Write a Project Overview that Sells your Web Proposal
So you want to know how to make your Web Development Proposal shine like Fred Astair in his prime? How to make it so when the client reads the requirements and specifications, they're going to get all warm and fuzzy inside....that basically, life's just not worth living unless they have you to develop and design their website.
Well, that's the million dollar question isn't it...actually, no it's not - there are many ways to write proposal so it impresses the client and gets you the winning bid.
One very cool method was highlighted in an article I read over at SitePoint forums.
And I quote
The most important thing you can do with the introduction to your proposal is demonstrate that you understand the prospect’s needs and wants. This doesn’t take long; usually a quick Google search suffices to provide background information on your client that you can include in your introduction.
You may ask, “Why tell the client what they already know?” Think of this way: if you can’t show that you understand the basics of your client’s business, they sure as heck aren’t going to trust you with a mission-critical project.
The other thing to keep in mind is that flattery seldom hurts. If your prospective client calls itself “the leader” in its field, it’s probably not a good idea to argue with that claim in your proposal. Instead, acknowledge the claim, but keep your own independent opinion in mind as you work with the client.
See the simple but smart premise the author is getting at? Basically, you want to win them over by doing some background research on their business and then craftily incorporate this information into the proposal. But where in the proposal you ask? What section? Well that would be the Project Overview.
The Project Overview is the opening section of the Web Development Proposal and sits at the very top of the proposal. It acts as the lead-in section and sets the context for the rest of the document.
The Project Overview normally includes such details as :
- the developers details (your name, contact information, website)
- the client's details (business name, location, business number)
- date of proposal
- a description of the solution being developed
It's in the description that you not only detail the solution being developed, but also how that solution will accentuate and benefit the client's business, how it will add value and so on.
Yes, you could say that we're simply adding some "fluff", but it's good fluff. You see, it's all about impressing the client and showing them you're in-tune with their business needs, and let me tell you, they'll love you for it....or at the very least, you'll make more of an impression then your competition; and at the end of the day, that's all the really matters.
Tina Pixon
