Growing your small business is an ongoing task that inevitably involves a pitch or two. If presenting a proposal to secure a new client seems scary, you’re not alone. However, it doesn’t have to be.

Let’s explore how crafting a personalised and well-researched proposal can help your creative business win new clients. Here are some tips to make your next pitch a success.

Understand your client’s needs

Before you start creating your proposal, take some time to find out what the client in question needs.
What are their goals and pain points?
Do they have a budget in mind?
This will help you tailor your pitch to show how you and your business can make a difference.
It can be helpful to have a questionnaire for the potential customer to fill out, covering these points so you have something to work from prior to your consultation or discovery call.

Create a proposal structure

With so many potential customers leading busy lives, you want your proposal to have maximum impact from the outset. Get to the point as quickly and effectively as possible, showing why you’re the best person to solve their problem.

The following points can help you create a basic template to adapt for future proposals.

Start with a strong introduction

Make a great first impression with a concise and engaging introduction. This should cover a brief overview of who you are and why you’re a perfect fit for the business.

Highlight the problem and solution

Next, define the issue your potential client is facing. Show how you recognise and understand their needs and highlight how your product or service is the ideal solution to their problem. This shows that you’ve done your homework and helps you align your offering with their requirements.

Outline your offering

Now you can go into more detail about your product or service and how it can help the client. Where relevant, include specific timelines and deliverables, always relating back to the customer’s goal.

By providing a clear outline, you can show that you’re organised and professional. As well as building trust, your outline helps set realistic client expectations. All of this can contribute to the project scope once you're ready to put a contract or agreement together.

Make it personal

Once you have your pitch template, it can be tempting to copy and paste it to a variety of prospective clients. However, while templates can indeed be useful, providing a base to work from for more efficient pitching, don’t fall into the ‘generic’ trap.

Within your template, make sure you personalise your message and the pitch content to the prospect in question. This helps show that you value them as an individual and have taken the time to research their needs. It will also help you stand out if they’ve been inundated with other clearly copy-and-pasted proposals.

Focus on value, not just cost

Budget is, undoubtedly, a big factor for many customers and clients. Throughout your pitch, be open about your pricing, but also show how your service or product will bring value — whether that’s peace of mind, time savings, or a boost in annual turnover. After all, **competitive pricing** is about the relative value your service offers as much as the price tag itself.

If you have reviews, testimonials, or case studies from past customers, it can be a good idea to feature them in your pitch to show evidence of your offering’s value.

Scale your business with VA support

Whether you’ve met a prospective client through networking or had a query via your website, proper preparation can help your pitches and proposals run as smoothly as possible.

How to create compelling proposals and pitch to potential clients