Why We Create Custom Proposals for Each Potential Client

If you've binged our Booked Out SMM Roadmap, you know that we are huge fans of packages for social media management. But, here’s the thing: those are a starting point!

Packages are an amazing way to break down pricing for social media management, but another piece to this is a proposal. Over our six years in business, we’ve learned that custom proposals are necessary, with packages as a baseline, a guide. We submit a custom proposal per client, and here’s why and how you can do this for clients, too!

Social Media Management Packages

Packages are a great way to offer social media management services because (1.) your client knows the deliverables they can expect and (2.) it isn't "defining" you by your hourly rate.

To create a package, map out everything that you would include in that package, and how long it takes you to do it. Add in a few hours for communication and revisions to give yourself a buffer, and then multiply by the hourly rate. This creates a base-level price that you can put on your website, have in your service guide, and even mention in discovery conversations.

But, of course, packages have their limitations, too. One of those limitations can be that we need more customization. Each client and their account is so different, so the approach should be, too.

Custom Social Media Management Proposals

While packages serve as a great starting point, they don’t always account for the unique needs of each client. That’s where custom proposals come in! Instead of forcing every client into a pre-made package, we tailor our proposals based on their brand, audience, budget, and marketing goals.

Why Custom Proposals:

• Pain Points

By customizing proposals, you can speak to a client’s biggest struggles. On that discovery call, they are likely going to share what is not working and what their hopes are for bringing you in, these are their current pain points! A custom proposal can then focus on these pain points, and further establish a need for your agency to step in to address these.

• Budgets

Clients come in at a range of budgets. Especially when you're working with different industries, they all have different price ranges they can work with, so this can allow you to meet those budgets — whether that's raising your rates and deliverables or lowering them. Not all projects are the same amount of time, so having a range of pricing can help fill your client roster and eliminate a revenue issue down the road of one client leaves.

• Needs

Our service guide can't be a 10-page book! We have clients ranging from one platform only, to us stepping in as a fractional marketing department. Our clients don't need to see every service we offer all the time, they want to just see the ones that are most impactful for them. Each client has different needs and priorities based on their audience, and it's great to adapt proposals based on that.

• Personalized Approach

A personalized proposal highlights why certain services are recommended for them, helping clients see the strategy behind the investment. When they directly see what you discussed in a discovery call crafted into a package for them, they will connect with this!

How to Create a Custom Proposal

Step 1: Discovery Call

Use this time to ask about their pain points, current social media efforts, and business objectives. If you're in our mentorship program, use the discovery call guide (with a script, FAQs, and Objections) to help guide you through this step!

Step 2: Review

Think about all the information they provided in their discovery form and call and see which services fit best with this vision. This can also be a brief audit of their current accounts and strategies to see what's working (and what's not), to get a better idea of how you should be tailoring your proposal to better fit them.

Step 3: Adjust the Base Package

Use your standard packages as a starting point, then tweak deliverables, posting frequency, platforms, or add-ons based on their needs. Remember to account for any extra time and hours put in, as well as tools, overhead, and expenses and customize your rate accordingly with each package update.

Step 4: Hit Send!

Don't overthink it, just send it!

By taking the time to create a custom proposal, you can better meet the needs of your clients and create a customized experience for them!

Having package options is a must, but again, use the 'starting at' price as a baseline to showcase this service, and use custom proposals to better craft customized packages per client.