The idea for this post originated from a tweet in my Twitter timeline linking to an article about writing a "perfect" proposal for freelance jobs. I was curious... was I doing it wrong? I have more work than I can manage - I'm even turning down jobs right now. But could I be doing better? I followed the link.
Well, the article was idiocy but it did prompt me to do a little more research. There are thousands of articles out there about writing perfect proposals. There are even eBooks that, for a mere $25-65 explain in minute detail exactly how to write that winning proposal. I am here to tell you the REAL secret.
I feel just like the Mythbusters right now. I wish I had some exciting special effects as I do this... Okay, are you ready? The secret to writing a proposal that will win a job in the freelance arena is.....
There is no secret.
Yes. I'm serious. All of those articles out there are contain common sense advice. Obviously, a personalized proposal will go further than a cookie cutter one. That's really the only tip you need. Write a unique proposal for every single job. Never have a pre-written proposal with fill-in-the-blank job identifiers. Clients can tell.
So, dear readers who freelance, this is my holiday gift to you: The secret to writing a winning proposal is that there is no secret formula. Stay tuned... my next post might just be interesting to you. I will post some of my more interesting winning proposals for you to check out. I think you just might be surprised... but those of you who know that I'm on the verge will just smile.
