iris_barnes87•12d agoProlific Poster

Just noticed how many freelancers skip the "here's what happens next" section in proposals

I was looking through a bunch of sample proposals last week for a project I'm bidding on, and I swear half of them just end with "I look forward to hearing from you." Like, you're leaving it totally up to the client to figure out the next move. That feels like leaving a job half done, you know? I started adding a 3-step summary at the bottom of mine: "You approve this, I send a contract within 24 hours, we hop on a 15 minute call to kick things off." Just simple, direct stuff. Since I changed that about 2 months ago, I've gotten replies on maybe 7 out of 10 proposals instead of the usual 4 or 5. Has anyone else tested adding a super clear next steps part? Did it boost your response rate too?

3 comments

3 Comments

emma_jones12d ago

Flip it around and think about it from the client's stress point instead. I usually add something like "I'll send over a draft contract within 24 hours of approval, zero pressure to sign right away. You can take a week to look it over." That little bit of breathing room actually got a few people to reply saying "thank you for not rushing me." It's weird how just spelling out that they don't have to decide instantly makes them more likely to say yes.

casey34211d ago

Emma I hear you so much on this. That feeling of being pushed to decide right away is honestly the worst, especially when it's something pricey. I think that "thank you for not rushing me" message is gold, it shows exactly what people are silently stressing about.

sam_cooper11d ago

Wait, people actually say "thank you for not rushing me" back? That's wild. I figured clients just quietly appreciate the space but never mention it. Hearing that it actually gets verbal thanks makes me want to try this approach myself next time I'm dealing with any kind of sales pressure situation. Did you start doing this on purpose or did you just figure it out by accident one day?