Being a freelancer has a ton of perks. You get more flexibility in your day, can create the ideal lifestyle for yourself, and have the ability to focus on your talents and skills.

However, being self-employed also means that it falls on you to find clients and projects to bring in income. This can be challenging, especially for those who are new to the world of freelancing. Many people make mistakes in their starting months as freelancers, but sending out anything but the perfect proposal doesn’t have to be one of them.

The reality is that most clients can choose from several freelancers to handle the job they need to be done. Depending on where the client is seeking out freelancers, dozens or hundreds of people are vying for the same position. Having the most well-crafted proposal can make you stand out from the crowd.

Don’t worry if you’ve never created a proposal before. This blog post will take you from zero to hero in the eyes of any clients you pursue by offering tips and tricks to build a perfect proposal.

Craft a Captivating Introduction

When you build a proposal, you have to do more than state the facts. You need to give the client a reason to sit up and pay attention. Your email or message must be unique enough that a client decides to read through rather than skimming over a few sentences and moving on.

When you create an interesting introduction to your proposal, it can emphasize that you know your stuff, have done the appropriate research, and offer the client value. It immediately makes the client interested in you and what you have to offer.

Combine this with being one of the first people to send in a proposal and you amplify your chances of getting the project more than you might think.

One way to think of this is as an elevator pitch. You have a limited amount of time (or space in this case) to show why you’re qualified for the job by providing evidence of all of your abilities. It’s also essential to show confidence that you can do the job, but not so much that you come off as arrogant.

No matter what project you’re applying for with a client, you are responsible for showing you have the skills to handle it. Learning to highlight the skills and abilities most relevant to the job will make you a serious contender. Even if you don’t feel confident, you have to come off as if you are, so get in a positive mindset.

Let’s say you’re applying for a content marketing position. Show you have skills in writing, as well as blogging and marketing. Show off those strengths and you could show that you’re an excellent content marketer. It’s even better if you can pass along some results from posts you’ve made in the past.

Trying to pin down a project for designing a logo? Focus on your creative skills before delving into others. Make sure the client sees that the work you’ve done in the past has an aesthetic that fits well with what they want to see in the final logo product.

Don’t add on skills that are irrelevant or unimportant. Avoid elaborating on so many things that you seem to be trying too hard. Instead, focus on two or three of the best qualities you have that line up with the job with just enough detail to catch the client’s eye.

Your work samples and portfolio need to tell a client that you are the right person for the job. The easiest way to ensure this is by including only the best and most relevant samples for your proposals. Clients want to see that you’ve worked in similar capacities, since it makes you seem more likely to replicate those same results in the future.

When you send out your email with a freelance proposal, choose two of your strongest samples to attach. Then, add a couple of sentences of information about them, especially if you can explain how the work assisted a previous client with meeting their goals.

If you are new to freelancing and don’t have samples, now is the time to change that. Make an account on a portfolio website and start creating samples, whether logos, blog posts, spreadsheets, or data. It goes a long way toward helping you win the gig.

When you include a link to your work, it shows what you are capable of and is a quick way to stand out.

Not every client will provide a full list of requirements or ask you the right questions about the project. This can be confusing, but it gives you the chance to show you have experience and knowledge from the start. Provide proof that you can find problems and recommend solutions and you’ll easily be a top choice for a project.

As an example, many people looking for freelancers will ask if you’ve done the same type of job in the past. Instead of waiting for the question, answer it when you first reach out to the client. Add links to examples to prove you have the chops to handle the job.

Consider what might be on your mind if you were the client. For instance, if the job is a website rebrand, look for poor images, disjointed branding, and other red flags and offer thoughts on what direction you would take if you were given the job.

Address concerns that the client may not even be aware of yet and you’ll show them that you know your stuff. If you’ve been working on the same kind of projects in the past, you’ll likely know what can go wrong and what expectations most clients have. Use this to show you’re the freelance worker of their dreams.

Knowing how to write the perfect proposal can help you make more money working from home. The most important factor is understanding the client and what they need. Take that to build a captivating proposal that shows your skills and clarifies that you’re the right person for the job.

Don’t take shortcuts or use the same proposal for every job. Instead, put the work in to bring in new clients and projects. That’s how you can work your way up as a freelancer, no matter what kind of work you specialize in.

Sources:

https://www.goforma.com/business-resources/creating-freelance-proposals-that-win-deals

https://www.upwork.com/resources/how-to-create-a-proposal-that-wins-jobs

https://www.ryrob.com/how-to-write-best-freelance-proposal/