Blog by Dubsado Certified Specialist Angela Munoz
How important is having a strategic & stunning proposal and seamless process to go along with it? I say it’s *essential* if you want your dream clients thinking “heck yes, where do I sign!?”
The proposal process can be the ultimate deciding factor in whether a potential client works you. When infused with intentionality and sales psychology, your proposal has the power to build trust, credibility and connection, crush objections, showcase what makes you and your business unique to stand out amongst the competition, present your offer and process with clarity to set the tone and successful outcome for the rest of the working relationship by outlining what to expect, and as a result, increase conversions with more dream clients and grow your bottom line.
Today I'm going to show you my proven framework of each essential section to include in your proposals and why they are important, as well as tips in the overall proposal process to make it a seamless process for you and your clients (and make sure to scroll to the bottom for some surprise goodies to make creating all of this 100x easier!)
After working with tons of clients to transform their proposals, I have noticed a trend in that they are just throwing a package field on the proposal (if even using 🫣), most of the time with generic or no descriptions, and calling it a day wondering why they aren't signing more clients. I don't want that for you, friend!
After working with me, I've had so many clients reach back out and say their client conversions have skyrocketed since updating their proposals and process and it has eliminated an incredible amount of back and forth with questions and concerns. I myself have about an average 90% conversion rate, and I 100% give credit to how I present myself during this entire process.
I want to show you how to do this for your own business and give you the confidence to know you are putting your best foot forward and knowing your potential clients are equipped with everything they need to make a well informed business decision.
Let's say buh-bye to manual creation of PDFs only to have to then send a manually completed contract, then send an invoice, or not even having a proposal to begin with and upleveling your client experience in the proposal and booking phase.
✨🔥MAKE SURE TO SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM FOR SOME GOODIES FOR YOU!✨🔥
*Quick disclaimer: I specialize in coded Dubsado form designs, so that is what my portfolio mainly consists of and what is visually represented below. Coded forms allow me to utilize some features not currently achievable with code-free forms using the native Dubsado form builder, but you can still use the outline below and create beautiful designs without code!
Nothing makes a better first impression than jaw-dropping imagery — depending on if you're using coded forms or not, you have options for it be a static image, sliding images, a GIF or video (yes, I said GIFs and video! 🤯) The quicker you can catch their attention, the quicker they're going to want to keep on scrollin' for what's to come!
→ Personalizing it is always a good idea with something like: thoughtfully prepared for (and using the Dubsado smart fields for either client name, client & partner first names, or company name).
I like to start out with a big bold statement that evokes the essence of what you provide clients with—whether it be overall in your business or for this particular service.
The goal is to show your excitement, establish your expertise, and to build the know-like trust factor. A few things to unpack here:
→ Thank them again for considering you and share your eagerness to work with them!
→ Don't shy away from including some personal details, because remember, people buy from people!
→ Go ahead, brag a little—this is the section of your business proposal where you get to convince your potential client why you are the most qualified person to serve them best. You can mention any relevant education, industry-specific training, or certifications you have, your past successful projects of a similar nature, years of experience, and so on. Definitely if you or your clients have been featured somewhere, show it off with logos below to increase your credibility.
✨ Bonus tip! Embed a loom video chatting through your excitement, how you'll help them achieve their desired results/serve them best, and any key details to highlight about their proposal. This creates personalization & connection and sure to leave a lasting impression! It shows the prospect you have done your homework instead of sending a generic template and go above and beyond... so the actual work must be *ah-mazing*!
In a sea of other providers, it's essential to show your unique approach and what makes working with you different
→ Highlight your top 3-5 reasons why working with you is different compared to what else is out there and the experience you provide your clients
This showcases your portfolio with galleries or case studies to give potential client's a taste for what’s possible for them
✨Bonus Tip! Customize with results from similar struggles/goals, industry, or style your potential client would be drawn to!
Outline your signature process so potential clients know what to expect which sets expectations up front making managing your working relationship effortless and will further demonstrate your proven process giving them confidence that you will be able to accomplish the service. This is where you’ll get into the details of how you actually plan to fulfill your client’s needs.
List out your package(s) (you'll need to have your package templates set up in Dubsado!), deliverables AND BENEFITS of each deliverable or supportive resource, pricing, and proposed payment plan.
✨ Bonus tip! I've also in the past used a little code magic to hide or show package(s) and add-on(s) available based on the main package a client selects!
Testimonials strategically selected & placed after your packages to build trust, credibility & crush any potential objections. 3-5 of your absolute best testimonials from past clients! Think through objections, struggles, and goals your potential client might have and make sure they are highlighted in the testimonials you share!
A few examples of things to share in your testimonials:
→ About the struggles they had and how you helped them reach their goal (bonus for any tangible results you helped them achieve!)
→ About having an enjoyable and effortless experience. People want to have confidence that they can count on you to guide them and give them an elevated level of service.
→ About you as a human person! People love to know they’re going to actually enjoy working with you! “She’s so patient, kind, flexible, made me feel so comfortable, went above and beyond, creative, friendly, etc”
→ Anything crushing price objections like “was worth every penny and more/best investment I have ever made/I made an ROI of x% within x time of working with [your name]!”
List out 5-7 questions and answers your ideal client may have before they feel confident enough to purchase your service to show you understand them while also eliminating back and forth on your end and the potential for any friction to come in between landing this potential client! Think through objections they may have and crush them here!
A few examples of ones I’m seeing used most often:
→ Do you offer payment plans?
→ What will they need to do to prepare/get started?
→ How long does the process take?
→ Is anything not included?
→ Will I see x result?
→ For event based: What happens if x gets canceled?
Proposals streamline the booking process by giving your potential clients the ability to select a package, sign your contract, and pay their invoice all in one place! To make booking with you a breeze, give them those exact easy steps to follow to get started with you *immediately*. Have them confirm a few of their personal details and hit submit!
Wrap it up by using your footer to close it out with a reiteration of how excited you are to work together & ways to also connect elsewhere.
And there you have it! I hope this curated list of essential sections to include in your proposals has sparked inspiration and given you a good start toward creating something you'd be confident and excited to share with your potential clients!
Make sure to take advantage of the amazing proposal-contract-invoice feature in Dubsado to make it an absolutely seamless process for you and your clients.
Here's a Help Article from Dubsado about how to put together all the pieces to your proposal including setting up your templates for your contract, package, and other settings!
Come connect with me on Instagram and learn more tips on Dubsado, client experience and productivity! Have questions? Want to share your gorgeous new proposal after creating in Dubsado using this blog, share it on Instagram and tag me so I can brag on you! 👏
I get it, you're a busy creative and systems keep getting pushed back to the bottom of your never ending to-do list, so here are a few ways I can empower you to save 5-10 hours a week, up level your client experience, and reach your next level of success:
NEW TO DUBSADO?
🔥USE CODE ANGELAMUNOZCO TO GET 30% OFF YOUR FIRST MONTH OR YEAR or when you tap here to use my referral link.
WANT MY SUPPORT?
Head to angelamunoz.co for more info on my offerings or to submit an inquiry to work together! I provide the following experiences at the time of this blog:
FORM DESIGN — Let’s transform your proposals and forms from simple to stunning & strategic! Perfect for you if you feel meh about your forms and aesthetics are at the forefront of your brand so need to match your standout brand experience with templates for each of your Dubsado form types.
SETUPS & REVAMPS— whether you’re new to Dubsado or have been using it manually but not to it’s fullest potential, we can streamline, optimize, and automate your client experience.
SYSTEMS INTENSIVE— a 2 hour value packed session to tackle your biggest Dubsado priorities — from auditing what you currently have setup and on the spot creating or updating assets or workflows or developing and mapping your client experience to DIY your setup and workflows but want a pro in your corner to ensure you do it right!
🔥GET 10% OFF YOUR TOTAL PROJECT INVESTMENT IF BOOKED BY END OF MARCH 2023 BY MENTIONING THIS BLOG!
WANT TO DIY YOUR FORM DESIGNS?
Checkout my Template Shop — equipped with freebies and code-free design templates for a Dubsado proposal, proposal content prompts + email scripts to send proposals and follow up on them, welcome guide, feedback & goodbye guide, email signature, and client portal banners! 🔥USE CODE ANGELAMUNOZCO FOR 10% OFF!
Hey there — I’m Angela! Certified Dubsado Specialist, Dubs+ Certified, wife, mama to 2 human babes + 1 wild fur child German Shorthaired Pointer, wellness and wine enthusiast living in Fort Worth, Texas.
Having been the owner of a boutique biz catering to a luxe clientele over the past decade and suffering from severe burn-out by over-dedicating my passions, I discovered systems to give myself life back and never looked back.
I knew I had to serve other ambitious female entrepreneurs in the same capacity.
So I blended my skills and new-found love for efficient operations, my eye for stunning design, and white-glove client experiences to serve aesthetically-driven creatives just like you by streamlining + thoughtfully automating your client systems in Dubsado so you can save hours per week + reduce the overwhelm of manual admin tasks to focus on your zone of genius, give your clients an unmatched experience + gain referrals as a result, increase your profits, and reach your next level of success.
