10K Proposals That Get Accepted: Why Video Walkthroughs Changed My Business (With Real Example)

You know the client already wants to work with you before sending a proposal - you have had a discovery call that went great. You have understood their needs, asked them what the vision for their brand and talked about money up front. You have established the range of prices you will send them so they are not shocked when they see the proposal. So, you just send them a pdf proposal, right?

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In the past, I just sent a short proposal because I thought I had got the job already. If the initial call goes so well that the client says that they are keen to work with you, I used to believe the proposal wasn’t that important.

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However, often, I got rejected by the client a few days later. Why? I believe that it was because my proposal wasn’t as good as it could have been. I have found that while the client (and his/her team) is deciding whether to work with you or not, sending a proposal that is as good as it can be with a personalised video increases my chance of closing the client project dramatically. More recently, it has even helped me close a 10K client.

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Today, I’ll share thoughts on:

1. Difference between a proposal and a contract
2. Why film a walkthrough of the proposal?
3. Proposal Structure (and breakdown)
4. Conclusion

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DISCLAIMER:

1. Just to be clear, this is not my process. I originally learnt how to send proposals like this from Grace Walker which she shared to the FlowParty community which I’m part of. (100% recommend joining the community by the way).
2. You do not NEED to send a video proposal to get jobs. I know Ran Segall has a proposal sheet that is 3 pages (See his proposal process here). Others advocate for as short a proposal as possible! There is no one right way to do this - this is the way that I have found more success closing clients though so that’s why I’m sharing it with you!

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With that being said, let’s get in to this:

1) What is The Difference Between A Proposal And A Contract?

To quote Mr Ben Burns from the The Futur:

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”Proposals are for sales and negotiating. Contracts are legally binding agreements.”

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You need to recognise that a proposal leads to the client saying yes. A contract is formalising that yes with a signature. A proposal is NOT a legally binding contract but a contract is.

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Here is a great breakdown video of sending proposals too:

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2) Why film a walkthrough of the proposal?

Although I also send a link to the proposal document, I firmly believe the video walkthrough of the proposal clinches it for the following reasons:

• MORE PERSONAL - As Marty Neumeier says, 'People work with who they like, know and trust.' Yes you have already had a discovery call with the client so they know how you are BUT, it shows you are thoughtful and friendly by showing that extra bit of effort recording a video walkthrough for them. You can also inject some more of that great personality you have. Ultimately, your client will be spending time with you for months (depending on the size of the job) which can be daunting for some clients. They want to make sure they are choosing someone they actually like. So, show how thoughtful and pleasant you are via video helps them pick you.
• SHOWS TEAMWORK - Often, the first client call is like a vetting process for company. There might only be one person on the call but after that stage, there is a team of people who will likely have a hand in making the final decision on which proposal to pick. By making a video, those other team members get to see you, hear you and get a truer sense of the person behind the propsal. Imagine this - you have 5 great proposals to choose from but only one designer has sent a video walkthrough showing off their great personality and a great proposal. Which one are you going to pick?
• DEPTH OF PROCESS - Clients haven't paid any money to work with you when you send the proposal. When they receive a banging proposal with a video walkthrough, they will imagine the lengths you will go for them if they DO pay you. You are going head over biscuit for them at this early stage so much so that it's a no brainer to work with you - you clearly care about the project beyond money.

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I hope this persuades you to at least trying out recording a video walkthrough for your next proposal.

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3) Proposal Structure (and breakdown)

Like I mentioned above, you don’t have do both a video and send a proposal but if you want the client to show you are willing to go above and beyond, I really recommend it. Here is an example video proposal that I sent last week (above) and here is the breakdown of the pages and why I do the proposal like this:

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Make a cover image that doesn't just say "Propsal." Show it's personalised for the client. (Sounds obvious but surprised by how many people use a template that is so obviously a template that looks dry and no personalisation).

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Make sure that you show you are excited to work together! Let the client know this isn't another boring proposal that you fill out just because you have to.

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Show you have listened to the client. You are not a robot that just spits out any old deliverables for the client. You want to understand the client's overall goals and show you have listened and understood them.

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You obviously don't have to offer branding if you don't do it but often, clients come to me without any brand identity but want a website. I prefer to focus on brand identity before designing and building a website. I have tried to do them all at the same time in the past and it's been a nightmare so I split it but I know some other designers just go for it. Up to you!

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Clients don't always know what a stylescape is so I show this in the proposal. I will try and create a general stylescape but then tighten it to make as close to the look and feel of the brand as possible.

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Your website process might look different so adjust accordingly obviously! (Ps. I will show my current website process next blog).

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I like to show a project example just to show how important it is to focus on brand identity first and then website design.

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Not all clients know Webflow! I know that sounds crazy because all of us are in the Webflow twittersphere talking about Webflow all the time but clients might not know anything about it. Just showing some of the key points helps them understand how it benefits them.

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Show costs and educate the client about the platform.

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Get in to the proposals and timelines:

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I think it's important to explain when you want to get paid. Obviously, the contract will go in to more specifics but a high level overview of payments makes sense I think.

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Show past work! Ensure that they see your sexy websites. Making sure these are clickable links is important too!

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Showing off some of the nice things people say about you just for some more social proof.

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Make sure that there is an email to reply to in the proposal.

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Feel free to add or take away anything that doesn't sit right with you. This should be tailored to your process and personality.

3) How To Send The Proposal

I have always used Figma to do client proposals and presentations. I find it's just easier if the all the presentations are in the same place. Since I know how to use the tool well, and it’s free, I think it’s ideal. Recently, I got the the Pitchdeck plugin and it’s been amazingly simple to make a smooth presentation. I recommend checking it out!

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To actually record the proposal, I will simply set up a zoom call, share the screen and then click record. So, like a loser, I'm on a call with myself BUT, then I can record it so once you get over the weirdness of talking to yourself on a zoom call, it's all good. Just imagine yourself talking to the client live and you will be fine!

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4) Conclusion

Just to be clear, you DO NOT need to send a video proposal to get a job. I just find it has dramatically changed my closing rates and I would certainly at least do it for the projects you really want to get. After I asked this on Twitter, Luke Netti said he actually did his proposals live after a paid discovery call! Maybe this is a level up from what I'm currently doing... See what works best for you and send me a message if the video walkthrough helps your closing rates!

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