Make Your Cover Page Simple Yet Attractive

As they say, the first impression lasts. And your cover page is likely to be the first impression that your potential client will receive. So ensure that you begin things the right way.

Consider starting your design proposal and contract with a cover page that looks simple and clean. Include your logo together with your proposal’s name or title. It should also contain both your website and email. It’s quite simple but it’ll look finished and well put together, instead of jumping right into your pricing from the get-go.

Additionally, make sure to add a touch of your personal branding on the entire proposal. This is an excellent way to show your client that you can make dull and boring paperwork look unique, professional, and customizable. Keep in mind, that this is also your opportunity to shine.

Give Your Clients A Little Sneak Peak Of Who You Are

Follow your cover page with a short but sweet paragraph about your work environment. Use this chance to highlight why you’re the best person for the job and a great fit for their company. Also, make sure that your content is friendly, highly readable, and appears personable.

Avoid using terms that sound too technical and internal like a mission statement. Words like these are not ideal if you want to connect with your clients. Instead, share a little bit about your skills and specialties, as well as the people you enjoy working with. Make sure to stay as authentic and simple as you can.

Provide A Sample Of Your Awesome Portfolio

If this is your first time working with this client or if they’ve never seen some of your works before, include some of the best designs in your proposal. Doing so will help your new client assess your work, and see if your style is compatible with theirs.

Also, if your specialization is branding, then just concentrate on a brand identity style guide. This way, you’ll give your client an idea of what to expect in terms of your process. Moreover, if you’re not proud of a portfolio, don’t include it. Only share those that truly reflect your vision.

An Insight To Your Services And Process

Let your client see that you’re the most suitable person for their project by sharing which design services you specialize in. For example, if your specialization is web design and brand identities for e-commerce shops, and your potential client is an owner of one, then he’ll probably feel like you’re the best fit for the project.

Nonetheless, it’s not a good idea to just keep changing this part of your design proposal to make it suitable for all your clients. Instead, be authentic about the industries you want to work in as well as your niche. Likewise, it’s an ideal place to include an insight into how you work or your process. Keep in mind to keep this brief. And once your clients are in line with you, then walk them through your process in detail.

Your Design Packages And Pricing Details

Now that you’ve provided your prospective client with an overview of your work environment, portfolio, process, and services, conclude your proposal with your pricing. It’s a good idea to place this towards the end. It’ll give your clients a chance to get to know everything about your services and how you work before finally deciding if the price is right.

In terms of your pricing page, try including a specific price for the project, if all the details are given to you already. Otherwise, it’s convenient to incorporate this part with some design packages. Make sure to mention what are the inclusions on all the packages and also the base price for your services. But at the end of the day, it’s still up to you if you want to create packages or custom pricing. You can also revise this page to make it suitable for every client.

Do Not Forget To Thank Your New Client

The final page of your PDF design proposal should be thanking the client for their interest. You can also include your contact information here if they want to hire you or if they want more details about the project.

Preparing Your Design Proposal

Aside from the tips above, here’s a simple guide on how to prepare a successful design proposal:

• Talk to your potential clients to understand what they want and what they’re looking for. Find out more about their problems so that you can provide them with the proper solution.
• Make sure to do plenty of research to understand the brand and product or service of your client. You may also want to ask your prospect to provide you with proprietary materials or documents, if possible, to help you better grasp their situation.
• Utilize the right tool or software when creating your design proposal.
• Be sensible when building the structure of your proposal. State the problem and explain the solution you have in mind.