We hear it all time, “Can you get this proposal to us by tomorrow?” Yes, we could. But trust us, you don’t want an expedited proposal. In fact, if you’re pricing out a project with multiple agencies, be weary of the bid that comes back the same day.
While we can’t speak to the quality of every proposal with that swift a’ turnaround, what we can tell you is why our time-frame is different. Whether it’s our meticulous digital-marketing audit and deep competitor research or our actionable marketing strategies and clearly defined services, we’ve tailored every stitch of text to our potential clients’ needs.
Let’s Get To Know Each Other
A solid proposal isn’t a brochure. It’s a scope of services customized to a client’s specific purpose. A professional proposal also includes subtleties that demonstrate an agency’s knowledge of their potential client’s products, competitors, and vision for the future. If that information doesn’t exist on the web, it’s essential to interview the key decision-makers at that company to better understand their goals.
Before sending proposals, it’s not uncommon for Werkbot to host several discussions to ensure we fully understand the scope of the project. By conducting interviews and asking the right questions, we’re able to lay the groundwork for a comprehensive action plan that aligns with a client’s intentions. We're also able to confidently recommend the best possible ROI because when our strategies help a client grow, we know we'll grow.
Defining Our Services
All too often, marketing agencies forget to outline their process and explain their services. Without taking a deep dive into what’s being offered, some services start to sound more like products. For example, many agencies tend to sell “branding” and “SEO” the way a retail store would sell a shirt and tie.
If a client is asking you for some “search optimization,” it’s an agency’s job to explain why that’s a misinformed request. As a business looking for digital marketing help, know that “SEO” is not like buying a loaf of bread, it’s an on-going service. This same principle stands true for branding, marketing, and content strategy. These aren't static products, their managed services that create effects over time.
We’re always mindful of the fact that proposals are reviewed by multiple parties. That’s why no matter who’s reading it over—be it the accounting department or your marketing team—we define each service and provide links for further explanation to ensure everyone is on the same page.
“What’s Google Ads?” you ask? We got a link for you. How can we make a website ADA compliant? We’ll explain that too. Whether it’s a lead generation tool, like chat boxes, or a PR strategy, like dealing with poor reviews, we’ll help you understand how to think strategically about applying these tools to your business.
Further, we understand the frustration of multiple points of contact on a single project, or worse yet, an account manager who doesn’t know your industry. That’s why we outline who you’ll be communicating with as well as their experience in your field.
And we understand that sometimes outlining a set of services doesn’t cut it. You need evidence that the tools actually work, not just information about how they could theoretically be used. For that reason, we embed case studies into the proposal so you can not only see what we recommend doing, but why we recommend doing it.
There’s A Storm A-Brewin'
Building the foundation for an actionable, affordable, and effective campaign takes time. As an organization, we meet as a team to decide how best to assist a business in achieving their marketing goals. “Brainstorming” might be too buzzwordy, but the truth is, building a strategy with input from multiple expert perspectives is essential.
For instance, during a Werkbot strategy session, we distill your company’s goals into manageable and measurable objectives. Do you want more web traffic in a field with consumers who do research? Let’s ramp up your blog and position your company as an authority in the field. Is your branding so fragmented that people can’t consistently recognize you? We’ll build and work from a brand guide as tight as a bear trap. More specifically, during our strategy sessions, we aim to uncover:
- How we can reach your target market
- What problem(s) your product solves
- Where your target is market located
- Who your target market is demographically
- Why you’re more attractive than your competitors
Is all this necessary to create a quality proposal? If you want a quality service, yea. And if, on the off chance we miscalculated one of your objectives or you’d like additional services, then that's no problem. We’ve implemented a system that allows you to edit the proposal and negotiate within the document.
Fostering Collaboration with Technology
For Werkbot—and probably many of the best digital marketing agencies—we’re looking to have a conversation during the proposal process, not a sterile transaction. That’s why we’ve integrated a new Software as a Service (SaaS) into our bidding process.
At this point, we’ll note that Werkbot is in no way affiliated with Proposify, but we do think their platform seamlessly aligns with our proposal process. Not only are we able to collaborate between all of our in-house developers, designers, and account managers, but after we hit send, the conversation doesn’t end; our clients can edit the proposal too.
Finally, when it comes to sealing the deal, nothing kills the mood quite like sending a proposal by snail mail. That’s precisely why we did away with PDF printouts and sloppy Word Doc signature lines. We give our customers the option of digitally signing and making their first payment the same day we send the proposal.
Value over Velocity
There are always exceptions to the rule, but for the most part, a 24-hour turn around on a proposal should be a red flag. Creating a successful marketing strategy isn’t devised with a set of static services; it’s built by addressing a specific business’s needs.
If you’re contacting contractors for your next rebrand, site development, or marketing campaign, reach out to Werkbot. Feel free to get in touch/contact us by clicking here or calling (814) 461-1322.
