Win More Clients with a Clear 6-Step Proposal Guide

Intro

Job proposal: five answers on one page, not pages of padding. Six steps, and the first is what to ask before you write a word. Number one, the biggest, fits all of it on one page.

1. Ask what the client needs before you write a word

Number six: ask what the client needs before you write a word. For a private job, try a meeting or a call first, one portal says. Unclear? Raise questions by phone or email, from deadlines to payment methods.

List the questions you would ask if you were the buyer. When you quote, get as much detail as possible. You might even email a summary of the job before you cost it. Know two things, another portal says: the customer's goals and what the quote includes.

Ask clarifying questions, and repeat back what you heard, that portal adds. You can't persuade a client until you understand what they really want, one guide says. Every solid proposal answers one question first: what problem are you solving? That means knowing who the client is, their pain points, and how you'll solve them.

Before you bid at all, one buying guide asks five questions, like whether you can deliver it and accept the terms. Checking these first keeps you from bidding on jobs that aren't a fit.

2. Show how you'll solve the problem, in plain words

Number five: show how you'll solve the problem, in plain words. Talk about their needs and how you'll solve their problems, one portal says. Describe what you would do and how, a checklist for bidders adds. It asks for a work plan, the tasks and deliverables, and a schedule for delivery.

Explain your service and how it addresses the client's challenge, the bank says. Its proposals follow the three-part structure of a classic story: challenge, solution and resolution. Its solution covers four parts: your approach, the cost, a timeline, and key outcomes to gauge success. In public bids, say how you'll meet each requirement, not just repeat it, one buying rule says.

Explain why each feature helps the buyer, one guide says, instead of listing technical figures. Highlight what sets you apart, such as quality, reliability and customer satisfaction, another portal says. Be positive, focus on benefits and advantages, and give evidence of success, one guide adds. One guide for small suppliers keeps sentences to fifteen to twenty words, and paragraphs to six or seven lines.

Another lists seven swaps of long phrases for short words, like 'enough' for 'a sufficient amount of'. By our count, a hundred-word answer at fifteen to twenty words a sentence is five to almost seven sentences. Subscribe, because next we cover how to prove you can do the job. Every step and rule in this video comes straight from the official guide pages linked below.

3. Prove you can do it

Number four: prove you can do it. If you say your offer will do something, prove it, one portal says. Diagrams or graphs can help, the portal adds, such as a picture of how it works. One guide names five kinds of evidence: statistics, a testimonial, a case study, a list and a CV.

Statistics, like your results against a target on a similar job, are short, sharp and objective. A testimonial from a similar customer builds trust, it says, and a case study tells a story. A list of similar past clients shows breadth, and a CV shows your skills. For a case study, a council suggests four headings: background, challenges, actions and outcomes.

Keep it specific, with facts and figures, and relevant to the question. Skip hollow lines like 'customer service is at the heart of all we do', another guide says. One regional portal suggests evidence no older than three years. So statistics are the shortest proof, and a case study tells the fullest story.

Describe how past projects relate to this job, rather than relying on experience you don't describe, it adds. Don't assume the buyer knows you, even if you've worked for them before, two guides say. In public bids, each bid is judged only on its content, one of them adds. Explain why the client should choose you: your expertise, past experience and problem-solving capacity, the bank says.

Include who you are, your history and positive client reviews, so clients trust you'll do a good job, one portal says. Collect relevant testimonials that back up your case study, one guide says. Ask existing clients for a written testimonial that explains why they used you and how it helped. If you want the full path to starting a business, our seven-step guide is linked on screen.

Halfway there: ask first, show how you'll solve it, and prove it.

4. Put the price and the timeline in writing

Number three: put the price and the timeline in writing. Quoting is more than just pricing, one portal says: it's part of bringing in work and building trust. Good quoting skills can help you win more work and build a customer base, it adds. How you price a bid can make the difference between winning and losing the work, another guide says.

Its written quote includes a clear description of the work, itemised and total costs, start and finish dates, and an expiry date. Another portal's written quotation has seven parts, starting with the overall price and what it does and doesn't cover. It adds how long the quote is valid, when you'll do the work, and how you'll price any changes. By our count, five of the seven parts are about money and time: the price, how long it holds, the schedule and changes.

Show the overall price in both words and figures, and make the currency clear, that portal says. A quotation is an agreed fixed price; an estimate is approximate and may change. So state clearly which one it is, in writing, with a detailed breakdown. Even if nobody asks for a breakdown, one shows your client you're offering good value.

List anything not included or out of scope, the bank adds. One portal calls a contingency for unexpected costs a good idea, if you explain where and why. Another portal describes three ways to quote. A fixed price builds labour, materials and overheads into one total.

A fixed price plus gives a total with room for changes, for example while a design isn't final. And a labour-only quote is an estimate: you charge the actual costs of your work and materials. Say how long the project will take, that portal adds. Cost by itself is often not the most important factor, one buying guide says.

In public bids, one guide says to price accurately, because you can't renegotiate after the award. So far: ask first, show how, prove it, and price it in writing.

5. Follow up, and learn from every answer

Number two: follow up, and learn from every answer. After you send it, watch for messages and respond as soon as possible, one buying guide says. If the buyer asks you to clarify, answer by the date and time in the request. Until the deadline, you can change your bid and send it again, it adds.

If a request is unclear, has an error or needs more time, one guide says to ask through its process right away. Not sure it arrived? Contact them to check they received it, one portal says. If a client isn't ready, do two things, that portal says: thank them, and offer to keep in touch.

Then ask if they know anyone else who may be interested, that portal adds. Still interested but not ready? Offer a tailored proposal, and set a second meeting within a few days. Requesting honest feedback shows you really care about the client's business, it says.

Not picked? Request feedback and take time to reflect on it, one guide for bidders says. When a bid isn't picked, one guide lists three things: feedback, a lessons-learned meeting and keeping the documents. It uses those documents as a learning tool for the next bid.

Feedback can help you compete more effectively next time, another bidding guide says. Another guide lists five questions to ask yourself, such as whether your offer was easy to assess. For public bids, it says you can request a feedback session after every bid, won or lost. A good feedback session helps suppliers see how they performed and improve future bids, a guide for buyers says.

It sets aside thirty to forty-five minutes for that session and the supplier's questions. By our count, a session of thirty to forty-five minutes fits within one hour, with time to spare. Before that talk, review your bid and prepare questions, another guide says. Ask open-ended questions, then follow up on what you hear and do something with it, one portal says.

6. Put five answers on one page that's easy to follow

Number one: put five answers on one page that's easy to follow. Start with a one-page executive summary of your proposal's key elements, a public business bank says. It answers five questions: what you propose, how much it costs, why you suggest it, why it's the best alternative, and the timeframe. Write the summary last, but place it at the beginning, another portal says.

It should clearly explain how your offer meets the client's needs. You can adapt those five parts for a more informal proposal, even an email message, the bank adds. Answer each question specifically and directly, with only the information asked for, a council says. Keep to word or character counts; if there are none, less is always more.

Put your answer in the same order as the request, with headings, so it's easy to follow. Offers are judged on content, not extravagant presentation, so use simple language and keep to the point. Before sending, the council has five questions to check, such as whether you answered every part. Note how each award criterion is weighted, and tailor your answer to it, one guide says.

Then ask someone you trust, from outside your field, to check that it's easy to understand. One guide for small suppliers has someone review the bid about two thirds of the way through writing it. A checklist helps confirm you've completed every area, one regional portal says. Submit on time: in most cases, a late proposal is not accepted, one buying guide says.

By our count, on a ten-day bid, two thirds of the way through is around day seven. Each guide's numbers are its own, and rules differ where you live. That's how one clear page makes your proposal easy for a client to read. Ask first, show how, prove it, price it, follow up, then fit it on one page.

Which one would you try first? Tell us the number in the comments. For your side hustle cash flow, the next video is on screen now: seven steps. Information only; results vary.

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