Best Practices for Design Proposals
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Transcript of Best Practices for Design Proposals
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advice, accountability and assistancefor creative businessesadvice, accountability and assistancefor creative businesses
Best Practices for Proposals
with Ilise Benun @MMToolbox
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Ilise Benun• Mentor and business coach to
creative professionals
• Host/Co-Producer of Creative FreelancerBusiness Conference(May 12-16 in Boston)
• Author of 7+ books
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www.creativeguidetomoney.com
www.marketing-pricing-guide.com
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1. Positioning = clarity2. What is a Proposal, RFP, Estimate?3. Anatomy of a proposal4. How to present your proposal5. Resources
Agenda
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Part 1:Your Positioning
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• What you offer• For whom• How you are different• It all starts with positioning: Who
are you talking to?• Your proposal is the marketing tool
that makes the argument.
Positioning = clarity
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Even if your positioning is:
We bring a fresh perspective every
time.
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Part 2:Proposals, RFPsAnd Estimates
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Definitions
• Estimate• Proposal• RFP (Request for Proposal) • Specs document or “blueprint”
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A Proposal Is Not…
• Your proxy• A contract• The first time the prospects sees $$
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But it can be…
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Types of proposals
1. Simple one-page agreement (for ongoing clients)
2. Small (2-3 pgs for prospect who’s already sold)
3. Medium (3-10 pgs for new prospect or client selling you up the chain)
4. Large (10+ pgs for major projects for ideal clients with relevant samples, as customized as possible)
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Basic elements of all proposals1. Description—what they need and
what you are proposing to do2. Deliverables—what they get,
when, how many, etc.3. Costs—creative fees + expenses,
expressed as ranges 4. Timeline—realistic production
schedule5. Sign-off—the client’s approval of
agreement
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Optional elements
• Information about you and/or your firm.
• Relevant samples. • Client References. • Client responsibility.• What else?
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It’s a lot of work. So when they say….
…should you?
Will you send us a proposal?
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What are your criteria?
• Are they fishing or buying? • Do they understand what they’re buying? • Are their needs clear – to them? • Is it in your target market? • How good are your chances of winning?• How many others are bidding?• Can you meet with the decision-makers?
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Questions you must ask…• What are the goals of this project?
• What is the specific objective?• How will you measure success?• Who is the main decision-maker?• Where is the content coming from?• How much research will be
necessary?• Are there specific technologies you
do or do not want used?• Have you ever done something like
this before? If so, what?
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A Winning Proposal is…
• Your argument for why you’re the best fit • Tailored to your prospect• Ordered for their POV• Easy to read, visually interesting• An example of your work
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Best Practices Checklist
Custom cover letter Understanding of their
objectives/goals Clear explanation of process Visual timeline Your recommendations/ideas Relevant samples Proof that you’re the perfect fit Clear pricing Enthusiasm
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Presenting the Proposal
• In person (or via phone/Skype)• In real time• Respond to objectives• End by closing the deal
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Questions to close the deal
• Ask if they have questions.• Ask if they’re ready.• Propose the next step.• Give them a timeframe.• Ask when they’ll decide.• Ask for the advance.
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“We only have one slot left in our project calendar this month and
I’d be happy to hold it for you if you can let me know by Friday.”
Create some urgency
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It’s the little things…
“The client reported back that they chose my firm because I demonstrated that I understood
the sector they are in better than the competition, as well as their specific branding
challenges. They also appreciated that I explained specifically how much time each
phase would take. I guess the other designers didn’t do that.”
Julia Reich, Stone Soup Creative
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Take it with a grain of salt. As I said, everyone honestly liked your samples. The thing that our ED seemed to keep coming back to was that he felt the samples were too similar – I guess because most of them involved a circular design and text set outside of it. He’d been quite nervous going into this process, worrying that whichever designer we picked wouldn’t offer any options he would like, so I think his priority was choosing someone who he felt confident would give a very wide range of design options, and he didn’’t necessarily get that from your proposal.
If you don’t win, ask for feedback.
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Questions?
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To get this PPT and/or a Sample Retainer Agreement, email me:[email protected]
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NEWVolume 2Includes:9 new proposals +Best Practices Checklist
Find it in Mydesignshop.com
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Free Session
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www.creativeguidetomoney.com
www.marketing-pricing-guide.com
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www.marketing-mentor.com and click on “books”
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Thank you.