How To Write A Consulting Business Proposal That Wins Clients (And Positions You As A Thought Leader)
Sarah, a leadership expert and consultant, had her first big keynote at a major industry conference. It went extremely well. She not only got lots of immediate accolades, but lots of great leads too. In fact people were lined up to speak with her afterwards.
But when one of the biggest companies in the room asked her to send through a proposal, she realised that while she could hold a stage, she wasn’t confident about her ability to translate her expertise and frameworks into a clear, compelling consulting business proposal. And without the ability to pull together a clear proposal, all the energy, credibility and thought leadership she’d just built risked going nowhere.
For consultants and thought leaders like Sarah, your business proposal is one of the most important parts of your job. That’s because it’s not just about winning work it’s also about positioning your expertise.
In fact, your business proposal is often the first test of whether your ideas are the solution that your clients need, and whether they believe you’re the authority that can lead them though the change. So it’s also your best bet at winning this work, and any future work in your space.
What makes a strong consulting business proposal?
OK, so what makes a strong consulting business proposal? Here are the things you need to keep in mind.
Keep it clear & concise
Your business proposal must be clear. It needs to set out the solution and your expertise clearly, and in plain English (do not use jargon), without waffling on too long. If it doesn’t you’ll just undermine your authority and positioning.
Instead lay out your IP and frameworks succinctly and in a way that showcases how you can help.
Make sure it’s tailored
Your business proposal must be tailored to your client. This shows them that you understand their situation, and shows empathy for the world they’re operating in. If it’s not tailored, they might feel like you’re just on the hustle, rather than ready to offer them a real solution to a real problem they’re facing.
To really tailor it, be sure to research and reflect on industry-specific challenges. Better yet, speak to them first about what they’re hoping to accomplish, so you’re in a strong position to provide them the right solution. If you can link your proprietary IP or model to the client’s challenge, it shows foresight too.
Tailoring can be overwhelming to consultants, who don’t want to have to reinvent the wheel every time they submit a proposal. But you can tailor it without redoing every part, particularly if you offer a repeatable solution. Create a single, adjustable template that just needs updates for each new proposal you create and that speaks directly to the client, their problem and how you can help them solve it.
Offer a compelling value proposition
Your proposal isn’t just about listing services. It’s about answering your client’s most important question – that is, ‘Why should they choose you over anyone else?’
To answer this, make your value proposition explicit. Explain how your work creates real transformation. Don’t just say that you deliver workshops. Say that you deliver workshops that will increase leadership agility, improve decision making speed or reduce turnover. Or whatever relates to your solution.
Be sure to keep it punchy. You only need one or two sentences to drive home the value if you have it tied to real outcomes.
Outline your approach & methodology
Explain your process, including frameworks, models and methodologies. This is a good place to show how you can tailor your proposal to the client’s unique situation. If your framework needs some adjusting to offer the right solution, offer that. Tailored solutions can help you build trust.
Share some thought leadership
Using client case studies and thought leadership content – such as articles you’ve written, research, keynotes, reference metrics or evidence-based outcomes – signal your authority and credibility in your industry.
This is important even if the person you spoke to is a huge fan. Remember, they may not be the ultimate decision maker. Or they may have to build a business case with their boss or the greater team. The easier you make their job, the better.
When decision-makers read your business proposal, they should see you as the go-to expert, not just another provider.
ROI & outcomes
Decision-makers want to understand the potential ROI for anything they allocate money to. So show this by linking your work to tangible business results such as increased productivity, improved retention, higher engagement scores, reduced costs or whatever outcomes relate to your frameworks and the client’s needs.
One hint is to use KPIs they already track, which makes it easy for them to understand the wins. If you can, add proof points. Even if you can’t guarantee numbers, outlining likely outcomes helps the client justify the investment internally.
Provide the nitty gritty details
Pricing can be one of the trickiest parts of any business proposal. But you need to nail it. (You can read my recent article on how to price your consulting services here.)
Present your options transparently so there’s absolutely no confusion, and anchor the investment against the outcomes and ROI you’ll deliver, not just the number of hours you’ll spend. Be careful not to underprice yourself. Your IP is valuable.
Finally, be sure to include the scope of services, program details, deliverables, pricing or pricing options, dates and other details as necessary.
Structure it well
A strong structure looks professional and makes the content easy to digest is hugely important. Your final structure will depend on the content you need to provide, but consider taking it from big picture to little picture – so start with introduction (executive summary) and client challenges and then move through the research, case studies, program details, ROI and outcomes and then next steps.
Here's a suggested structure:
Executive summary
Client challenges (with context + insight)
Your unique methodology or framework
Case studies
Program details & deliverables
Pricing options
ROI & outcomes
Next steps and contact information
Common mistakes to avoid
Sending a generic proposal template.
Overloading your consulting business proposal with jargon instead of using plain, persuasive language.
Focusing on yourself more than the client.
Sending too much information… or not enough.
Being inflexible in tailoring your solution.
Forgetting to link your thought leadership to tangible ROI.
Consulting business proposals as positioning tools
Remember – your consulting business proposal isn’t just a contract. It’s also your chance to showcase your expertise, authority and thought leadership and build credibility, trust and positioning.
When you can do this your business proposal won’t just sell your services. It will also position you as the trusted thought leader clients want to work with.
