Comments on: How to Spend Less Time Writing Proposals (and Still Land the Gig!)

By: 5 Freelance SEO Copywriting Tips (+ Video!)

5 Freelance SEO Copywriting Tips (+ Video!) — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 16:10:19 +0000

[…] 1) How to spend less time writing proposals (and still get the gig!) […]

By: Freelance Writer? 7 Tips for Sales Call Success

Freelance Writer? 7 Tips for Sales Call Success — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 16:11:58 +0000

[…] I know it’s tempting to spend hours slaving over a multi-page document. That’s not a proposal. That’s a strategy document. Sure, you can point out some possible SEO writing opportunities. But if your contact is asking for an in-depth, detailed document, let your prospect know that’s a separate deliverable. Here are some ways to turn around a (good) proposal fast. […]

By: Katherine Andes

Katherine Andes — Fri, 04 May 2012 13:21:36 +0000

Thanks, Heather. I need to do two estimates today for SEO copywriting and I’ve been dreading them. Not so much that I do long proposals, I learned that lesson a long time ago … I just still hate the pricing thang! I especially liked your #5,6,7 … I think I’m not doing what I should there, so I’ll print out your article before I do my estimates. Thanks, again.

By: Peter Wise

Peter Wise — Thu, 03 May 2012 13:32:40 +0000

Excellent points, thanks Heather. I also go for an initial chat first with a rough outline of possible costs…helps weed out the timewasters!

By: Heather

Heather — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:18:58 +0000

In reply to James Daniel. Nice - I love it! Thanks for your comment!

By: James Daniel

James Daniel — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:45:08 +0000

I’ve found it helps to give the proposal a title that matches a stated objective, e.g. “Increasing online sales through organic search traffic”. If it feels like a direct response to the brief (and it’s phrased to suit the reader’s way of talking) they’re generally more likely to give it the time of day.

By: Anderson Curry

Anderson Curry — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 20:32:30 +0000

Awesome post Heather..

By: Teresa

Teresa — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:22:04 +0000

Great post! Nothing was more frustrating that spending a hour+ writing a proposal only to get a no when I was first starting out! I think this is why the majority of people who start out give up.

By: craig wright

craig wright — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 20:12:13 +0000

Another great post. Maybe I am a bit unusual, but I don’t spend a lot of time on proposals at all! I just give a quick overview of what I think their existing site is failing to do, then mention of the benefits I can offer and the type of approach I will take. I don’t give too much away about what I am going to do and just keep things simple and honest. I’d say this is usually about 3-4 paragraphs. If the client wants more details, we can discuss those later.

This approach seems to appeal to clients who don’t want a hard sell or to hear lots of self-promotion from a copywriter.

By: Daphne Gray-Grant

Daphne Gray-Grant — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:27:09 +0000

I’d flesh out point 3 a little bit more. In my view, it’s not just asking the prospect what s/he needs to see: it’s about identifying the prospect’s PROBLEM. WHY do they need to hire someone right now? What is causing them pain?

If you can identify these issues, and can explain how you will solve them, you’ve dramatically increased your chance of making a sale.