6 Quick Tips for Writing Project-Winning Email Proposals (plus an example letter)
When you are offering a potential client your services, it helps to give the reader an enjoyable reading experience so they become excited about working with you. Following are 6 easy tips you can use right away to increase your chances at securing new business.
- Make the letter totally about the potential client. Use “you” way more than you use “I” or “me”
- Show enthusiasm for their project, and helping them reach their goals
- Reference their specific goals in the letter — mainly to acknowledge that you’re aware of those goals, and to get the client thinking about possibilities.
- Offer lots of relevant ideas, then offer an easy place to start working with you, so they’re not overwhelmed
- Be detached from the outcome. Be fine with the client saying “No,” “Maybe,” “Yes,” or “Yes, but later.”
- Understand that each proposal you send out makes you better at your game.
Here’s an example of a proposal I just sent out a new potential client whom I met recently at a business event (all confidential info has been removed). For background purposes: this letter was written to someone who is developing a sports-related business.
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Hi XXX,
I had a chance to look over your biz plan for XXX, and WOW. There is definitely huge potential here. I can see why this was a well-kept secret for a long time. How exciting! I’m honored that would you share this with me.
I’m not familiar with XXX, and not sure why they aren’t replying to your emails. However, if you want me to revise your business plan, I can definitely do that. Note that I don’t do “one-time projects” because of the significant amount of research involved in starting up with a new client. I like to get deeply involved with my clients’ work, and if it’s not something that could transition into a long-term partnership type of thing, then I would pass on it. So if you’re interested in hiring me, please consider it from the vantage point of how I could assist you long-term (and I have offered some ideas below).
I think your goal of securing $50k in funding is doable, and in fact – even doubling that, as [our coach] would suggest – is doable. You can take a variety of approaches to achieve that goal. In addition to finding an investor or bank financing, perhaps you could hire someone to launch a blog, sell sports merchandise, sell advertising, and/or create and sell INFO PRODUCTS related to basketball (e.g., an ebook called “Top 10 Secrets for Improving Your Game” for $29.95 a copy). That way you are creating some of the startup capital yourself.
My specialty is in creating and launching products online, and I was recently certified as an Online Business Manager. So there is lot I could do here for you. And if you don’t end up hiring me right away, you could always save these ideas for later. Here are my initial thoughts:
- Business plan can be rewritten and edited to be more compelling, more succinct, and able to clearly communicate the bigger vision of why the owner wants to launch this project. Revision would focus on tightening sentence structure, improving grammar, and ensuring all spelling and punctuation is correct (just from skimming your draft here, I saw several minor punctuation issues that can be easily fixed). Most importantly, make sure biz plan speaks to the “[game] lover” in the reader, excites them, and inspires passion in them. Slight reorganization to put the juiciest stuff at the beginning of the document.
- Do some “deep research” to find appropriate investors. Do you already have investors in mind? Assistance with preparing, formatting, and submitting proposals. Someone to manage all of the above.
- Create compelling proposal letters based on the biz plan, tailored to your targeted investors.
- Start a blog to get peopled excited about this idea. Hire 1-2 sports writers, have someone manage editing and content production. Doesn’t have to be complicated; can be a very simple
process with 2-3 blog posts per week. Use the blog to sell related
products & advertising. - Produce online training manuals and other materials (videos, etc.) for “Association Manager training.” Someone to manage the training process.
First things first, I’d be happy to start with a simple project such as revising/editing your biz plan, with the explicit goal of making it irresistible to potential investors. We could use that initial project to see how well we work together…. then consider further projects later down the road.
If that’s something you’d be interested in, let me know and we can chat further.
Michelle Lopez
Online Business Manager (OBM)
Tel: (720) xxx
Fax: (303) xxx
www.sugarlit.com
I help small-business owners
make more money
and enjoy more free time.
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