Freelancing is good to people who want to be the boss of their own time. Or to those who cannot work full time or with fixed schedule. Or want to have another source of income aside from their full time jobs. There a lot of benefits for being a freelancer, aside from managing your own time. You can have as many projects as you want as long as you can deliver it. The only question is if you will have any project. It is because sometimes it is hard to close a deal with a client. But if you are good enough with your bid, the project can go to you.

So the thing that you have to think for in freelancing is how to have a good freelancer proposal. Almost all freelancing jobs has a bid system where a freelancer has to send a freelancer proposal to the prospective client. This what decides whether they will get the project or not. It is because the clients base their approval solely upon the freelancer proposal. Resume is rarely needed in freelancing. If freelancers can make a great freelancer proposals, they would have the better chance of getting the project for themselves.

What is a Freelancer Proposal?

A freelancer proposal is a document that was given to clients by a freelancer to get a specific job or project. It is usually in the form of a bid. This letter expresses their desire to work for the project. They briefly state their qualifications and how they are suitable for the project. A proposal is a form of their application to the employer. Only it is only meant for a short job. The scope of the project that they can deliver is included, with all its descriptions. There is also a timeline for every work. Freelancer proposals are important because it is what every freelancer use in getting a job. From client to client, they have to send a freelancer proposal to each one of them before having a project. This could be tiresome and time-consuming so you better prepare your proposal and make it perfect to make everything work.

Information in a Freelancer Proposal

There are things that should be included in a freelancer proposal. It includes the following:

The Name of the Freelancer

The freelancer’s name should of course be included in a freelancer proposal. If you have a freelance name or a business name, it should be clearly included in it. Write your name with your address following it. You can put a personal logo to make your document more formal. Choose a logo that would attract clients.

The Name of the Client

Whoever is the potential client, their name must be stated in your freelancer proposal. If it is a company, put the name of the company. The names should also go together with their address. Be sure to write their names correctly or you will surely miss their approval. Put the client number and the proposal code. Add the date.

The Subject Line

Make this as detailed as possible. Usually, people only reads subject lines and headings so do not miss this also. Choose a subject that would best describe your freelance work and the one that would capture the client’s attention. If there was a way that you can do marketing within your subject line, then do it.

The Scope of the Job

Every freelancer proposal should clearly state the scope of their work. Tell the whole package of your service. Put descriptions about it to explain to the client what is the work that you can deliver to them. Be sure that you can deliver what you have promised. As detailed as it was, the client will expect every single thing about it. State also the timeframe that you can give for the project.

The Price of the Project

A rough estimate of the price of your service should be included. You cannot make a freelancer proposal without you telling the client how much is your service. The client has to know the price that they are going to pay for them to accept your freelance bid. You can also state the tax. Put discounts to entice clients. This will make them to decide better to get you for the project. Then calculate and put the total cost of the service.

The Conditions Within the Project

Certain conditions must be clear. These are things like payment methods. You must be sure that the client can pay you. Talk also about the copyright. You can also state fees for rush work if ever the client would want it. Have also late fees.

The Pitch

This would be the best part because here you will have a chance to convince the client to say yes. Have the best pitch that you can give. You can also give some recommendations that could mean that you will really have a good work upon the project.

Tips on Freelancer Proposal

There was a time that a freelancer cannot land any project. It is maybe because they are not good in proposal writing. Here are some tips to make your freelance bid better.

Analyze the work that you are bidding for. You must first examine the project that you will have to commit. Know if you are able to do the project. Assess the scope of the project and know all its description. You cannot get a project with you having no knowledge about it. Be sure to know everything about the project before having a bid on it. This would prepare you and your mindset to perform the work. Give attention to whatever your client needs. After analyzing the project, you can know whether you will bid on the job or not.Do not give a proposal to all projects. Select projects where you will give a proposal. You cannot bid for all projects. Give proposals only on the job that you can do. If you will give too many proposals, you might overcommit yourself. What if most of the clients will say yes? You will have a whole lot of projects ahead of you that you may not be able to deliver. That would be a lot of a mess. You can also disappoint clients in that way because you may have to say no to some of them. No one should afford to lose any client. Clients are the life of freelancing. So one has to be sure that they take good care of their clients. It is better that you may take one, two, or three proposals at a time to be sure of the outcome. This would give you a better direction in your freelancing.Know your client. You must have some knowledge about the client. You must somehow know what they like. If you do not know anything about them, you can research about them or their company through the internet. You have to understand the needs and wants of the clients. A background check will help you to make the client impressed with your proposal when you already know what to write in it for them. Know what product they usually buy to know their tastes. You can adjust your offer according to it.Know your strengths. Realize all your assets and how you are qualified for a project. You must be sure that you are a good candidate to the job. If you will know your own strength, you will know what to put in your freelance proposal to convince the client. You can easily market yourself. Every client search for strengths of every freelancer. You must show them that you are able to do the job and that they will never go wrong with you. Put 1-3 strengths that would make the clients impressed to you. Who knows if that was what would make them to give the project to you? You can try your luck with your strengths.Have the best introduction. A compelling introduction is what can make your client say yes. Start strong so the client will have a good impression about you. They will be able to read your whole proposal if they can sense that there is something good with it. Be straightforward but have courtesy. Sometimes by being straightforward, we could get what we want more likely. If you are going to turn things around, the possibility is the client will be confused with your writing. Be definite about the proposal and the client would see that you really want the project and that you are serious about it.You have to be specific. Be sure that the details about the work that you are offering are all accurate. Be specific on everything. It is essential that the client will know the scope of your work, what was included in the offer and what was not. This will avoid confusion and conflict. It can also avoid revisions or redoings. You can also include in your proposal how many revisions you can make to be more definite. If you are specific, the client will more likely to say yes to you because they will have no questions about the job that you will give.

How to Create a Freelancer Proposal

A freelancer must know the ways on how to bid a job. They must know how to write a bid proposal. They can use a proposal template or a google docs template but it is always good to know the steps on how to create it.

Step 1: Search for freelancer proposal templates.

Find a suitable template for you. Pick something that has the best format. Your freelance work depends upon the freelancer proposal so be careful in selecting a template. You can read various templates first before deciding for the best one. Diligently search for them in the internet. Then if you have found what was best for you, start editing it.

Step 2: Start your proposal with respect and state your purpose.

Give introduction to your letter with courtesy. Then tell your purpose. Make good sentences stating that you mean to have a freelance work for them. Introduce yourself and tell them some things about who you are and why you are qualified to do the job. Give them your strengths, the things that would make them impressed with you. You can tell your educational degree and all the past freelance works that you had. Make the clients to know you. In a few sentences, tell them your achievements. Start strong with your letter so you will get the client’s attention instantly. They must be hooked with your proposal even in the first minutes as this can make them to say yes. Do not forget to put courtesy in all your paragraphs. It is essential to do that because you are somehow wooing your clients. Be definite about your purpose and tell them plainly that you are interested to do the project with them.

Step 3: Include the details about the project.

All things that was necessary for the project, you must include in your freelancer proposal. Be definite about the scope of the project. Tell them the work that you mean to deliver for them. Include a desirable timeline for it. Just make sure that you are going to deliver it on the promised time and that you are able to do the job. Whatever you have put in the scope of work, you should comply. You must also include the payment details and all the necessary fees. Put discounts if it is applicable for the project. Do not forget the essential details like your name and the name of the client.

Step 4: Attach work samples to the proposal.

Your proposal would be better off with work samples. It was to show them what you can do. With samples, they can tell whether you can do the project or not. Most clients needs a sample first before giving any job. Of course, anyone would want to see first about a freelancer’s capabililities. So if you would attach samples, they would not have to ask for it anymore. Your samples are above ready and the client would just have to review it. After making your proposal, proofread it to make it better.

FAQs

Is it Good to Send Multiple Freelancer Proposals at a Time?

No. You should send only a few proposal at a time. Do not overcommit yourself. You can lose potential clients that way. You might never know how many client will accept your proposal so make your proposal few. If you want to have many projects, have at least three proposals at a time. Three projects are enough. Well, three are a lot of work to do. You should not commit on things that you cannot deliver.

How Can the Client Accept My Proposal?

Make a good freelancer proposal. Your client will of course base the project with proposals, so you should have an ace with other freelancers. Bidding may be hard because sometimes you are not able to hold the chances but if you will make your proposal perfect, the client cannot say no to you. Make your offer something that they cannot resist. Have a good offer and discounts if possible. You can also provide an easy way of payment and have reasonable fees. The scope of your work or the total pagkage of your service must be something likable.

If you are a freelancer, the first thing you need to perfect is the freelancer proposal. It is what could make you get your projects. Hone your skills in writing it so you will have a better ace in the jobs that you are applying for. Your proposal somehow shows who you are so be careful in creating it. After you have perfected it, you can be sure of many freelance jobs ahead of you.