You’ve simply wrapped up a name with a potential consulting consumer. They’re fascinated by working with you. Congratulations!Should you’ve discovered your strategy to this weblog put up, it’s protected to imagine you now have to develop a consulting proposal for this consumer — and also you need assistance doing so.
On this put up, I’ll clarify what a consulting proposal is and easy methods to write one which your potential purchasers can’t resist.
And when you’re in a pinch and want a listing, discover what you want via these hyperlinks:
What’s a consulting proposal?
A consulting proposal is a doc that outlines the character, scope, and timeline of a selected consulting challenge. Like a salesman’s pitch to a prospect, a consulting proposal highlights the issue your potential consumer is experiencing and positions you, the marketing consultant, as the answer.
Many potential purchasers request proposals earlier than formally signing on the dotted line. Why? In brief, a consulting proposal outlines your working relationship so each events can keep aligned and perceive the opposite’s expectations. Proposals aren’t paper formalities — they signify the beginning of an necessary client-consultant relationship.
This doc will successfully take your conversations with the prospect into an energetic working relationship. That’s why it’s necessary to write down a superb proposal.
A superb consulting proposal should have the next info:
- A abstract of the issues or challenges that your prospect is dealing with.
- An in depth account of the way you’ll clear up these issues.
- An inventory of the outcomes you’ll search to attain for his or her enterprise.
It additionally contains contractual info akin to charges and phrases.
Earlier than You Create a Consulting Proposal
Writing a consulting proposal would require a little bit of pre-work. You’ll need to get to know your consumer’s wants and objectives.
1. Chat together with your consumer in particular person or over the cellphone.
You’ll be able to’t write an efficient consulting proposal with out chatting together with your potential consumer first. Do your greatest to arrange a cellphone name for this dialog; when you can, meet in particular person. An electronic mail will suffice for attending to know your consumer and their consulting wants, however letting them see your face and/or hear your voice will make it easier to construct belief with them
2. Perceive their challenges and wishes.
The higher you perceive your potential consumer’s challenges and ache factors, the extra impactful your proposal might be. Whereas a consulting proposal template can assist get the job achieved, the small print in your proposals shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all; they need to be tailor-made to every consumer and their wants. Don’t hesitate to observe up with extra cellphone calls or conferences to raised perceive your consumer and what they want from you.
3. Spotlight your worth proposition.
Hiring a marketing consultant shouldn’t be an affordable funding, and also you need your consumer to know that they’re investing in you since you’ll ship outcomes. You don’t essentially want to incorporate a bit titled “Worth Proposition,” both. As an alternative, get particular on the way you’ll ship. For instance you possibly can point out the way you’ll be growing X metric, decreasing Y adverse consequence, or driving Z outcomes for his or her enterprise.
4. Ask in regards to the particulars.
A profitable proposal displays the challenge scope and particulars to maintain each events aligned. Don’t overlook to ask about your consumer’s supreme timeline, funds, expectations, and outcomes. These particulars are necessary for promoting a potential consumer in your companies in addition to giving your consumer a greater understanding of how precisely you two will work collectively.
Understanding easy methods to write a transparent, concise consulting proposal could make or break your capacity to transform potential purchasers. Let’s evaluate easy methods to put collectively a successful proposal.
Methods to Write a Consulting Proposal
- Write an govt abstract.
- Briefly describe why you’re the perfect for the job.
- Specify what the consumer can count on from the challenge.
- Set up what your deliverables will probably be.
- Verify and description the prices.
- Specify another contract phrases and situations.
- Maintain the proposal concise.
- Ask for suggestions
1. Write an govt abstract.
Get began by writing an govt abstract or introduction (additionally referred to as a challenge abstract). This part will embrace your consumer’s challenges or obstacles and the way you propose to resolve them. Merely put, this part summarizes your entire challenge.
2. Briefly describe why you’re the perfect for the job.
There’s a superb likelihood your consumer could also be receiving proposals from different firms. You’ll want to point out them that you simply’re the correct particular person for the job and guarantee them they’re in nice palms. Briefly describe how your expertise will assist the consumer obtain their objectives.
Whereas it might be tempting to hone in in your {qualifications} and expertise, your consulting proposal ought to give attention to what your consumer will get from working with you. You’ll be able to add this info as a brief (1-2 sentences) paragraph in your introduction.
3. Specify what the consumer can count on from the challenge.
Be as particular as potential in regards to the worth and outcomes your consumer can count on. For instance, in case your predominant goal is to extend site visitors, say that and description how. It will make it easier to draft your challenge scope.
Keep away from buzzwords and generic jargon. The truth is, do your greatest to make use of the identical phrases they did in your conferences — it will resonate with them and present you had been listening.
4. Set up what your deliverables will probably be.
Return to your consumer dialog notes. Do they want a brand new advertising technique, a brand new web site, or promoting plan? What tangible merchandise will they’ve as soon as the challenge is accomplished? These will probably be your “deliverables” and also you’ll need to embrace them in your proposal so the consumer is aware of precisely what they’re getting out of the challenge. We’ll describe deliverables in additional element within the subsequent part.
5. Verify and description the prices.
You’ll need to be up entrance with the consumer about how a lot the challenge will price. Be clear about your charges and what they embrace. Should you require particular cost buildings like a deposit or installments on sure dates, explicitly clarify them on this part of your proposal.
6. Specify another contract phrases and situations.
This part will specify precisely what phrases and situations the consumer is agreeing to ought to they determine to proceed. Along with charges, this could embrace a timeframe for the challenge (begin and finish date), cost varieties accepted or another phrases you require.
7. Maintain the proposal concise.
In relation to consulting proposals, high quality issues rather more than amount. Maintain your proposal as temporary as potential to precisely describe the challenge scope and expectations. Don’t give your consumer a motive to cease studying your proposal and doubtlessly view one other marketing consultant’s — as a substitute, preserve your proposal concise and fascinating.
8. Ask for suggestions.
A consulting proposal is a two-way doc, which means each events ought to have a say within the content material it contains. As you develop your proposal, make clear any questions or considerations you could have together with your potential consumer. When completed, ship it to your consumer for evaluate and suggestions.
Take into account constructing your proposal inGoogle Docs or an analogous phrase processor during which your consumer can collaborate and depart feedback or options.
Now that we’ve coated easy methods to write a consulting proposal, let’s break it down into components.
Components of a Consulting Proposal
The simplest consulting proposals observe an enticing and logical construction. On this part, we’ll focus on the anatomy of a well-written consulting proposal.
1. Salutation
Start your doc by greeting your consumer.
A customized greeting units aside your consulting proposals from a generic proposal. Once you deal with your proposal as a private letter, potential purchasers usually tend to belief you and need to construct a relationship with you. Use the consumer’s formal identify (e.g. “Mr.,” “Mrs.,” or “Dr.”) until you’re on a first-name foundation.
2. Introduction
On this part, write three to 4 sentences describing the character of the challenge and the problems you need to clear up.
Take into account this part the introduction, or hook, of your proposal. Summarize the challenges your potential consumer is dealing with and what worth you may present via your consulting companies. On this part, you must also thank your consumer for contemplating you and provides them a quick overview of what they will count on from the remainder of the proposal.
You can too embrace one to 2 sentences introducing your self and your enterprise. Whereas the proposal shouldn’t be targeted in your work as a marketing consultant, it by no means hurts to incorporate a brief part during which you clarify why the consumer ought to select you. Even when you pitched your self throughout your preliminary potential name, you may reiterate your key strengths and {qualifications} right here.
3. Undertaking Scope
Subsequent, add three to 5 bullet factors giving perception into the precise motion objects (or duties) you’ll undertake to attain the specified end result.
This part is all about what you’ll be doing to hold out the challenge you outlined above. Specificity is essential right here — until you clearly define what you’ll be doing in your consumer, chances are you’ll expertise scope creep.
For instance, when you’re being employed to evaluate and analyze a consumer’s advertising methods, this part would define how lengthy your cellphone calls or workplace visits will probably be, what number of calls or visits you commit to every week, the size of every go to, and so on. You’ll be able to by no means be too detailed within the challenge scope part; it’ll solely prevent and your consumer a headache later.
4. Goals
On this part, you’ll need to checklist out three to 5 goals for the challenge.
Now that you simply’ve coated each the aim and scope of the challenge, it’s time to persuade the consumer of the challenge’s worth. What kind of outcomes would you like your consumer to see after they’re achieved working with you?
In contrast to the deliverables part beneath, which focuses on the precise “ultimate merchandise” you’ll be delivering, the goals part focuses on the tip end result after these merchandise are delivered. It’s necessary to place this as early as potential in your doc in order that your consumer is satisfied they’re making a superb funding.
5. Deliverables
Subsequent, checklist out the concrete deliverable(s) the consumer may have as soon as they’re completed working with you. Will or not it’s a revamped web site? A redesigned assortment of brochures?
This part outlines the tangible, identifiable finish “merchandise” you can be offering your consumer on account of the challenge. If the challenge scope describes “how,” the deliverables are the “what.”
Following the instance above, whereas your challenge scope can be reviewing and analyzing advertising methods, your deliverables could also be an in depth evaluation doc, a presentation of proposed adjustments, or perhaps a model new advertising plan (the precise particulars will range relying in your consumer and their preferences and wishes).
6. Timeline
On this part, give a timeline for every particular motion merchandise you listed within the “Scope” part.
This part is extremely necessary for setting expectations and creating boundaries with purchasers. If the challenge scope describes “how” and the deliverables define the “what,” are you able to guess what the timeline part is? Ding, ding — it’s the “when.”
The timeline a part of the proposal ought to define particular challenge dates and deadlines for various components of your challenge. Whether or not you’re making workplace visits, creating paperwork, or just sending follow-up emails, attempt to element each potential date in your proposal. On the very least, be sure to embrace the challenge begin, ultimate challenge deadlines, and any milestones in between.
7. Funding
Subsequent, checklist out your consulting charges and what they embrace, in addition to how and if you desire to receives a commission.
Should you advocate utilizing a sure cost portal, embrace that info right here. Equally, when you require a down cost or staggered price construction, don’t overlook that info, too.
8. Signature
On this part, you’ll instantly ask for a signature out of your potential consumer. Embrace house for them to write down the day’s date, their identify, and their signature.
You’ll need to embrace this straight within the proposal, even when they’re nonetheless within the consideration stage, in order that it’s simpler to get approval. Should you add the extra step of getting to ship a “finalized contract,” you danger unnecessarily elongating the method.
9. Subsequent Steps
Final, embrace a robust call-to-action in your proposal. Depart your electronic mail for them to contact you as effectively. Give clear directions on this ultimate part so purchasers know easy methods to transfer ahead.
Whereas every proposal needs to be tailor-made to every potential consumer, it may be tedious to write down out your entire doc each time.
That is the place a consulting proposal template can come in useful. Beneath you’ll discover two consulting proposal templates: one for gross sales and the opposite for advertising.
Consulting Proposal Template for Gross sales
You should utilize this free consulting proposal template in Phrase or PDF format. The sections match up with what we coated above, however are worded a bit of in another way to raised align with gross sales.
Word: Should you use a template, don’t overlook to double-check that each one client-specific particulars are up to date and proper!
Featured Useful resource: Free Consulting Proposal Template
This proposal template contains the next sections:
- Introduction: Describe the character of the challenge and introduce your self and what you do.
- Goals: Record out the objectives for the challenge.
- Method: Summarize your methodology for reaching the specified outcomes and checklist the precise duties you’ll undertake.
- Schedule of Undertaking Actions: The equal of a “Timeline” part, you’ll use this house to explain when challenge duties will probably be accomplished.
- The Group: Record out any extra group members, in addition to their {qualifications}.
- Your Funding: Structure in clear phrases what the consumer will probably be paying for.
- Signatures: Seal the deal by inviting the consumer to signal immediately.
- Appendices: If in case you have particular phrases and situations in your companies, embrace them right here.
Consulting Proposal Template for Advertising and marketing
Proposals are particularly essential in advertising. With so many areas of specialization, channels, deliverable varieties, and metrics to maintain up with, you may have to set expectations for the connection between you and the consumer.
A consulting proposal for advertising may embrace an overview of your strategic framework, the general objectives, and maybe even the smaller milestones you need to be measured by. This free advertising proposal template is a superb place to start out.
Featured Useful resource: Free Advertising and marketing Consulting Proposal Template
This proposal template contains the next sections:
- Our Firm and Group: On this part, you’ll give a radical overview of your enterprise by offering a listing of your companies and proposed group for the challenge.
- Undertaking Scope: Summarize the challenge in its entirety. You’ll write a brief abstract, a proposed resolution, and an outline of projected outcomes.
- Undertaking Schedule: Record out the totally different phases of the challenge with their begin and completion dates.
- Your Funding: Define what the consumer will probably be paying for in an itemized desk.
- Contact Us: Give the consumer a possibility to contact you by itemizing your info right here.
- Contract and Signatures: Streamline the method by inviting the consumer to signal immediately.
- Further Supplies: If you wish to embrace case research, portfolio objects, or testimonials, embrace them right here.
Methods to Write a Consulting Proposal
Feeling caught? Let’s check out a pattern consulting proposal. To adapt this pattern in your personal use, merely substitute the mentions of the precise challenge with what you’ll really be doing in your consumer.
Lodge One
123 Lodge Avenue, Workplace #123
Metropolis, State 12345
December 1, 20XX
Your Title
Consultancy Title
123 Consulting Avenue, Workplace #123
Metropolis, State 12345
Consulting Proposal
Expensive Mrs. Akingbola,
It’s a pleasure to work with you on the web site advertising challenge we mentioned over the cellphone. I look ahead to rising your web site’s natural site visitors at a sustained scale, serving to you increase bookings and reservations, and enhancing the underside line at your resort.
On this proposal, I’ll go over a quick challenge abstract, cowl the challenge’s scope, share deliverables, define a timeline, and provides extra particulars about your funding. I’ll additionally present some fast subsequent steps.
Abstract
The aim of this challenge is to develop natural site visitors for Lodge One’s web site. Because of growing competitors, older content material advertising practices, and experiences of a clunky consumer expertise, the enterprise has suffered from a marked lower in natural site visitors, which has lowered reservations and, subsequently, income.
My digital advertising consulting agency focuses on instances similar to yours. I’ve greater than ten years of expertise driving outcomes for small companies within the hospitality business. My final consumer, Lodge Two, noticed a 233% improve in bookings YoY after I labored with them.
Undertaking Scope
To develop natural site visitors and obtain sustained development, I will probably be endeavor the next duties.
- Full a complete content material and technical audit of your entire web site.
- Perform usability exams on a consumer testing platform to test what’s at present working and what’s not.
- Seek the advice of with you as I create a brand new and improved content material technique.
- Rent two freelance writers to rewrite your entire web site.
- Convey within the experience of an internet developer to design a contemporary and search-engine-optimized web site.
Goals
The goals of the challenge are as follows.
- Publish related, keyword-optimized content material that drives extra customers to the reservation web page.
- Enhance the UX of the positioning each within the front- and back-end.
- Enhance the typical rating for goal key phrases by no less than 2 spots.
- Get on the primary web page of Google SERPs for no less than 20% of the goal key phrases.
- Redesign your entire web site in order that it exceeds present design and usefulness requirements.
Deliverables
You’ll obtain 5 deliverables from me.
- A PDF doc with my findings from the content material and technical audit.
- A presentation with findings from the usability exams and urged enhancements.
- A brand new content material plan that will probably be authorised by you previous to execution.
- An editable copy of each the rewritten and newly-written web site pages.
- A wholly redesigned web site with the brand new content material and technical enhancements in place.
Timeline
The estimated completion time for your entire challenge is six months.
| Exercise | Begin Date | Completion Date |
| Content material Audit | January 1 | January 14 |
| Technical Audit | January 15 | January 31 |
| Usability Assessments | February 1 | February 7 |
| Content material Plan Creation | February 8 | February 28 |
| Content material Plan Evaluate and Approval | March 1 | March 7 |
| Content material Creation | March 8 | April 30 |
| Web site Redesign | April 1 | June 1 |
Funding
I cost charges per challenge based mostly on the estimated time to completion.
You gained’t have to fret about hiring freelance writers or discovering an internet developer. As your marketing consultant, I’ll care for that for you. All charges are inclusive of cellphone calls and emails.
| Undertaking Exercise | Hours | Payment |
| Content material and Technical Audit | 30 | $900 |
| Usability Assessments | N/A | $200 |
| Content material Plan Creation | 30 | $900 |
| Content material Creation | 100 | $3,000 |
| Web site Redesign | 100 | $3,000 |
| Whole | $8,000 |
Signature
Please signal beneath.
[signature form]
Subsequent Steps
Please return the signed doc to me by Wednesday, December 6. I’ll contact base with you on Friday, December 8, to debate this proposal. You’ll be able to ship me any questions and considerations at electronic mail@supplier.com. I look ahead to working with you.
Now that you’ve an concept of what a pattern consulting proposal seems like, listed below are some instruments that may assist together with your subsequent draft.
Consulting Proposal Instance
For extra inspiration for easy methods to write your proposal, let’s check out this instance for an audio advertising firm.
This proposal is barely two pages lengthy, nevertheless it covers loads of floor regardless of its brevity. For starters, it’s acquired a nice greeting and introduction expressing thanks for the consumer’s consideration adopted by a one sentence challenge abstract.
Including a background part describing the consumer’s ache factors in additional element can be a pleasant contact. The actual star of this proposal although is the challenge goal part (challenge scope).
As an alternative of making a separate part for goals and deliverables, they’re mixed collectively. Every objective or deliverable is its personal bullet level. Beneath every of those objectives is the technique that will probably be carried out to attain every objective.
The following part clearly explains the seller’s price and charges, with a signature wrapping issues up on the finish.
Whereas this proposal lacks a radical timeline, it is a glorious place to begin for smaller tasks.
Consulting Proposal Instruments
1. DocuSign
This software program has many options that may support in consulting proposal creation. DocuSign can streamline settlement era, analyze agreements, and retailer digital signatures in its cloud for paperless operations.
Whereas accessible for a free trial, you’ll pay as little as $10 monthly and the worth can improve relying on the size of your organization.
2. Fiverr Workspace
It can save you time drafting with the Fiverr platform. Made to create custom-made proposals and contracts — with free templates to work with — you may observe the progress of a doc’s creation all the way in which to gathering deposits at signing.
Fiverr is free for a single consumer, in any other case its Limitless plan is $18 a month for a number of accounts, and offers you extra management when modifying templates.
3. HelloSign
Identified for being straightforward to make use of for even probably the most un-tech savvy staff, HelloSign is a high quality device to gather and ship e-signatures. With quick implementation, it may be an incredible choice for smaller companies.
HelloSign begins on the value of $15 monthly for one consumer, or $25 for a number of customers.
4. Higher Proposals
Higher Proposals lives as much as its identify with the provision of 160 lovely templates made for each desktop and cell gadgets. With built-in signature and cost choices, this platform is a great tool for these trying to impress new purchasers.
After a 14-day free trial, you can begin utilizing the software program for $19 monthly, or extra relying on the size of enterprise carried out.
Create a Consulting Proposal to Win Extra Shoppers
A well-written consulting proposal not solely serves as a guidepost for a consultant-client relationship, however it may possibly assist convert prospects into loyal, long-term purchasers. Implement these consulting proposal greatest practices and begin growing successful proposals in your consulting enterprise.
Editor’s word: This put up was initially printed in December 2019 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
