How to Write Freelance Proposals That Will Win Over Clients (With Free Template)

As a freelance developer, mastering the art of writing proposals is one of the most important skills you can cultivate. A winning proposal is often the difference between getting your dream client or losing out on thousands of dollars in potential business.

Consider these statistics:

• The freelance economy is growing 3x faster than the overall U.S. workforce, with 59 million Americans doing freelance work in 2022. (Upwork)
• Freelancers who earn $100K+ are more likely to have a website (80%) and have a formal proposal template (50%). (AND CO)
• Freelancers who regularly send proposals win 32% more business than those who don‘t. (Bidsketch)

Clearly, submitting professional proposals is crucial to thriving as a freelance developer in today‘s competitive market. In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll share my proven strategies for writing proposals that will wow your clients and win you more business. I‘ve also included a free proposal template you can customize.

Essential Pre-Proposal Research

One of the biggest mistakes I see freelance developers make is quickly throwing together a generic proposal without doing their research first. Taking the time to gather key details about your prospective client is what will set your proposal apart.

Before drafting your proposal, set up a meeting with the client to discuss:

• Their business model and target customers
• Current technology stack and tools
• Specific goals for the development project
• Biggest technical challenges they‘re facing
• Ideal timeline and budget

For example, let‘s say you‘re meeting with a client who needs a custom web application. Some specific questions you might ask include:

• What specific features and functionality do you need?
• How many users do you expect to have?
• What development frameworks and languages are you currently using?
• Who will be responsible for providing the design mockups?
• How will success of the project be measured?

Gathering these details allows you to craft a highly targeted proposal that directly addresses your client‘s unique needs. It shows you‘re not just a coder for hire, but a true partner who understands their business.

Anatomy of a Winning Proposal

With your pre-proposal research done, it‘s time to start drafting your proposal. At a minimum, your proposal should include:

1. Engaging introduction
2. Project overview
3. Your proposed solution
4. Quote options
5. Terms of agreement

Let‘s break down each of these sections from the lens of a developer.

Introduction

The introduction is your chance to demonstrate you understand the client‘s needs and build excitement for the amazing results you‘ll help them achieve.

For a development project, your intro might look something like this:

"Hi [Client], It was great to discuss your plans for a new iOS app to offer your coaching services virtually. I specialize in helping businesses like yours translate their unique IP into polished, user-friendly mobile products. See the attached proposal for how we can bring your vision to life and tap into the $430 billion mobile coaching market. I‘m excited to help you achieve your goal of 10,000 app downloads in the first 90 days!"

Project Overview

The project overview is where you crystallize the client‘s key objectives and current challenges. This is your chance to wow them with your technical expertise and strategic thinking.

Some key elements to include:

• High-level recap of the project goals
• Overview of their current tech stack and architecture
• Specific technical challenges and limitations
• How the project fits into the overall business strategy

For our coaching app example above, the project overview might include:

"The goal of this project is to develop a mobile app for iOS that will allow your clients to book and attend virtual coaching sessions. The app will need to securely handle payment processing, integrate with your existing CRM and include engaging video features. Your current tech stack includes PHP and MongoDB on the backend. One challenge will be efficiently handling the large video files to ensure a seamless user experience.

Launching this app will be crucial to expanding your market reach and tapping into the growing demand for virtual coaching. Industry data shows that coaches who offer a mobile app see a 35% increase in client engagement and retention."

See how we‘ve concisely highlighted the key project requirements while still tying it back to the bigger picture business goals? That‘s the hallmark of an effective overview.

Your Solution

Now it‘s time to showcase your solution to the client‘s problem. This is where you flex your developer muscles and prove you have the technical chops to get the job done right.

Your solution section should include:

• Specific development approach and technologies you‘ll use
• Breakdown of the project phases and milestones
• Strategies for overcoming technical challenges
• Ongoing support and maintenance plan

Continuing our example:

"To achieve the project goals, I recommend developing the app using React Native. This will allow us to efficiently create a polished cross-platform app that can be easily extended to Android in the future. I also suggest leveraging AWS S3 to securely host and stream the video files.

The project will be completed across three key phases:

Phase 1 – Backend setup and CRM integration (3 weeks)
Phase 2 – Frontend development and video streaming implementation (6 weeks)
Phase 3 – Testing and deployment (2 weeks)

To ensure a seamless experience, I will set up comprehensive monitoring and error logging to proactively identify any technical issues. After deployment, I can provide ongoing support and maintenance to ensure the app continues performing optimally and securely.

Based on my experience with similar video-heavy apps, I‘m confident we can develop an app that will delight your users and achieve your download goals. My support plan also covers quickly implementing new features based on user feedback to drive long-term growth."

Quote Options & Pricing

It‘s time to talk turkey and give the client your pricing. When it comes to quoting development projects, I recommend providing 3 options so the client can choose their ideal balance of features and cost.

Here‘s an example:

Option 1 (Basic) – MVP version of the app with core booking and video features. No CRM integration. Ongoing support not included. $15,000

Option 2 (Pro) – Polished app with CRM integration, user profiles and gamified progress tracking. 3 months of support included. $25,000

Option 3 (Enterprise) – All features of Pro plus customized branding, dedicated account manager and 12 months of support. $40,000

Presenting pricing this way increases your chances of closing the deal, even if the client doesn‘t have the budget for your ideal package. It also helps anchor the client to your preferred middle option.

Some clients will inevitably say your prices are too high. That‘s why it‘s crucial to support your pricing with relevant data points. You might say something like:

"I understand $25,000 is a significant investment. However, industry data shows that the average cost to develop an app with these features is $35,000. And when you factor in the projected revenue from your download goals, this project will pay for itself within the first six months. Working with an experienced developer like myself also reduces the risk of costly technical issues down the line."

Terms of Agreement

Finally, be sure to include your terms of agreement, including:

• Payment schedule (e.g. 50% upfront, 25% at milestone 1, 25% upon completion)
• Intellectual property ownership terms
• Cancellation and refund policies
• Signatures from both parties

Having clear terms helps protect you and ensures everyone is aligned on the project logistics.

Following Up & Getting Feedback

You‘ve sent off your masterpiece of a proposal, but your work isn‘t done yet! Following up with the client is key to keeping your project top of mind and addressing any questions or concerns they have.

Set the expectation in your proposal that you‘ll be checking in if you haven‘t heard back within a week. Then, make sure to actually follow through with a friendly email reiterating your excitement for the project.

If the client decides to go in a different direction, don‘t get discouraged. Instead, view it as an opportunity to gain valuable insights. Ask the client if they‘re open to sharing why they didn‘t move forward. Was your pricing too high? Did they have concerns about your technical approach? Did your proposal fail to clearly communicate the project value?

Use this feedback to continuously tweak and optimize your proposals. For example, if multiple clients mention your pricing is too high, you might start including more ROI data in your proposals to better communicate the value. Or if clients seem unsure about your technical capabilities, consider adding more case studies showcasing your past wins.

Remember, a "no" today doesn‘t mean no forever. I‘ve had plenty of clients who initially passed come back to me months or years later with a new project. Stay in touch by periodically sharing helpful resources or congratulating them on company milestones. Providing value outside of the proposal itself can help you build a reputation as a go-to expert in your niche.

Get My Free Winning Proposal Template

I‘ve distilled my top proposal strategies into a plug-and-play template you can snag for free. The template covers all the essential proposal elements outlined above, so all you need to do is customize it for your specific project and client.

Click here to download my free proposal template.

With this template and the tips outlined in this guide, you‘ll be well on your way to writing proposals that wow your clients and skyrocket your freelance revenue. I regularly use this exact template for my six-figure development business.

Key Takeaways

In case you‘re short on time, here are the key takeaways for writing a winning freelance proposal:

• Always start with pre-proposal research to understand the client‘s unique needs
• Use the project overview to highlight their key challenges and objectives
• Wow them with your technical strategy and project approach in the solution section
• Provide 3 quote options so the client can choose their ideal price point
• Include clear terms around payment, deliverables and intellectual property
• Regularly follow up and seek feedback to optimize future proposals
• Use proposals as a tool to build long-term client relationships

If you found this guide valuable, you can find more tips for succeeding as a freelance developer on my blog at kyle-prinsloo.com.

What are your top tips for writing winning proposals? Send me a message – I‘d love to hear them!