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Further
Reading ...
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Let Others Promote Your Business! - Katy Terrega
What if I told you that with very little outlay in time or money you could get others to promote your website? And what if I said that these people would post your banners and links on their sites *for free* and would actively seek sales on your...
Online Trading: 7 Success Secrets - Juanita Bellavance
Getting ready to do some online trading? Get the facts on options and arbitrage trading before deciding on your trading technique. Join a live teleseminar at www.surefireonlinetradingsuccess.com. Here are some things to consider in preparing to...
How To Make Money on the Internet Without Creating Your Own Product - Milana Nastetskaya
Writing a book is an effort that not everyone takes pleasure in. Creating software takes special skills and patience. If you can't write and can't program, does it mean you can't start an online business? Absolutely not. Luckily, there is a...
Imagine You could Play your Way into a Huge Fortune! - Dr Ina Bliss
Teen-Kid: Wow! That's what my dad is after. Is that possible? Fairy: Yes, and I am going to show you how. Why is playing so much fun? Teen-Kid: Because only adults are so dead-serious about everything? Fairy: Yeah, that, too. But why does it feel...
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How To Write A Proposal To Get Freelance Work
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Written By:
Angela Booth
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*Article Use Guidelines*
Use in opt-in publications, or on Web sites, but please include
the resource box.
Please send me a copy, if possible. Many thanks.
**
Summary: Want to get freelance work? Write a proposal.
Category: Writing
Words: 700
How To Write A Proposal To Get Freelance Work
Copyright (c) 2002 by Angela Booth
** This article is adapted from my new email workshop, Writing To
Sell In The Internet Age. If you want to get a taste of the
workshop, you can sign up for the free mini-course based on
Writing To Sell In The Internet Age, on the Web site ---
http://www.digital-e.biz/
If you're a freelancer looking for work, drop that CV! Your
primary tool for generating work is a proposal, not a CV.
Some of your proposals will be written in response to Requests
for Proposals (RFPs), where businesses put out a call for
proposals to provide solutions to problems.
The proposals you generate on your own, after you've identified a
need the client has, are called Unsolicited Proposals. By
creating lots of proposals, you get lots of work.
When I'm soliciting copywriting work, I write mini-proposals, of
around a page, or 300 words. I send out these mini-proposals
either as an introduction to my services, or as a follow-up to an
initial call I've made to the business.
Whenever you're going through a slow period, turn out a few
proposals. I promise you, within a week or two, you'll have more
work than you can handle. Businesses are used to receiving
proposals, so no one will think it odd when you submit one.
So what does a mini-proposal contain? A single page, with:
* a description of a problem (or need) you conceive the business
has;
* an outline of the solution;
* why you're the person to solve this problem --- what skills you
have.
Simple, right?
When you start sending out mini-proposals regularly, you WILL get
work. Lots of work. Everyone has problems; everyone is looking
for solutions.
You market yourself to businesses as someone who can solve their
problems.
==> Spotting a need
Start by training yourself to spot problems (call them challenges
when you're communicating with businesses) and needs that
businesses have. You're going to become Mr or Ms Fixit.
Let's take a simple example of spotting a need. Let's say you're
a writer, browsing the Web, and you come across a business Web
site which has lots and lots of typos.
continued below ...
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continued ...
/>How do you approach the business?
Go to Better Whois, at http://www.betterwhois.com/ and get the
business owner's contact details.
Now you're going to fax, mail or email a message.
Let's say you've decided to email the manager of the business.
Your message's Subject line could be: "Proposal ---Web site
proofing".
Because of all the spam on the Internet, you're going to make it
clear that although this is unsolicited, it's a normal business
communication, not a message that you're firing out at random to
a thousand businesses on the Web.
Construct the message as you would a postal letter, with the name
of the owner or manager, the business name, and the date on the
first few lines.
Next comes the salutation: "Dear Mr Smith".
Introduce yourself immediately.
"My name is John Brown. I'm an independent writer. I visited your
Web site at _________."
At this point, make some kind and generous comments about the
site, to that show that you've actually visited it. Say anything
you like here, as long as it's a compliment.
Then describe the problem --- mention the typos, in other words.
DON'T be explicit. Don't mention where the typos are. (You're
looking for work, remember.)
Outline the solution: you can proof the site content.
Tell Mr Brown why you're the person to handle the proofing.
Tell Mr Brown how to contact you.
Close the message in the usual way.
Add all your contact details: phone, fax, and address.
By addressing your email message clearly, and putting in all your
contact details, you've established that you're not a spam
artist. You're a business person sending a proposal.
Great! You've written your first proposal. Now go and write
another one. And another one after that.
Proposals are great fun to write, and no matter what kind of work
you're after, they will get you more work than you can handle.
***Resource box: if using, please include***
==> WRITERS! <==
Discover how to transform your talent into a flourishing
business. Subscribe to Creative Small Biz, the free weekly ezine.
Sub at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Creative_Small_Biz/
Or Visit: http://www.digital-e.biz/
About the Author
Australian author, journalist and copywriter Angela Booth
has been writing professionally for over twenty years. She writes
business books and copy for businesses.
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How to Really Benefit from Associations (Part 3 of 3-Part Series) - Diana Barnum
This is Part III in a 3-part series. For your convenience, the entire series is online here: · Part I: “How to Develop Industry Contacts” http://movingaheadcommunications.com/associations1.html · Part II: “Tips For Improved Networking in...
Five Stumbling Blocks To Successful Networking And How To Overcome Them - Lydia Ramsey
The ability to connect with people is essential to success in any business. Professional networking events present opportunities to interact with others on a personal level and to develop profitable relationships. These occasions are critical for...
What Can I Do for You? - Arthur Zulu
FREE HELP FOR UNPUBLISHED WRITERS Includes editing, reviews, publication, and help to start and develop your story. EDITING / PROOF READING SERVICES Any work, any length. Sympathetic to first-time authors. GHOST WRITING For books, scripts,...
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