AvoidOpening with how long you have been trading and what qualifications you hold.
Do this insteadOpening with what they told you is going wrong, then what you would do about it.
They are not buying your history. They are buying a fix for the thing keeping them up.
Example conversations with Writing
Credentials first
You
Write the opening of my proposal.
Writing
Established in 2011, we are a family-run firm with over fourteen years of experience serving customers across the region. Fully insured and accredited, our team of qualified engineers prides itself on quality workmanship and customer satisfaction...
Every competitor opened the same way. They stopped reading.
Their problem first
You
Write the opening of my proposal. They told me the heating fails every winter and their tenants complain.
Writing
You have had the same conversation three winters running: the heating fails, the tenants complain, someone patches it, and it fails again in November.
This proposal is about ending that cycle rather than surviving another year of it.
Here is what I would do, what it costs, and how long the building is disrupted for.
I have put our accreditations at the back. You can check them, but they are not the reason to choose us.
This proposal is about ending that cycle rather than surviving another year of it.
Here is what I would do, what it costs, and how long the building is disrupted for.
I have put our accreditations at the back. You can check them, but they are not the reason to choose us.
It opened with their winter, not your founding date.
Paste this to LUKE
Write a proposal for [what the client needs]. They told me their problem is [their words]. My approach would be [what you would do]. Price is [amount]. Lead with their problem, not my credentials.
Try it on your business
Every lesson ends with a question to hand to a Greymill specialist, who answers with what it knows about your business.
More in Turning enquiries into work
- Why quotes go quietIt is rarely the price. It is usually the wait or the wording.Read the lesson
- Following up without being a nuisanceTwo follow-ups is normal. Nought is the actual mistake.Read the lesson
- Winning a bigger type of clientThe route in is almost always someone you already know.Read the lesson