Persuasive. Software Development. Proposals. How to Write Persuasive. Proposals

Transcription

1 Persuasive Software Development Proposals How to Write Persuasive Software Development Proposals

2 How to Write Persuasive Development Proposals You probably didn t get into software development because you loved writing and submitting proposals. In fact, love is probably about the opposite of what you re thinking when you sit down to write one. Taking the time to write a proposal for a new project is the last thing you want to be doing with your valuable time, but as a software development professional, you can t afford to skip them. Proposals are one of your most valuable tools for creating leads and making sales, especially if you re freelancing or running your own company. In fact, your ability to land new projects might depend on your ability to write a convincing proposal. A great proposal convinces your client that they should hire you because you can solve their problems, and then it lets them know how to do so. Unfortunately, writing proposals isn t really a skill that you re going to pick up during development training. And while you would rather avoid the process altogether and just get started building software or apps, that s not how it works. If you want the big clients with the big budgets, long deadlines, and well-known brands, you have to submit a proposal. Most high-end clients won t even consider you without one.

3 Writing proposals isn t something you can avoid but you can take the steps to make the process faster and easier. Proposals don t have to be time consuming or painstakingly difficult. In fact, if you take a few minutes to learn how to write your proposals more quickly, you might be surprised by how much time and energy you can save. You can also learn how to reduce the amount of manual labor involved in each proposal while improving the quality that you re turning out. Learning how to systemize your proposals means that you ll be able to create more persuasive proposals in less time, and get started converting your dream clients. Ready? Let s get started! The Anatomy of a Persuasive Proposal 5 Essential Elements Every Proposal Should Have Any proposal is going to require a certain amount of creativity but you don t have to go overboard. You can keep the time expenditure to a minimum by doing research on the client, and

4 then following a proposal structure for the rest of the document. Each proposal will vary in length and exact information depending on the project in question, but will invariably follow the same basic structure. You can design any proposal around the five basic elements regardless of the length, size, or complexity of your development project. 1. The Problem Statement Any proposal has to tell the prospective client that you understand their issues. This is known as the problem statement, and it should be the first part of your proposal. The opening paragraph of any development proposal should be the problem statement. This statement gives you the opportunity to tell the client that you understand not just what they re asking for but also what they need. A winning problem statement goes beneath the surface requirements of the project and talks about the real issues the client is facing. This sort of problem statement stands out to the client because he or she can see that you understand their actual issues, not just what they want you to do to solve it. For example, you re responding to a client looking for a developer to create a web based app for their store. They ve

5 listed what they need the app to do, and you have a pretty good idea of what they want. You know that they need someone to design an app from the ground up, but that doesn t make a good problem statement. Clients are in business for the same reason you are. They want to make money. If they just wanted a web app, they could get something from a flash site without ever spending any money. Instead, they want to pay someone to make them something great. Why? Your problem statement should highlight this information. Why does this client want to pay someone to develop something for them? If you can address this issue in your problem statement, then you re already a long way towards attracting the attention you need to win the bid. Let s go over that process with a few examples to get you used to the language. ABC Company is looking to create a new web app. The app should include an invoicing and ordering system to be used for e-commerce, as well as shipping and tracking integration. Take a minute to think about this problem statement. Would you be impressed? Does it tell you anything that the client wouldn t

6 have already listed? The answer is no. What it also doesn t do is explain the real problem. That means that this problem statement doesn t stand out, doesn t attract attention, and doesn t distinguish you at all. In short, it is not a good problem statement. This problem statement doesn t answer the actual issues. Now, if the developer here had taken a few extra minutes to research the company, that problem statement might look more like this. ABC Company is currently in the middle of company rebranding and part of the new image is a new e-commerce system for their website. The current module, which is a free CMS, blends in with competitor stores, and is often clunky and difficult to use. ABC Company should introduce a new custom web app to take care of their e- commerce problems. The web app should include invoicing, products and databases, and shipping and tracking integration for user and buyer convenience.

7 You ll notice that the main difference here is that in the second example, the developer took the time to explain why the company requires a web app. They don t just state that a web app is needed, but research the company to find out why. Taking the time to do this shows you the client that you understand their issues. It also gives you an advantage later in the proposal writing process because you can use this information to tailor your services and solutions to their needs. Any problem statement will require a bit of research. The actual problem might not be obvious. The majority of clients will either have difficulty expressing actual reasons, or will automatically assume you re on the same page. Digging into the actual issues and finding out why the company wants to make the hire is an important part of the proposal writing process. By using the information at the start of your proposal, you attract interest because you tell the client that you re on the same page as them from the very beginning. Why does the client need your skills as a developer? If you can answer that, and right at the beginning of your proposal, then you re already headed in the right direction. Got that? Let s move on. 2. Your Proposed Solution

8 Once you ve outlined the issues at hand in your problem statement, you can offer a custom solution in the next statement. The proposed solution is where you tell the client how you can help them. What can you do for the client that will solve their problems? Chances are that your clients can look almost anywhere and find a less than awesome free alternative to pretty much anything you could design for them (unless they want you to build custom software). Most of the time when they go out of their way to pay someone for a solution, they want quality. Your proposed solution has to highlight two things, customization and quality. Your development skills are important but less so than your creativity, quality, and willingness to work with the client to create something that suits them. The client needs you to develop something for them and because they can t do it themselves, they have to hire someone. But that doesn t mean they ll settle for the first person who comes along and hands them the right resume. You have to tell your clients how you can solve their problems with your skills, not just quote services at them. Offering a solution instead of services will help to improve the quality and persuasiveness of your proposal. Here s a rough idea of what that would look like:

9 We recommend a custom web app for ABC Company to integrate into their website. The web app would include various functions including a shopping cart, database of items, invoicing and payment processing, and shipping and tracking. This developer isn t doing themselves any favors. This proposed solution does nothing but re-quote what was in the problem statement. Bottom Line - This proposal doesn t offer solutions. Because the solution here doesn t connect any dots, it doesn t tell the client what you can do for them. It only offers services that they already knew they wanted. Now, let s look at it the right way: In order for ABC Company to improve sales on their new website, they should integrate a new custom web app designed to handle their ecommerce. This would help them stand out from the competition, and offer a lighter, more flexible e- commerce solution. The web app should include basic ecommerce functions including a shopping cart and item database, as well as more

10 complex features such as invoicing and payment processing. For customer and company convenience, the app should also include a custom script to import and track shipping data and tracking numbers so that buyers can keep up with their orders after purchase. Finally, the entire app would be designed to load as quickly as possible in order to add benefit to the site without slowing it down. See what happened there? The developer takes the time to point out what their services do for the client, and suddenly it s more persuasive. Although this sort of proposed solution sounds like a lot more work on your part, it also sounds like you re worth more money. This adds to your perceived value, while increasing your ability to convert the lead into a client. Instead of saying, this is what you need, say, this is what you need and this is why. Because you ve already done the research for your problem statement, writing up a great solution should be easy. Outline solutions not services in your recommended solution and connect the dots so the client can see what you re offering. By taking the time to show the client how you can help them, rather than what you can do, you re telling them why they should hire you.

11 3. Benefits You ve taken the time to explain that you understand the problem and that you know how to fix it, and if you re like most you re probably thinking that s enough. Unfortunately you would be wrong. If you stop now, you still might have wasted your time researching and writing the rest of your proposal. The client might see that you re offering services, but at this point, you might not stand out from any of your competitors. Your client isn t the expert in development, you are. They might not even understand what your services do or offer. Most clients will be too busy or too arrogant to educate themselves on what you re offering. You have to outline the benefits of your proposed solution if you want to make an impact. While the benefits of your development services are no mystery to you, the client isn t a developer. They might not even understand any more than that they need software. By taking the time to include a benefits section in your proposal, you are telling the client how your services help them. While you did this to some small extent in the solution section, now you want to really think about the problem and what your solution will do. Why are you the best person for the job? Why should this client hire you?

12 Let s take a look at this example: We ll kick off with a preliminary meeting to talk about you, your company, and go over design ideas to see what you want in a web app. From there, we ll move everything back to our lab and get started working on a custom solution for your website. At week one, we ll send you preliminary mockups of the design so that you can approve the look and feel of your new app. Once you re happy, we ll get started bringing your app to life. We ll build a custom design from the ground up so that your app is as unique as you are. We ll integrate a stylish and invoicing system with payment tracking and ordering right into your system so that you don t have to rely on external websites. We ll also build it to be compatible with your MySQL so that you can import your existing database. We ll integrate HTML5 for speed, and make it responsive so that consumers can order and track their orders from any device. Plus, we ll create custom scripts to import tracking and shipping data

13 so that you can stay up to date on where orders are at any time. While outlining the benefits of your services does take longer, it also increases your perceived value. In this case, the developer outlined exactly what they are doing that makes their work special. Your benefits section separates you from your competitors. It also increases your chances of winning the bid because you re giving the client reasons to want to hire you. 4. Pricing Information If you ve done a good job so far then it s likely that your client has one more important question to ask. Is this going to come in under budget? While quoting a price at the higher end of the clients estimated budget won t necessarily be a bad thing, using a confusing or overly generic pricing section will be. Because most clients will have a good idea of what they can afford to pay for the service (although some won t), you do typically have to bid within those ranges. However you should avoid just using their maximum number. Create your own pricing section and base it on your standard rates. Because you want it to be easy to understand after all, most clients aren t mathematicians you ll also want to take the time to create grid typography to make it easier to understand.

14 Make sure that your proposal is easy to read and digest or your clients will be confused. A properly organized pricing section lets clients see what you charge at a glance. Here s an example: Ecommerce web app design $4,470 Initial Meetup We ll meet with you, talk to you about your wants and needs, and get an idea of which styles and designs suit your company. Design We ll create a mockup of your app so that you can approve and make changes to the layout, design, and even the colors. We ll make it easy for you to get results that you love, because we ll work with you to ensure that you re happy. Customized Web App We ll take our mockup and create a customized solution tailored to your website. We ll submit an initial working draft, allow you to test it, and then continue to customize it until you love it. Final Product We ll integrate your final web app directly into your website so that you can get up and running without any hassle. Project Total $4,470

15 You re notice that this pricing estimate doesn t break pricing down into minute detail? By offering a single project price instead of single service prices, you make your pricing section easier to understand. You re breaking pricing down at a high level so that it s easier to digest and process. Most of your prospective clients will have a budget ceiling that they want to stay under, and most of them will list this budget wherever they post the project. While you do want to stay within it, you don t have to be in the lower ranges to get the client. Asking for more money adds to your perceived value, especially if you ve done a good job with the rest of the proposal. You can read up on psychological price hacks to see how that works. This sort of pricing section is great for smaller projects and is usually labeled a budget summary or budget. You can use a few other names, but those two are usually the most common. Some longer projects, especially those that require milestone payments, may require a slightly more complex pricing section. Remember to keep it as simple as possible and to use a grid format to make it easier to understand. 5. Call to Action The final part of any proposal is a call to action. While it might seem like an obvious include, a surprising number of developers don t include one.

16 Why do you need a call to action? After you ve taken the time to research the client s needs, write a solution, offer benefits, and create an easy to read pricing section, you wouldn t want to leave the client free to walk away. Let s say that you wrote your proposal and sent as-is with no pricing section. The client reads it, is impressed, and then closes it out so that they can respond to you later. They intend to get back to you, but they get distracted, busy, or someone else comes along and they forget all about you. It happens a lot more then you d think. Taking the time to include a call to action at the end of your proposal will increase your turnover rate. Do what most of your competitors won t. Ask them to act. Keep in mind that the people you re sending proposals to are busy, often business owners, and don t have a lot of free time. In fact, they might also be receiving a number of different proposals. If you want them to take action with yours, you have to ask for it. Your call to action should quickly summarize an easy way to contact you, any contract information, and then give a quick glimpse into the future so that the client sees what they get. Most importantly, you have to make it as easy as possible for them to get in touch with you. Here s an example:

17 To proceed with the proposal, ABC Company should do the following: 1.Call us at (xxx-xxx-xxxx) to accept the proposal as is or discuss desired changes to app or contract details. 2.Finalize and sign contract. 3.Submit initial payment of 50% of the final budget. Once the contract has been signed and finalized, we ll get started with a meeting to discuss timelines, needs, and the look and feel of the app. Your call to action should tell the client exactly what they have to do to move forward with the project. Most importantly, the call to action helps to ensure that they will follow through by asking them to do it right then. A call to action is a powerful marketing tool and any proposal you write should include one. Putting It All Together Structuring a Persuasive Proposal You ve learned about what to include in a proposal, now you get to learn how to put it together. Because any proposal should

18 include the five basic elements covered in the last chapter, you can use that to create a basic proposal template. That structure looks like this: 1.Problem Statement 2.Proposed Solution 3.Benefits 4.Pricing Information 5.Call to Action There are several ways that you can title your proposal sections. For the most part, what you choose should depend on the individual project and your personal preference. Problem Statement can also go by Client Needs, Client Goals, Client Objectives, or Goals and Objectives. Proposed Solution can also go by Recommended Solution, Recommended Strategy, or Recommended Action Pricing Information can also go by Budget Summary (for shorter projects), Budget Schedule (for longer projects), or Project Budget.

19 Making Proposal Writing a Repeatable Process Turning It into a System Even if you absolutely hate writing proposals, skipping them could hurt your business prospects. Many high-end clients only consider developers who submit proposals, and if they are more open, sending a proposal is still your best chance of being hired. A proposal is your chance to show the client that you are a professional worthy of their consideration, and the project. The best proposals tell your clients what you can do for them in terms of solutions so that you look invaluable. Writing proposals may be a necessary part of your job as a developer, but you don t have to spend hours on them. Instead of writing each proposal manually, take the time to create a template using the proposal structure. This will help you automate most of the manual tasks so that you can save time. The easiest way to automate the process is to use proposal software, which will create a system for you. Software is the easiest way to go because it also offers prompts and includes professional templates and layouts that you can use to make your proposal look more professional.

20 If you can t use the Bidsketch proposal software then your best second option is to create a template. Creating Your Own Proposal Templates A Manual Alternative to Proposal Software Templates are the best way to write your proposals more quickly if you don t have software. While they aren t quite as effective, you can still save a lot of time and speed up the process. The best software for creating templates is Microsoft, but OpenOffice is a popular alternative. Most developers will want at least one template for short term or low budget projects and one for long term and complex projects. Ready? Let s get started. Small Proposal Templates

21 Small templates are short, to the point, and perfect for shorter development projects. Shorter templates won t be as useful as a longer template but you ll still want to have them around for small projects like finding bugs or creating patches. Your short proposal template should top out at around 2 pages, which is just about right for getting the information across to the client without being obtuse. You want to keep it short and to the point because the project is, by nature, also short. If you don t know how, check these basic instructions for creating a template in Microsoft Word. OpenOffice also offers a set of instructions here. Here s a basic structure for the small proposal template: Client Needs (problem statement) Recommended Solution (proposed solution) Benefits Fee Summary (pricing information) Next Steps (call to action) Large Proposal Templates

22 The majority of your development projects will most likely require a longer proposal, and the large proposal template is perfect for that. Because you ll be using it a little more often, you can spend a little more time on this one. You can expect most of your large templates to hit four or five pages of content, which is also great. For the most part, the large proposal template will be your standard template. Here s a general structure for the large proposal template: Goals and Objectives (problem statement) Recommended Solution (proposed solution) Benefits Fee Summary (pricing information) Fee Schedule: outlines different points where you ll receive partial payments or milestones of the total project cost for completed work. You can also ask for payments up front as necessary. Estimated Project Schedule: Gives clients an idea of when to expect deliverables, such as an initial mockup or first version of the software.

23 Take a look at this example project timeline from the free development proposal template: Next Steps (call to action) Terms and Conditions: Terms and conditions are important for setting client expectations, and ensuring that there are no issues if legal problems arise. Your Terms and Conditions should look roughly like this section from the sample web design proposal template below:

24 Note: You will want to create your own Terms and Conditions based on the specific project. Keep it short and to the point and remember that you only have to mention project specific information. If you re not sure about the language, try running it by your lawyer before sending it in. Your long proposals don t have to be too much longer than your short ones. You want to set client expectations and deliver information without going on too long. Stick to what s relevant to the project and aim for four or five pages.

25 Making It Look Professional First Impression Is Everything You may not be a graphic designer but presentation is still an important part of your business. Your proposal is your only chance to make a good first impression, and you have to make sure that it does. Creating a great first impression is important if you want the job, because clients will be looking for a developer with high standards, and an eye for detail. Your proposal is usually your only chance to make that impression. Because a proposal is usually the first contact you ll have with the client, it will solidify their first impression of you. Any proposals that you send out should represent your professionalism and creativity. If it looks sloppy or thrown together, the client won t be impressed. In fact, a poor layout will actually detract from your pitch. Layout and design are as much parts of your proposal as the five elements that you ll be using to structure your templates.

26 If you ve chosen to use software then that will have templates available for you to use. If you ve decided to do things on your own, you ll have to find another solution. 1. Elegant Design An elegant design is the best way to make a good impression on your prospective clients. Elegance is the best way to show that you re a professional. Because the design of your proposal will make a huge impression on your client, it s important to choose it carefully. A subtle but elegant design is the best way to make a good impression without overwhelming your content. Unless you also happen to do your own design work, you may want to purchase a design for your header and footer. Look for something that is elegant but creative, and go for understated rather than obvious. Choose an understated design Taking the time to pick a design that subtly enhances the content without showing off is the best way to impress. It will look creative without detracting from the proposal. 2. Helper Text If you decided not to use Bidsketch proposal software then you might need help with your proposal content. Because you

27 probably won t remember every element at first, helper or placeholder text can be invaluable. You will get better at figuring everything out on your own as time goes by, but for now, helper text is the best way to ensure that each of your sections includes the right information. You can think of it as a creative guide for structuring and writing your own content around. The content form the Anatomy of a Persuasive Proposal section is a great resource if you need helper text to get started. Proofread! Make sure you proofread your content and make sure that you take out all of your placeholder text. It s unfortunately easy to leave in, but sending a client a proposal with helper text still in place could kill your chance of getting the bid. Re-read the document and make sure you take it all out. Another important thing to watch out for that is harder to catch is general terminology and text. You ll want to reread any proposal you write and take out anything that doesn t directly relate to the client. The result is that your content will be unique, and will offer better solutions to the client s needs. Rule of thumb: If it s not directly about the client s situation, don t include it. Keeping generalized text out of your proposal will make each one you write short, to the point, and laser focused on the client

28 at hand. That means your proposals will sound more original, even if you ve based most of the text on a template. 3. Should I Say Something about My Company? Some developers think that the more they talk about themselves or their company, the better their chances of getting the project. They couldn t be more wrong. The vast majority of the clients you submit proposals to will only care about you to the extent that you can help them solve their problems. Most of the time they won t want to hear about anything else. Your general proposal structure includes more than enough information to convince the client (I.E. your problem statement, proposed solution, pricing information, etc.) If you have a website or portfolio designed to attract and convert clients then by all means, include it in your proposal. Clients can follow the link and interact with you on that platform. If you think you need a Company section, make sure you include it after your benefits section. While you can include the info if you want, placement is a key part of inserting is successfully.

29 Most clients won t want to know about anything but how you can help them. If you want to insert a section about yourself without interrupting the flow of your proposal then you should make sure that it s near the end. Placing an About Us section sooner in the proposal will interrupt the flow and impact of the rest of the document. By inserting it at the end, you give clients who want to know more the opportunity, while allowing those who want to skip to do so as well. Tools, Resources, and Next Steps Hopefully you have a better understanding by now of: 1) what a compelling development proposal looks like; 2) how to create one that will separate you from your competitors; and 3) how to make proposal writing as painless and efficient as possible by turning it into a system. You ll have to keep writing and submitting proposals that s just the name of the game but you can make it easy to get them out to clients quickly and save you time and trouble. The easiest way to do this is to use Bidsketch proposal software. This gives you the structure and presentation you need to get your proposals out quickly and effectively.

30 You could also follow the directions above to create your own proposal templates manually. It ll take a time investment, but you ll set yourself up for more free time to focus on clients going forward. If you are going the template route and don t quite know where to get started, we ve made a free development proposal template available. You can model it or use it for a little inspiration to get started. Another thing you can do to help grow your development business is to check out the Bidsketch blog. There s a ton of free, actionable content available whether it s about negotiating higher rates with clients, being more productive, or marketing your development services and we update it often. Finally, if you haven t done so already, hop on to the Bidsketch list. You ll receive a free ebook about marketing strategies to get more clients, along with fresh new content delivered straight to your inbox as soon as it s released. Best of luck in creating winning development proposals!