Writing Winning Offline Proposals How to stand out and land the job in 9 easy steps.

My Story O Medium-Sized lawfirm with 12 lawyers O Contacted me after direct mailing O Asked for a proposal O Normally, I don‘t want to write proposals O BUT: No single decision-maker O Big job potential ($ 6,000 + $ 1000/month) O Proposal was very well-received, and I am now in touch with them to build a website, and they are also very interested in the SEO.

When to write a proposal? O Don‘t waste your time! O Only for bigger clients ( > $ 3,000 up-front) O Where they really need it – Lawfirms, bigger companies… O Avoid bottomfeeders!

How to prepare for a proposal O Gather as much information as you can O What problems are they struggling with? O What do they already know about SEO? O Where are they currently spending their advertising budget? O What are their goals, what do they want? O Write it down!

Step 1: Create a (mind) map of your own services Free XMind: Mindmap included in the packagehttp://

Step 2: Create a specific mind- map for your client O Based on what you know about your client, pick and choose the most effective techniques O Arrange them in a new mind map to give an overview O Add benefits to each branch O This will also help you while you write the proposal!

Example Step 2 O Contact Form on website O Easier for your prospects, more leads O Facebook Page O Spread the word, position as trusted authority O Wordpress / Joomla CMS O Pages can be edited as easily as a Word doc. O Marketing O Capture indecisive visitors‘ addresses

Step 3: Create a nice cover page O Make it personalized, e.g. „Proposal for ABC DUI and Personal Injury Lawfirm Inc.“ O Add your logo, and (more important) your full contact details, and Phone Number

Example Step 3 O Personalized Headline O Logo O Contact Details

Step 4: Insert the mind map O Insert the mind map into your proposal. O To do this: Export the mind map as an image O Make sure it is readable O Give it a nice title: O The map to your online success

Example Step 4

Step 5: Write an Introduction O Write a short introduction (about three paragraphs) O Repeat most important pain points O Tell you are showcasing what you can do for your client O Tell you are available for any questions O Thank them for taking time to read your proposal

Example Step 5 O Very short O Contact details O Signed with a name O Sign this on the printed version!

Step 6: Write the proposal body O Use your mind map, and the information you‘ve gained at the first contact O Describe every aspect of the services you want to offer in easy terms O Always tailor to your client: SEO knowledge, goals… O Highlight the benefits with bullet points O Make it easy to extract the gems! O Easy to read & scan O No prices, yet!

Example Section Step 6 O Short explanation O Main benefits O Possible pain points O What‘s included? O Don‘t copy & paste it all, make client- specific

Step 7: Give your client a timeline O Your client wants to know you have a plan and what happens and when O Use a nice graphic (can be created with Office, don‘t overdo it!) O Show them what happens first, second, third… O Include the deliverables

Example Step 7 O Graphic visualizes the timeline O Each Phase is listed together with the deliverables O Video Tutorial in the package!

Step 8: Testimonials, references and case studies O Include any written testimonials and references of previous clients O The more details, the better, image / company logo, names, addresses, phone numbers… O You can also tell them to search in Google! O Doesn‘t this remind you of a sales page?

Step 9: The offer O Repeat the main benefits in one or two sentences. O Give guarantees, tell them exactly what they get. O Prepare 3 different packages O Changes the question in prospect‘s head O Create a nice table O Icons from Google Images (check license) O Show them the set-up & monthly fees O Have some add-on packages with prices

Example Step 9 O Short summary of the benefits O Three packages with the option of hosting O Listed with setup and monthly fees O Video-Tutorial included!

Congratulations! You are done! O You‘ve created a proposal that is: O Customized to your potential client O Unique and stands out from the competition O Memorable because of the graphics

Sending out the proposal O Get some nice presentation folders (about $ 1.50 a piece) O Maybe invest in some good printer paper O More serious look & feel

Advanced Strategies I O Always do your homework! O Don‘t only talk about what you can do, go one step further. O Create a first draft of their homepage O Do a small competitive analysis O Tell them about a few keywords O Give them a few tidbits

Advanced Strategies II O Always add something that you can offer in the future. O Creating CDs, Information products… O This will make you stand out O They WANT to stay in touch with you

Advanced Strategies III O Keep the client‘s concerns in mind: O Will it work? O Is my money better spent elsewhere? O How does this help me achieve my goals? O Am I being ripped off? O Will this make me look stupid?

Thank you for listening! O Questions or Problems? O Interested in talking to me personally? O me at: