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The Importance of a Consulting Proposal Template

Every consultant needs a go-to consulting proposal template. Proposals are an expected and essential part of the client acquisition process. Whether you’re crafting a proposal for a specific project or looking to land a long-term client, the process of drafting a proposal can seem daunting, especially if you don’t have a consulting proposal sample that you can reference.

• A consulting proposal template helps you create a professional and consistent document.
• It saves you time and energy when writing multiple proposals.
• It ensures all the essential elements are included, such as scope of work, timeline, and fees.

How to Use a Consulting Proposal Template

An external consulting proposal template, like the one included in this guide, can help you get started. It’s always easier to have a clear vision of your endgame when you have examples you can reference.

• Once you have your first proposal created, save a version as your own template.
• This pared-down version will already have the elements that stay the same from client to client.
• You’ll be able to easily and quickly spin up a new proposal anytime you need one, increasing the ROI on the time and energy you spend creating proposals.

What to Do Before You Create a Consulting Proposal

The consulting proposal comes towards the end of the client acquisition process. To successfully turn a potential client into a new client, follow these steps before you pull out your consulting proposal template.

• Get Them on the Phone or Meet in Person First: Build trust with your prospective client by hearing your voice or seeing your face. Only send a consulting proposal after you’ve had a successful initial phone call or meeting.
• Ensure You Fully Understand Your Potential Client’s Problem, Wants, and Needs: Dig deeper to find the motivation behind the project. Take notes so that you can reference your client’s problem and their desires in the proposal. This shows you were listening and that you understand what’s necessary for the work to be successful.
• Create a Value Proposition That’s as Specific as Possible: Develop your unique value. The perfect proposal will include a clear, specific, and actionable value proposition. Don’t make the mistake of stuffing your proposals with accolades and fluffy jargon.
• Properly Evaluate the Project Scope/Timeline and the Value You Provide: Clearly outlined expectations will set you up for a productive client relationship and help you avoid project scope creep. Gain a proper understanding of the scope of a project by sending a questionnaire and scheduling a phone call to gain a more nuanced understanding.
• Be Open to Making Mistakes: If you’re new to consulting or freelancing, you probably will make mistakes when it comes to evaluating scope and timeline. That’s a natural part of the learning curve.

How to Write a Consulting Proposal

A consulting proposal can make or break your budding relationship with a potential client. As you build your consulting business, you can benefit from creating a consulting proposal template that you can update and adjust for each prospective client.

Every great consulting proposal should have the following elements:

• Cover page
• Executive summary
• Project outline/scope of work
• Timeline
• Fees, billing, and payment Terms
• Client requirements
• Expiration date
• Third-Party Cost Disclaimer
• Contract Terms
• Indemnities

Consulting Proposal Template

Follow this template to quickly draft your first consulting proposal.

Cover Page:
[Your company’s name/branding] [Client’s name] [Project name] [Date of proposal]

Executive Summary:
[Provide a brief overview of the proposed project. Highlight the client’s issues and challenges, along with how you plan to address them. Limit the summary to one page or less.]

Project Outline/Scope of Work:
[Clearly state what you will and will not do for the proposed fee. Be as specific as possible.]

Deliverables:
[Outline the identifiable end products you will deliver to the client.]

Timeline:
[State when the project will begin and end, along with any important milestones in between.]

Fees and Payment Terms:
[List your fees—and indicate what they do and do not include. Specify due dates, accepted payment methods, and the payment terms.]

Client Requirements:
[If any part of your job could be stalled due to client delays, make sure to list it here.]

Expiration Date:
[Provide the date when the proposal will expire.]

Contract Terms (Optional):
[Add any terms and conditions here if you choose to make yours a proposal-contract combination.]

The Best Consulting Proposal Tools

Whether you’re drafting a sample proposal, proposal letter, or just researching proposal software, these tools can help.

• Eversign: Makes it easy to get your documents e-signed.
• AND.CO: Allows you to draft proposals and contracts, which you can then email to your client via its platform.
• Honeybook: Lets you create proposals and contracts, send them for e-sign, get notifications when they’ve been viewed, and accept payments online.
• Bonsai: Offers proposals, invoicing capabilities, contract signing, and client CRM features.
• Better Proposals: Simple yet powerful proposal writing software that’s popular for its trackable proposals and beautiful, modern consulting template design.
• Any Word Processor: You can simply fire up Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or any other word processor, and type up your consulting proposal. Google Docs actually offers a few really great project proposal templates in their Template Gallery.

Good Consulting Proposal Examples

Review these good consulting proposal examples to discover what makes each of them special.

• PR Consulting Proposal Example: This public relations proposal template from PandaDoc showcases a strong cover page. It starts with addressing the client and their needs, outlines the PR consultant’s unique experience and how that will help the client, and then closes with expressing confidence in the consultant’s abilities. Get the full PR proposal template here.
• Interior Design Consulting Proposal Example: This interior design proposal from PandaDoc combines the Scope of Work and Timeline into one easy-to-read table. Get the full template here.
• Web Design Consulting Proposal Example: This web design proposal template from Proposable displays the difference between the Scope of Work section (here, called “Project Details”) and the deliverables section. You can get the free web design proposal template here.
• SEO Consulting Proposal Example: This SEO consulting proposal includes a contract at the end, whereupon signing binds the client to pay and sets terms for termination. You can get the free SEO proposal template here.
• Content Marketing Consulting Proposal Example: This is an excerpt from a free template from Proposify. I like how they broke down the fees in the “Your Investment” section and clearly outlined the terms of payment (“A deposit of $2,000 is due upon signing”). You can find the free content marketing proposal template here.

Top Tips to Help You Draft That Winning Proposal

• When in doubt, keep it simple: Many of the examples in this guide include colorful, high-design proposals. If that’s too overwhelming, keep it simple with a word processor.
• Expect negotiation and requests for edits: It’s extremely common for a client to want to ask questions about the proposal or even edit it. That’s okay! Be open to negotiation.
• Follow up, no matter what: If you send the proposal and hear crickets, don’t panic! Follow up in an email to the client and ask if they have any questions or would like to hop on a call.

Consulting Proposal Template FAQs

How long should a consulting proposal be?

There's no hard and fast rule about the length of a consulting proposal. However, it needs to include a cover page, executive summary, scope of work, deliverables, timeline, fees and payment terms, client requirements, and expiration date. We suggest creating a proposal that reflects your brand and, simultaneously, is customized for a client. For example, if you're helping consult with a business owner you've worked with before, the proposal can be simple. Whereas if you're pitching a corporation for the first time, you might want to add some extra details.

What should I do if the client has questions or concerns about my consulting proposal?

Most likely, they will, and that's a good thing. The more you can clarify your relationship before starting the work, the less likely you will have mishaps during a consultancy. Be open, honest, and clear about what you can deliver. If the potential client isn't satisfied, you might be better off moving on.

How should I present my budget in a consulting proposal?

As clear as you possibly can. Nobody likes working with a consultant that sends an invoice with an unexpected fee. Include due dates, payment methods, and terms. It's helpful to include case studies of previous work, so your potential client sees the total cost of your value. For example, for a similar-sized business, I spent three months and helped 10x their advertising program. The total amount of that consultancy was 30 hours at x dollars per hour.

Build Your Consulting Agency

When drafting your proposal, consider where your client is now and where they want to be. Think of your proposal as the plan that outlines how you’ll get them there. Do this, and you’re one step closer to landing your next consulting client.