What you should do after your client has signed your sales proposal

Posted by Aazar Ali Shad | August 31, 2019 | proposals,
What you should do after your client has signed your sales proposal

Congratulations, you got the job!You succeeded in building a relationship with the client that you wanted, he was delighted with your plan and everything was going well.However, the celebration cannot last long because it’s time to get on work.Right at the beginning, it’s the right moment to show off your skills and convince him that he made the right decision. Your skills are being appreciated and they have led you to the client signing your sales proposal, but what now?Without great organization and plan, you can easily lose focus.And that’s not something that either you or your new client want.Therefore, in this blog post, we will remind you which rules you should adhere to in order to sustain successful cooperation.

1. Go through your sales proposal again

It’s obvious that your proposal got the client’s attention.Before you begin with the realization, go through everything in your plan that you have presented to the client in detail.Sometimes it happens that we get carried away by our goal and desire to make the client happy and we promise more than what we can fulfil. If this is the case, don’t give up, but find a solution to complete everything that you have offered.It is okay to look for advice or explore all the options to find solutions to how to perform a task.Secondly, it often happens that the proposals are written in a hurry and under stress.Make sure that you didn’t make completing a task much more complicated than it has to be, and if you did, find an easier way to reach a solution.

2. Have another client meeting conversation

This is probably something your client will suggest to you himself, but if that’s not the case, feel free to suggest it.Once you have read your sales proposal again, have another conversation with the client where you will go through all the items in the proposal together.That is a great opportunity to ask anything that interests you and to get to know more about the work your client is dealing with.Even if you yourself suggested having this conversation, this act will certainly leave a positive impression.You will present yourself as a self-confident person who is ready to take the initiative and who wants to do the job in the best way possible.Write down the questions you want to ask in order not to forget something, and be concentrated.

3. Organize your tasks

Today, there are many ways to organize your tasks.From the “old-fashioned” options such as planners to online platforms that offer plenty of options for a better organization.Take advantage of every opportunity that is provided to you instead of having to remember the order of the tasks. Make a plan and stick to it.Set priorities, and sort tasks by relevance.For each task add:

  • A short plan made up of steps that will lead to its execution
  • Materials that you need for the design process
  • The approximate time you need to complete the task

This organization will help you not to have “holes” in your work and you do not have to interrupt the process to design a plan or search for material.

4. Stick to your plan

Keep following the plan that you’ve designed for yourself as well as the one that you’ve presented to your client.Do not start multiple tasks at the same time unless the tasks themselves require a combination.Try doing one thing at a time.

5. Respect the deadlines

If you promised the client that a certain task will be completed until a certain time, try to fulfill that.Because of that, when you enter the time required to perform an assignment, you better leave a little additional time for yourself. You will avoid unnecessary stress when you realize that you have underestimated the time you need to perform it.Also, you will leave a much better impression on the client if you finish your part of the job before the deadline than you would leave if you were late.In case something went wrong and the delay is inevitable either way, as soon as you realise it, tell the client what the situation is and what it is better to do what you’re expected to do right than to speed up the whole process.  If you’re in a hurry, you probably will not have a good overview of the whole situation and you may miss something.And that is an even worse option than to ask for a little more time.

6. Ask for a detailed brief

It’s no rarity that the clients do not deliver clear enough information about how they want something to look like and what goal they want to achieve.So, go through all the information you received carefully. While imagining a realization plan in your head, it will be clearer to you what else you need to examine and find out in order for the task to be done properly.Do not be hesitant to ask. It is more important that you’re on the right track than just acting as if you understood everything perfectly. 

7. Notify the client about the progress

If your client asks you to remind him when you complete certain steps in the realization of a task, do it.Although maybe you want to surprise him with your abilities, there is certainly a reason why he is asking for it.Even if he is unsure about you until he sees your skills at work, do not take it personally.Many people like to have an insight into the work of their employees, and, once they have found out that they have chosen the right person or agency for themselves, you will earn more trust.The second and much more common reason lies in the fact that there may be some changes in the client’s plan.And therefore, it is better to inform him about the course of your work so that you do not end up finishing something in vain and then changing things again and losing time.

8. Make sure you’re on track with the KPIs

When you promise something you cannot fulfil, you can cause both yourself and a client to feel frustrated.Of course, you should always try to tackle the challenges.However, accepting unrealistic tasks or deadlines for executing them just to avoid disappointing a client is not a good option for either side. So, try to promise only what you can fulfil.If you tell someone that you will do something for a certain period of time and that it will look in a certain way, stand by it.KPIs are important to your client, so not meeting them can disappoint him. Only if you keep your promises and meet your KPIs you can build credibility and expect trust in return. Ugljesa Djuric, Head of Growth at Talkus.io explains the importance of KPIs in a client-freelancer relationship:“Clients are acquiring freelancers because they either need help with some manual tasks or expertise. If you offer your knowledge and expertise, KPIs should be your go-to metric for delivering quality work.After all, the main goal of your client is to improve the company’s revenue. That’s the reason why meeting the KPIs is important both for you and him. Not meeting your client’s KPIs can either result in losing the client or losing the trust. You don’t want that. 

9. Maintain quality communication with the client

Being polite and kind is always appreciated.Always be open and ready to talk.If you maintain quality communication with a client, it can only bring benefits to your business.Perhaps you will be that person they ask when they need some suggestion and therefore you will achieve a much stronger connection.

10. Monitor your activities and create performance reports

Whenever you finish a part of the job, scratch it off the list.It will give you additional motivation.Make that your habit.Don’t forget to also write down how much time you actually needed for each task compared to what was expected.Maybe you’ll find yourself surprised when you realize that you did something in less time than you thought you would need.This way you will know how to organize yourself better and maximize your performance.Performance reports are a great way to let your client know about the situation and your progress. Be honest and real. If you have some blockers if you’re struggling with something, let him know. Perhaps he can help you.Also, make sure to highlight your successes. It will help you to improve his trust. 

11. Propose your suggestions

Always take initiative.Do not be afraid to express your ideas, potential changes, and suggestions.Your client gave you a job either because he doesn’t have time for these tasks or because he thinks that someone else will do these better than him.Act as an expert in your field.When you realize that there is a better way to do something, or that it will work better if certain changes are implemented, bring it to your client. Find the right way to do that.Before you take a step, consider carefully whether what you want to suggest is a really good idea that can improve his job or not.Make a detailed plan with all the advantages and disadvantages, as well as the goal that you want to achieve.Take the initiative when you think it’s the right time to take it.  If the client does not agree with you, again, you do not need to take it personally.You did everything you could, and maybe he had his reasons why he didn’t want to deviate from his idea.

12. Be honest

If it happens that there is something you cannot do, and you have studied all the options and done research in detail, it is time to inform your client.It is better to tell him as soon as you realize it than to waste both his and your time.Be honest when it comes to your options.Do not take it as a personal defeat. Perhaps the client himself will have some advice for you, or, some tasks are just impossible to perform.

13. Measure your client’s happiness

There is nothing more important than your client’s happiness with your services.One happy customer is worth more than a dozen of unhappy ones. Why? Because happy customers will be ready to promote you and your services to other people.Whether it’s a short or long term project, make sure that at the end of each milestone, project or after some time, you know how happy and satisfied your client is.You can do this in various ways:

  • By conducting an NPS survey
  • By conducting a CSAT survey
  • By asking your customer directly

Knowing your client’s happiness is also the most crucial factor for identifying the client’s retention.If you receive bad feedback, try to understand what’s the cause of it, and work on its solution.

The bottom line

If you’re only at the beginning when it comes to sending the proposals, Prospero can help you a lot in creating them.You can add a personal touch to each proposal and save yourself a lot of time.You will create effective and creative proposals faster, and thanks to the less amount of time needed, you will have the opportunity to apply for more jobs.After you have done this, please visit this article again and remember the rules listed.These items may seem small, but their importance is of great value.A well-designed and organized proposal is a great start, but it’s not enough to maintain your job.This is where your engagement starts.The real job comes only after the agreed cooperation.Since your proposal has intrigued a client, now is the time to show him that you can successfully accomplish everything you have presented.Stick to these rules and make a great impression on your client.Good luck!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aazar Ali Shad - He's a growth hacker, content marketer, and SEO-specialist. He loves SaaS and advising people on AAARR model.