Chapter
6
Crafting Killer Proposals
In This Chapter
• Making the personal connection with your proposal
• A beginning proposal structure
• Learning from a sample proposal
• Pricing your services
• An alternative proposal technique
For a contractor, the proposal is one of the most critical tools you have available to win jobs. Here you have the opportunity to make your first connection with the prospective client and to explain why you are the best person for the job. Unfortunately, this is also where most jobs are lost.
As much as you have time and space to sell yourself, if you don’t turn this opportunity into an advantage it can work equally hard against you. More jobs are lost through sloppy, ill-prepared proposals than anywhere else. This is good news for those of you reading this chapter.
I will provide you with key points to consider, a general structure to follow, and a sample proposal to work from. (In Appendix B you’ll see more sample proposals.) I’ll also go over pricing strategies, and the unique approach to proposals by one successful contractor that will get your brain spinning. Read on!