Creative Writing for Professionals

Here’s the proposal template that helped me close over $100 million in enterprise sales: It’s also helped my clients close more than 50% of their deals when they use it. And until now, I’ve never shared it publicly. Most sellers are great at pitching features. But the ones who consistently win big deals? They know how to tell a great story. The truth is, executives don’t buy products - they buy confidence. They buy vision. They buy a story they want to be part of. If you want to sell like a top 1% seller, you need a proposal that doesn’t just inform… it moves people. Here’s how I do it 👇 The Story Mountain Framework for Sales Proposals: 1. Exposition – Introduce the characters and setting. Start with them: → “You’re trying to expand into new markets… to grow revenue… to unify your tech stack…” Set the vision. Make them the hero. 2. Rising Action – Lay out the challenges and obstacles. → “But growth stalled. Competitors moved faster. Customer churn increased.” Quote discovery calls. Surface real pain. Build emotional tension. 3. Climax – Introduce your solution. → “Then you found a better way…” Now show how your solution helps them overcome the exact obstacles you outlined. 4. Falling Action – Ease the tension. → “Here’s our implementation plan. Here’s the ROI. Here’s how others in your industry succeeded.” Give them confidence that this won’t just work—it will work for them. 5. Resolution – End with clarity. → “Here’s our mutual action plan. Let’s get started.” Lock in buy-in, next steps, and forward momentum. This structure has helped me close some of the biggest deals of my career—including an $8-figure enterprise deal at Salesforce where I used this exact approach. I broke it all down in this week’s training—and for the first time ever, I show you the actual proposal I used AND tell you how to access my Killer Proposal Template for free. 👀 Watch the full training here: https://lnkd.in/gPY_cvv5 No more boring product pitches. No more ghosting after the readout. Just proposals that close.

Crafting the perfect corporate training proposal. A Deep dive into proposal components Writing proposals is a chore. What to include? what not to include? Having written hundreds of them, here's what I include and why: 1. Executive Summary: ↳ Think movie trailer, not dry summary. Captivate with the vision, not just the facts. 2. What We Heard: ↳ Mirror their language, not yours. Show you've listened, by reflecting their words, not just their needs. 3. The Opportunity: ↳ This isn't just a gap to fill. It's a launching pad for their potential. Highlight the transformation, not just the transaction. 4. Consultation Service: ↳ Position this as a partnership, not a service. Emphasise collaboration, not just consultation. 5. Approach and Methodology: ↳ Innovate, don't regurgitate. Present methodologies that are as unique as their challenges. 6. Project Roadmap: ↳ This is the journey, not just the route. Make it visual, engaging, and clear. 7. Investment: ↳ Transparency builds trust. It's not just about costs; it's about value creation 8. Terms: ↳ Make this easy to say 'yes' to. Simplify legal jargon into clear commitments. 9. The Team: ↳ Sell the dream team. Highlight unique strengths and past successes as a cohesive unit, not just individual CVs. 10. Case Studies/Testimonials: ↳ Show, don't tell. Use stories of transformation and success that resonate with their specific context. Each section of your proposal should not just inform but also engage and inspire. Think beyond the conventional and inject each part with a strategy that shows you're not just a provider, but a partner in their success. What are your top tips for great proposals? #ProgrammeBuilder #OfferActivator #BusinessDevelopment #LearningAndDevelopment #TrainingAndDevelopment #Facilitation #Workshops

Here's the easiest way to get your proposals viewed on Upwork. Most freelancers don’t have a job problem — they have a proposal problem. They write long, generic messages. They copy-paste the same cover letter for every job. They still start their cover letters with: “I am excited to apply for the position of…” 😩 They forget this simple truth: You're talking to a human. Your proposal is your first impression. If it doesn't speak to the client’s exact pain point, it gets ignored especially on Upwork where the client only sees the first few lines of your cover letter as a preview but will have to click on "See More" to read the rest of your proposal. Now you have to make those first few lines captivating enough to make the client want to see more. How? 🔹 Start with a hook. Speak directly to their struggle — restate their exact problem. “You’re juggling too many priorities, missed deadlines, and a backlog of to-dos. It’s distracting you from growing your business. I can help you clear your plate.” 🔹 Show you read the job post. Mention something specific. Build instant trust. “You mentioned needing someone great with Trello and Zoom scheduling — I use both daily.” 🔹 Sell results, not skills. What outcomes have you delivered before? “In my last role, I saved the CEO 10+ hours weekly by restructuring their workflow.” 🔹 End with a CTA + a question. Make it easy to say yes. “Happy to hop on a quick chat if you’d like to explore further. What time are you available today?” 🔹 Insert clickable links to your work samples in the body of your proposal. Many clients won't download attachments, but they will click a link. Give them a fast route to see your value. 🔹 Use a P.S. — yes, seriously. Most people read P.S. sections first. Use it to reinforce your message. Show you’ve done extra research. “P.S. I visited your site @yourwebsite.com and noticed you’re planning an outreach campaign in November. I’d love to help make it a success. Reply with a few details, and I’ll bring a draft plan to our call.” Here's the final gem: Don’t just rush to be the first to apply. Be the one with the most compelling proposal. If your hook is strong and your message is clear, you’ll get noticed — even if you’re the 20th person to apply. 🔁 Found this helpful? Repost to help a brother or sister trying to crack Upwork. Which of these tips are you already using? Let me know in the comments. #Upwork #Freelancing #ProposalWriting #RemoteWork #VirtualAssistant

During my time at Qwilr, I’ve seen THOUSANDS of proposals. Here are 4 proposal plays that the best sellers use to close deals: #1 Lead With Problems Start your proposal by articulating your prospects' problems, ideally in their own words. Using quotes from relevant stakeholders within their organisation will grab your buyers’ attention and show you understand their problems. This immediately demonstrates that this isn’t just a generic pitch – you actually understand them and are focused on their specific issues. Doing this also puts decision-makers in somewhat of a tricky situation. They must either… 1. Disregard the opinions of their team as incorrect 2. Acknowledge they’re facing a problem, but decide not to look for a solution 3. Look for a solution (which you are providing in the rest of your proposal) Most (good) leaders will opt for the latter and will read on to better understand your offering. #2 It's Easy to Digest You MUST ensure your proposal is clear, straightforward and easy to understand. Remember, the folks who will be reviewing your proposal are incredibly busy and don’t have time to decipher endless information, searching for what is relevant for them. If your offer is easy to understand, it’s easier to say yes to. Avoid dense walls of text, and use images, graphics and interactive elements to simplify complex ideas. Always steer away from jargon. While it might showcase a level of expertise, you have to keep in mind that it’s likely a number of people will review your proposal. You need to make sure that EVERYONE will buy in. #3 Make It Relevant Buyers want to know that you’ve helped organisations that look like them, or the type of organisation that they aspire to be. Making sure that your proposal speaks to your buyers’ industry, needs, challenges and objectives will increase the likelihood of engagement Build your case by including concrete data and case studies that resonate with your client’s situation. CAUTION: It can be tempting to litter your proposal with logos and quotations from your “biggest” clients. You should not (always) do this! Instead, focus on featuring logos of similar companies or aspirational peers, not just massive brands. Remember, just because a company is “big” to you, that doesn’t mean your client will care. They want to know you can help THEM! #4 Keep Next Steps Simple It’s essential that you break down your proposal into clear, actionable steps – giving your client a roadmap on how to proceed and what will happen when they sign. You should also educate your champion on how to position the proposal to the buying committee, arming them to sell internally. Meet with them and go through your proposal, asking what needs to be removed and added (for other stakeholders) and how they plan to share it more widely. Want to send proposals that impress buyers and close deals? Try Qwilr for free at https://getqwilr.com

The hidden psychology of Upwork proposals: Most freelancers focus on what they want to say. Few focus on how clients actually hire. I've spent the last 3 months studying client hiring behavior. Here's what nobody talks about: Clients don't hire the best freelancer. They hire the safest choice. Think about it: • They're spending real money • Their reputation is on the line • They have deadlines to meet This changes everything about how you should write proposals. Here are the psychological triggers that actually matter: 1. Risk Reversal Don't say: "I'll do a great job" Say: "If you're not happy with the first draft, I'll rewrite it completely" 2. Social Proof Don't say: "I'm experienced" Say: "Just finished a similar project for [Known Company], happy to share results" 3. Cognitive Ease Don't say: "I can handle all aspects of content strategy" Say: "I'll deliver 3 ready-to-publish articles every week" 4. Authority Positioning Don't say: "I know SEO" Say: "Your competitors are ranking for 'X' term - here's why you're not" 5. Instant Clarity Don't say: "Let's discuss your needs" Say: "I see you need [Specific Outcome] by [Specific Date]" The uncomfortable truth? Most proposals focus on capabilities. But clients hire based on comfort. They're not looking for the best writer, designer, or developer. They're looking for the safest path to their desired outcome. Want proof? Look at the last 5 jobs you didn't get. I bet the winning proposals weren't better. They were safer. Your expertise matters. But your ability to reduce perceived risk matters more. Stop trying to be the best choice. Start being the safe choice. The game hasn't changed. But now you know the real rules.

I've reviewed hundreds of freelancer proposals and discovered why most get ignored... And it's not what most "experts" claim. It's not your experience. It's not your portfolio. It's not even your rates. The brutal truth? Your proposals sound exactly like everyone else's because you don't understand copywriting principles. Let me show you what I mean: PROPOSAL #1 (What Everyone Sends): "I'm a skilled web developer with 5 years of experience. I've worked with many clients and can deliver your project on time and within budget. I'm proficient in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and WordPress. Please check my portfolio to see my previous work." PROPOSAL #2 (What Gets Responses): "I noticed your current site takes 7.2 seconds to load on mobile – which means you're losing about 32% of visitors before they even see your products. I've helped 3 other e-commerce stores cut their load times by 65%, resulting in conversion increases of 27-41%. Would you be open to me sharing a quick plan for how we could do the same for you?" See the difference? ✅ One is about the freelancer. The other is about the CLIENT'S PROBLEM. ✅ One lists generic qualifications. The other demonstrates specific understanding. ✅ One blends in with 50 other proposals. The other stands out immediately. This is copywriting in action – the art of using words to drive action. The unfortunate reality is that most Pakistani freelancers are learning technical skills but completely overlooking the ONE skill that gets clients to actually hire you – persuasive communication.  Here's how to apply copywriting principles to your proposals: 👉 Lead with their problem or a solution, not your skills 👉 Use specific numbers, not vague claims 👉 Create a mini "before and after" story 👉 Always add a unique 'hook' to your proposals 👉 Never forget to add an easy call to action Learning copywriting principles could be the difference between sending proposals that get ignored and ones that have clients fighting to work with you.

I learned this lesson after a client rejected my proposal and it changed how I work 🚨 I’d spent hours writing that proposal Personalized it Explained everything I could do Added examples of my past work I thought it was perfect ⭐ But the client replied with just one line: “We’re going with someone else.” At first, I was frustrated. Then curious So I asked, 'What made you choose them instead?' Their reply hit hard 👇🏻 “Your proposal was good. But it felt like you were trying to sell your skills, not solve our problem.” That changed everything. From that day on, I stopped writing proposals like a sales pitch and started writing them like a strategy plan. Here’s what I do differently now: ✅ Start with the problem, not myself Show I understand what’s broken before offering solutions. ✅ Talk in outcomes, not tasks Clients don’t buy “posts” or “strategy calls.” They buy visibility, leads, consistency, trust. ✅ Write less, personalize more. Every line should make them feel this was written just for me. Since then, my close rate has doubled. Not because I changed what I offer But because I changed how I talk about it. Now the first question I ask any potential lead is 'What are your goals?' People don’t hire skills They hire solutions. 💭 What’s one mistake you’ve made in your proposals that taught you something big?

Two proposals. Same requirement. Completely different impact. Version 1 (Most contractors): "ABC Company will provide program management support services including scheduling, risk management, and stakeholder coordination." Version 2 (Winners): "Your program faces a critical challenge: keeping multiple workstreams synchronized while proactively managing risks. Our approach provides real-time visibility into schedule dependencies and emerging risks before they become problems." Both are compliant. Only one is compelling. I just wrote a comprehensive guide on how to stop writing proposals like technical reports and start writing like you want to win. Because here's what I see constantly: Technical experts write proposals like technical experts. Factually accurate. Methodologically sound. Boring. They check compliance boxes. They don't persuade evaluators. The article teaches you: ✅ Understanding evaluator psychology (they're tired humans, not robots) ✅ Adding "so what?" to every statement ✅ Customer-focused writing (less "we," more "you") ✅ Storytelling with past performance ✅ Executive summaries that sell ✅ Testing your proposal writing Your technical solution might be brilliant. But if your writing buries your strengths in dense prose, evaluators won't find them.