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Write Better Proposals, Episode 89

with Curtis McHale on January 28th, 2016

Curtis McHale
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After Episode 88, I shared with you a free jewel from Troy Dean: his proposal template. This is a critical topic when it comes to growing your business skills (and your business!). In this episode I’ve got Curtis McHale on to share what he’s learned over the years about writing killer project proposals.

The perfect proposal convinces a prospect you’re the perfect person to do their job. – Curtis McHale

Curtis has grown his consultancy to 6 figures and understands well the role proposals play in growing a sustainable business.

Could you stand to write better proposals? This episode is perfect for you if you’ve ever:

  1. Had a potential client reject your proposal, or
  2. Underbid a project, or
  3. Had something in the proposal (or left out) that came back to bite you in the butt

Join us in this episode for an in-depth chat to learn how you can write better proposals.

Watch this episode

Episode Transcript

Essential points about contracts from this Episode:

  • Rushing a proposal will not yield high win rates.
  • It is not necessary to include a company history and profile of your staff at the beginning of a proposal. This could make the proposal more about you and not the client.
  • The Discovery phase will establish your value to the new client by allowing you to ask pointed questions.
  • Picking up a previously failed project should always include a paid discovery.
  • Do not give away your analysis for free when preparing proposals.
  • Do not include tactical or technical information in the proposal.
  • Make sure you are speaking to the actual buyer (or decision maker) in the company when discussing the proposal.
  • Prepare your proposal with multiple tiers.
    Option 1 – meets the minimum project requirements and a complete solution.
    Option 2  – Will have the minimum requirements and possible one or two “dream” options.
    Option 3  – May include options 1 and 2 and possibly automation that the client may not have thought of.

Your proposal should:

  • Describe the current problem.
  • Outline the objectives with two or three bullet points.
  • Gauge the success of the project by what is being delivered.
  • List the options for pricing with the timelines.
  • List the accountability  – anything that is needed and who will buy the items or provide them.
  • Identify the main client contact for the project.
  • The proposal should be to 2 to 3 pages reiterating the items you discussed with your client.
  • If a client asks for something that is not in the original contract you can say that it was not included in the original bid and place the request into the second phase of the effort.

Important Links from this Episode: