introverted freelancer guide to writing proposals

HandsOnWP.com @nick_batik@sandi_batik

Introverted Freelancer’s Guide to Writing a Winning Proposal

Austin WordPress Meetup

http://handsonwp.com/


…AN ON-GOING DISCUSSION

starting and building a successful WordPress freelance business



YOUR UNIQUE VALUE PROPOSITION



WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL “SUPER POWER”

• The things that come to you easily

• Your innate skill or passion• The differentiator that makes

a client want YOU• The business management

name for “Super Power” is “Value Proposition”

• It describes your target client, the problem you solve, and why you’re uniquely better than other freelancers.



DEFINE AND UNDERSTAND YOUR TARGET CLIENT’S

NEEDS• How well do you

know your target audience

• What are the problems they need you to solve



INSTALL AN INQUIRY FORM



THE DISCOVERY PROCESS



THE WHY OF DISCOVERY• Develop a Scope of Work for a reliable cost and time estimate for the project.

• Our experience adds value — Clients don't know what they don't know

• Identifies inaccurate assumptions and improves communication

• Gets the real motivations, expectations, goals on the table



THE HOW OF DISCOVERYBEFORE the meeting do your homework• Review Client's Intake

Questionnaire• Review their current site• Do a Google look up on both

the client and the market space

• Review their competitors' sites

• Do a Basic Brand Analysis



THE HOW OF DISCOVERY• Identify the decision makers and confirm

they are attending• Set the time for the meeting:

• Send a meeting agenda to the participants• If key personal are not in attendance

cancel the meetingFollow the agenda• Avoid excessive small talk, start talking

about their business• Have the meeting notes recorded or bring a

scribe• Ask questions and clarify the answers until

every agrees• what the site looks like • the content it should contain• how the endusers will find and use it.



AS THE DISCOVERY MEETING MODERATOR, YOUR JOB IS TO ASK

QUESTIONS, LISTEN AND ASK MORE QUESTIONS• Don't Focus on the

technology the how we do it is not as important as listening careful to what the client is saying

• Talk about the client's goals and problems get deep with all the issue the client needs to solve

• Listen carefully and don't try to solve their problem on the spot.



QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT ASK DURING DISCOVERY

SESSION• Spark creativity and get everyone involved• Conduct a group brain-dump — Sort answers into 3

columns

1. Needed

2. Nice to have

3. Great idea— but not just now• Who is the clients target audience?• Look at site use patterns from both the clients and

the clients target customer• “As a <role>, I want <goal/desire> so that

<benefit>”• “As a customer representative, I want to search for

my customers by their first and last name to find the customer faster.”

• What problem do you want to solve?• What risks is the client afraid of? • What is worst case scenario?



AT THE END OF A DISCOVERY SESSION

You should have covered: • Research• Goal Planning• Target Audience• Users Stories • Look and feel • Competitor Analysis• Content Strategy - Basic• Content Audit



ASSUMPTIONS THAT CAN TRIP YOU UP• Client will provide high quality photos and videos

in a timely fashion.

• Client will provide descriptions for products.

• Client will provide feedback on layout designs in a timely fashion.



WHAT IS THE “PRODUCT” OF OUR DISCOVERY

SESSION• Take a day or two to create a Creative Brief

• This is a visual mind map of all the project’s goals and a plan for achieving them

• Include information from the client questionnaire, initial meetings, Discovery interviews, team discussions, and site content strategy sessions

• Describes how users will interact with the site content

• Analytical data collected • Create a site map • Prototyped web design • Proposed production plan to achieve

your goals



HOW THE CREATIVE BRIEF GUIDES

YOUR PROPOSAL AND WORK

THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT.

The Statement of Work in the creative brief is

the structure for proposal, a timeline

and pricing



THE JOB OF A PROPOSAL• Only two reasons a

business invest in a website project• Solve a problem • Reach a business

objective • Propose a Clear and

Obvious Solution to your client's problem

• A clear and obvious path forward to help them achieve their objectives



WHAT SHOULD YOU INCLUDE YOU IN YOUR

PROPOSAL• Executive Summary of the Business (no more than two paragraphs)

• The Business needs• The Target Audience needs• Propose your solution• Project timeline• Investment• FAQs• Next steps



Sandi Batik WordPress evangelist, consultant, trainer,

curricula developer, author, unapologetic geek, unrepentant capitalist, lucky enough to do what I love everyday. I’ve served as Austin WordPress

Meetup co-organizer since 2010. With my husband Nick Batik, co-founded Pleiades

Publishing Services in 1992 and Hands-On WordPress Training in 2010.

Follow me @sandi_batik / @WPATXContact me at: handsonwp.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hsandrachevalierbatik

Presenter



Nick Batik

Started in web development in 1994 and have been a WordPress consultant, and web developer since 2007. A WordPress evangelist, I’ve served as Austin WordPress Meetup co-organizer since 2010. With my partner, co-founded Pleiades Publishing Services in 1992 and Hands-On WordPress Training in 2010.

Follow me @nick_batik / @WPATX

Contact me at: handsonwp.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasbatik

Presenter


https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasbatik