great design starts at the proposal

I’m a firm believer of the saying “it’s the little things that make all the difference,” and also truly value what great design can bring to any business, especially my own. Let me explain: Recently I’ve been receiving great feedback from more than half of my last 8–10 clients discussing the first initial reaction to my proposals. Of the clients that praised the design of my proposal all of them accepted it. While this could be a coincidence, I like to think not. Here’s why:

Your proposal is the first thing that you present to your clients that was specifically customized/personalized for them — and lets face it, first impressions are extremely important no matter what industry you’re in. As a graphic designer it become more then just numbers and wordage on a white piece of PDF-paper. It sets the tone of excitement to work with you. It builds your clients confidence from the start and allows them to trust your expertise. Why? Because you value the little details that makes all the difference and you display the true value of great design in something that is often overlooked or under appreciated. You wouldn’t walk into an important job interview with a pair of loose jeans and stained t-shirt would you? Not to say that you couldn’t provide them with the same amount of knowledge and experience in those loose jeans and t-shirt, but your presentation shows that you care and that you are serious in what you do. It sets the tone for the other greatness that follows.

Open up InDesign, buy yourself some quality, appropriate typefaces and actually put thought and time into the design of your proposals and contracts. Represent what you stand for in good design and make everything quality.

With every proposal I send to my clients I also attach my Standard Terms of Agreement, which you can view here if you like. Remember, you don’t need to necessarily over design your proposal and contracts — good layout and typography can go a long way.