Whether you're new to freelancing, an established expert in your Industry, or freelancing alongside a full-time job, it pays to learn how to draft a freelance proposal. Convincing potential clients that you're the best fit for the work (via a solid freelance submission) is a valuable skill to have early on.

Gaining the finest contracts and raising your revenue as a freelancer depends on writing a compelling proposal that can outperform the more experienced competition.

If done correctly, a well-written freelancing proposal will make potential clients want you even more than you want them.

In this post, we'll examine the essential components of a strong proposal and provide you with practical suggestions on how to write proposals that stand out from the crowd. To help you through the procedure and illustrate these ideas, we'll also provide examples.

What should a proposal include?

An excellent proposal should give the client the impression that you will deliver a high-quality product by clearly defining the services that will be given. It's crucial that you provide evidence that:

1. You are aware of the client's demands, objectives, and concepts.

2. You provide the buyer with the finest alternative you can.

3. You take into account any requests and suggestions from the client or firm.

4. The excellent service and high quality are what lead to the suggested pricing.

Besides that, it should also contain the following pieces of information:

1. Your name, your company's name, its address, and its logo

2. Name and address of your prospective client

3. Customer ID, proposal ID, and date

4. Comprehensive subject line

5. Services available and descriptions

6. Estimate of the cost

7. Taxes and discounts, if any

8. Sum total of the estimate

Tips to Write a winning Proposal

The majority of freelance sectors are quite competitive, and whether you're up against more seasoned freelancers or exceptionally skilled people, a strong proposal might be the difference between closing the contract and pounding the pavement online.

Here's how you can craft a winning proposal.

Recognize the needs of the customer

Be sure you fully comprehend the client's requirements before starting to write a proposal. Examine any supplementary papers that have been provided, thoroughly read the project description, and look up the client's history. Analyze what issues they are attempting to solve and the results they want. This information is essential for customizing your proposal to meet their unique demands.

Start with a Powerful Introduction

Create a captivating introduction to grab the client's interest right away. Emphasize your knowledge of the client's Industry, your experience in the field, and your competence. Show excitement for the endeavor and briefly discuss how you might assist the team in achieving its objectives.

For instance, "Dear [Name of Client], I'm pleased to have the chance to work on your travel site as a seasoned content writer with a love for discovering new places and an avid traveler. As a travel writer with [X] years of expertise, I am confident in my ability to attract readers and offer insightful information that will motivate them to go on their next vacation."

Be specific

It is crucial to include particular information about your work and your project vision. Describe the steps you intend to take to complete the task. Even better, add a chronology to that. Finding out how much time you need for each stage can be challenging, but give it a shot. This will persuade a client that you have carefully considered the job and the best way to do it.

You can decide to include a price tag as well, based on the project and your personal preferences. Some employers will expressly request them, while others won't. Don't try to sell yourself too highly or too lowly. These measures will make your idea stand out and decrease the likelihood that it will be ignored.

Sell Your Experience and Skills

Emphasize key abilities, prior experiences, and successful projects to highlight your qualifications. Highlight accomplishments that meet the needs of the client. Give specific instances to demonstrate your skills and persuade the customer that you are the ideal candidate for the position. 

Example: "Over the course of my career, I have collaborated with a variety of travel websites, including [Client Name], where I regularly generated high-quality articles that got favorable reader responses and improved website traffic by [X]% within the first month. My capacity for thorough research, interesting storytelling, and the use of SEO strategies guarantees that my articles will not only amuse readers but also increase organic traffic to your website."

Describe Your Pricing Structure Clearly

Give a clear and comprehensive description of your price system. If required, break down the costs and describe how the client will profit from using your services. If appropriate, provide a variety of options or packages so that the customer can select the one that best meets their requirements and budget.

Write In An Impressive Template

Because first impressions count for so much, a successful freelance proposal must be attractive, clear, and well-structured. 

Potential clients will make an opinion about the content of your work based purely on its appearance before they even begin to read your proposal. Depending on what you're proposing, you may only need a basic Microsoft Word document to make your case, or you may need something fancier to sell your services—especially if you're working on an internal project proposal for a business you currently work with.

Here we have provided some templates that provide a good impression on the client.

Proposal Template 1

YOUR LOGO

CompanyName

ProposalName

ProposalDeliveryDate

Prepared by: YourName <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>

Prepared for: ContactName <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>

Meeting Your Needs:

I'm going to create a project deliverable (i.e., a content marketing plan, brand book, logo, weekly blog post, etc.) that will fast [accomplish the main objective you'll be assisting with] and position [CompanyName] as a rapidly expanding authority in the [Industry]. I'll draw on my own expertise and a tried-and-true strategy for [prior accomplishment you helped achieve]. Will [Proposed Deliverables] with a commitment to: [Repeat the primary objectives your services will assist the firm in achieving.]

Measured Outcomes Along with the aforementioned deliverables, my [YourServices] will produce the following outcomes for [CompanyName]:

Result 1

Example:

A Content Roadmap to Success: I'll develop a special content calendar that emphasizes important outputs and traffic/conversion targets that will satisfy the particular requirements of [CompanyName]. Moving forward, this will lay a strong foundation for producing, distributing, and routinely monitoring the success of any content marketing initiatives.

Fee Summary

[YourServices] ([ProjectDuration] @$X/month)

Total: $XXXXX

Deliverables will include:

1. Example1: 3x1,000 Word Blog Posts Published & Distributed Each Month

2. Example2: 1xInfographic Published & Distributed Each Month

3. Example3: 1xIn-Depth Content Piece Created & Distributed Each Month

Project Timeline

State the project timeline here

Why choose me?

Give a solid pitch. For example, I only produce outcomes that I would be pleased with for my own business because this is what I do. I've created my own following from scratch and designed content marketing plans for the biggest live-streaming education platform in the world. My connections in the business will be the perfect springboard for the company to create great content and distribute it to the proper audience.

Proposal Template 2

Hello, 

I am the perfect writer for you if you need to have high-quality content for your website done at a reasonable fee. Every piece of content I create aims to guide readers of your website along the buying cycle, hopefully leading to a purchase on your website.

I have X years of experience producing material for websites precisely like yours. Even some of my published work is available on Hubspot.com, Marketwatch.com, and Inc.com ( or mention your list of websites). Two writing samples that show my abilities to create top-notch blog content for B2B e-commerce websites are linked below.

- Website Article #1 Example

- Website Article #2 Example

I currently take “X” days to complete 1,000-word articles. If the goals of my work align with you, can we arrange a time to talk about your objectives for this project?

Regards,

Your name/Business

Signature

Mistakes to avoid while writing a winning proposal

Understanding the requirements of the project before beginning a proposal for it is the single most important step in producing a successful one. Having said that, there are a few things to stay away from while writing freelance proposals. 

1. Refrain from using the same repetitive templates. Each job is unique and requires a fresh template.

2. Don't make it all about you. Understand that the goal is to convince clients to get their job done and provide them with an effective solution.

3. Avoid using a casual tone. Write in a tone that speaks professionalism.

Final words

If you don't have a strong proposal, landing new tasks might be difficult, whether you're a beginning freelancer or a seasoned professional. However, it won't take long for you to secure the next job if your proposal is well-written, distinctive, and shows how you can help the customer. And once you've sent a strong proposal and secured an interview with the client, it's time to prepare for the interview so you can win the deal.