How do I write a killer proposal?

There's a surprising amount you can do to make your proposals stand out and get attention (and get you hired, of course).

Here are a few key guidelines that have worked very well for me, and many others, over the years. If you stick to these 3 things, you can write proposals that are better than 95% of your competitors -- even the more experienced ones.

1. Resist the urge to "sell yourself."

When you first sit down to write a proposal there's a knee-jerk reaction that says, "I need to convince the client to hire me." So you go into pitch mode and start to list out reasons why you think they should choose you.

It's a very natural thing to do. But if you look closely you'll see that the Sell Yourself approach contains a number of fatal flaws:

• Most (and many times all) of your competitors are doing it too, so instead of standing out you end up sounding just like everyone else
• Clients are mainly interested in themselves and accomplishing THEIR goals -- so if you lead by talking about yourself then you'll lose out to someone whose proposal is focused around the client and their needs (I'll show you an example of this shortly)
• No one -- and I mean no one -- likes being sold to by a total stranger

2. Build rapport.

Some people think that clients choose freelancers based solely on their qualifications and experience.

In reality, it doesn't work that way at all.

Don't underestimate the power of making a personal connection in your proposals. At its core, freelancing is a people business -- not a resume game.

Some great ways to build rapport with clients quickly in your proposals:

• Say something friendly
• Don't be too formal (sound like a human, not a robot)
• Focus on helping the client -- not just getting the job

3. Show, don't tell.

Some of the most common phrases clients will encounter from your competitors sound like this:

"I'm good at ______"

"I have a degree in ______"

"I've been doing this for __ years"

Those are all examples of telling the client you know what you're doing. People default to telling because it's easy and it doesn't require any imagination. You just copy and paste your qualifications and you're done with it.

It's 100x more engaging and powerful to show them you know what you're doing instead.

Some great ways to show clients you know what you're doing:

• Share a surprising piece of knowledge with them
• Tell a story about something you worked on in the past
• Show them a relevant example of your work

And never forget to...

• Make sure you are reading job descriptions thoroughly before applying.
• Align your skills and experience with what the client is seeking.
• Ditch the generic.
• Keep an eye out for extra questions.
• Be concise.
• Do your research.

Take your time, pay attention to all the details, and most importantly, be patient.