderstandings and revisions of your hard work. It’s important to try and explain things as plainly as you can. Speak slowly and let them know it’s ok to ask you questions. Show them examples of the ideas you’re presenting.

This can take a lot of patience, but it can really help your client to feel empowered. If they feel more confident about what’s going on, they’ll be able to make better decisions.

Be a Tour Guide, Not a Professor

There are times when you may have to train your clients to use a CMS or some other piece of software. Probably the worst thing you can do is to sit down at their desk and just start clicking away at features.

Instead, try letting the client "drive" the demo. Explain different features of the software and politely ask that they click on specific areas of interest. Think of yourself as a helpful passenger who is pointing out landmarks in a city.

Again, this is about making your client feel more at ease with what is happening. It helps build their confidence and their trust in you as a "tour guide".

In Conclusion

I’ve found that, when I’m exceptionally busy, it can be hard to take the time to work on that team atmosphere with my clients. Sometimes, it’s easy to feel like just getting the project done is the goal.

Still, even for the stressed out among us, taking those extra few moments to engage our clients can have huge benefits in terms of how well you work together. I often find that doing so brings more of the human element to a project. And that, in turn, can reduce stress.

Chances are that you and your client will still work together long after their new website is launched. Remember to make that extra effort to become a part of a team. You’ll both feel better, and their website will be better off for it.

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Awesome It’s Relationship Building, Not Networking

Networking is an awkward word. It connotes connecting with people in an impersonal way in order to get something out of the connection. On the surface,that’s ok, but there’s more to networking than finding people who will help to advance your career.

That’s why I’m a bigger fan of “relationship building” than “networking.” Yes, it’s a matter of semantics, but it’s also an important distinction. Relationship building means you’re meeting people who can potentially be helpful for your career but who are also interesting in their own right.

You’re willing to get to know them and help out when you can, even if you don’t ever get anything out of the relationship. You probably will, but that’s not the point. The point is meeting new people, and then seeing if there’s any way to help one another out in the future.

So I prefer talking about relationship building more than networking, but no matter what you call it, networking or relationship building is important for every freelancer (which you can learn more about in these posts: 8 Networking Skills Every Freelancer Needs to Have and Networking for Designers 101: How to Network Properly).

Why?

Because who you know determines largely who you’ll work for. When people you know need design work done, they’re inclined to work with people they already know, and when their friends need to get design work done, they’re likely to recommend the people that they know.

Image Source: My Smart Technology via Shutterstock

So freelancers benefit from getting to know more people. The more people they know, the more work they’re likely to get, and the more times they’re likely to get referred. It’s as simple as that.

But there’s more to building relationships than just handing out business cards. That’s the kind of networking that’s annoying. Yes, more people will know you exist, which is a good thing, but a relationship isn’t being built, and it’s very likely the card will get dropped into the nearest trash can.

Instead of busines-card spamming, freelancers should focus on building relationships. They should focus on meeting people who potentially can hire them for work and who can refer them to others to generate more work. They should focus on getting to know a smaller group of people who will become an active part of their client and referral network.

Yet there’s something else to consider: how to connect with people online. With so many freelancers working remotely, it’s not easy to meet new people andmake new connections. You may be working from home for most of the week with few opportunities to meet new people. That’s why today’s freelancers need to perfect the art of building relationships online.

Surprisingly, it can be done.

If you’ve found yourself in the boat of needing to building relationships online, here are seven things to keep in mind.

Tip #1: Say hi

The first step is to introduce yourself. If you don’t say hi, people won’t know that you exist. And in the same way you say “hi” to introduce yourself in a coffee shop or at a conference, you can say “hi” to people online by sending e-mails or tweets. Here’s what it can look like:

First, you start reading a famous entrepreneurs blog. He seems really busy, but he would be a great person to get to know. After you get over the thought that he wouldn’t want to hear from you, you reach out and send him an e-mail.

The first one is a simple introduction to let him know that you admire his work. Now he knows that you exist and that you like the stuff he does. He also may check out your website that’s attached to your signature or view your Twitter profile to find out more about what you do.

As long as you aren’t annoying and don’t ask for anything in the first e-mail, most people won’t mind that you’re saying hi and getting in touch. In fact, they may be flattered, which leads us to the next point…

Tip #2: Send compliments

The next thing you want to do is stay in touch by complimenting them on the things they do. If you really like an update they make to their website, let them know. If you think a new project they’re working on is amazing, again, let them know.

You never want to be obseqious by being overly complimentary, but you do want to reach out and compliment them on good work and things you’re impressed with. The point is to find a way to stay in touch without being annoying. If you get in touch to ask for something, that’s annoying. If you get in touch to provide a compliment, that will be appreciated.

The more you contact them, the more they’ll be reminded that you exist, and the wider the door will be opened for the time you do actually ask for help,advice, or work.

Tip #3: Get “coffee”

The next thing you can do is ask to go out for the digital equivalent of coffee. In the real world, you can actually go out and get coffee; in the digital world, it’s more likely that you’ll hang out on Skype or conduct a call via Twitter.

Unless the person is really busy, there’s a good chance they’ll have time to talk, especially if they’re a peer. A lot of people try only networking with famous people, but they obviously won’t have a lot of free time. If you reach out to talented peers who aren’t famous, there’s a better chance they’ll have time for a call and will be interested in “hanging out.”

But don’t let this deter you from ever calling up someone famous or really busy (and by famous I mean a somewhat well known online entrepreneur and not Tom Cruise). I’ve had success getting through to CEOs and entrepreneurs who are really busy but happy to help young entrepreneurs and business owners out. However, if you do decide to ask to get coffee with someone in this category, it’s best to have a specific question in mind. Maybe you want to learn more about their business or you want advice on how to grow yours. Either way, famous people are likely to commit if you have something specific you’re askingabout.

Tip #4: Offer help

The obvious thing to say at this point is that you need to follow up. But again, that’s obvious. You definitely need to follow up and say how much you appreciated the call, but you also need to continue to stay in touch. One way to do this is by offering help.

Maybe you notice something’s not working on their site so you let them know. Maybe you realize they’ve made a typo on their homepage so you reach out so it can get fixed. Or maybe you read an article that’s perfect for them and will help their business. All of these are great ways to stay in touch and to let them know you still appreciate what they do and that you want to help them succeed.

The fine line here is that you need to make sure what you’re doing isn’t annoying. Correcting things too frequently or too strongly will be obnoxious. You don’t want to over use this as a way to stay in touch, but if something big or obvious comes up, make sure to reach out and let them know you’ve got their back and you’re happy to help out.

Tip #5: Send referrals

Another great way to stay in touch is to send referrals. Not only are you hoping the person you’ve met will be able to send business your way, but you also want to be a contributor to the relationship and send business their way as well. You can e-mail them directly about business opportunities, or you can refer people and ask them to mention that you put the in touch.

Sharing content is another way to send referrals. Whenever you share something, you’ll spread content that was painstakingly created and send more visitors to your friend’s site. Eventually, the person you’re building a relationship with won’t necessarily owe you, but they’ll appreciate your support and be more likely to help out in the future.

Image Source: Abstract City via Shutterstock

Conclusion

No matter what you eventually decide to do, the most important thing to remember is that the point of networking is to meet people, to get to know them, and to build arelationship. Once you like them and they like you, there’s a better chance you’ll find ways to help each other in a mutually beneficial way.

It’s also important to realize that people can only know and help so many people at a time. The number of relationships any one person can manage is limited. Thus, if you reach out to really busy people, they may not actually have time to get to know you and send business your way, but if you reach out to someone who’s not as busy, they’re more likely to be flattered and to be interested in learning more about you.

For most freelancers, it’s more valuable to build a smaller network of people that are really interested in what you do and are invested in your success than chasing after thousands upon thousands of Twitter followers. You’d be surprised what developing real relationships with 15 to 25 people can do for your business.

If you have any questions about online relationship building, feel free to leave them below. I hope this post has been helpful and look forward to discussing it in the comments.

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