Project Proposals
Consulting Guidelines
Improve the acceptance rate of consulting proposals.
When submitting a project proposal to a client, it is important that you 1) reiterate the problem statement, 2) explain the scope of work to be delivered, 3) estimate the timing, and 4) specify the pricing. Item two (2) accounts for most of the proposal content. For clearly defined deliverables with timing and pricing information, the scope of work is often subdivided into work packages. Each work package (WP) should specify deliverables, timing, and pricing.
Deliverables
Project deliverables essentially serve as the contract between client and consultant. They define specifically what you will output to the client. Examples of deliverables are reports, test data, hardware components, computed aided models, etc. Additionally, timing and pricing are usually provided as a function of the deliverables. Deliverables are effectively what the client is paying for, so they must be clearly defined to avoid any confusion or false expectations.
Additionally, It is important that each work package and deliverable provides detailed information about how you will produce the deliverables. For example, if the deliverable is a simulation report, you should explain the CAE tools and methods that will be used to produce the results. In another example, if the deliverable is a test report, you should explain the test setup and equipment that will be used to run the tests.
Timing
Project timing can be crucial for the client. By the time a client approaches a consultant, they often wanted to the problem solved "yesterday". This puts a lot of pressure on consultants to provide aggressive timing estimates. However, be careful to accurately assess the difficulty of the project against your capability to deliver it.
From our experience, accurately proposing the timing of project deliverables can be difficult. Timing is dependent on many factors, some of which may be outside the control of the consultant, e.g. waiting for someone to send data. If the deliverables are not meeting the expectations of the client, iterations on completed work may be expected. The more parties involved, the more susceptible you are to delays. Carefully consider these factors when proposing the timing of deliverables.
Example project timetable:Week | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Work Package #1 | ||||||
Work Package #2 | ||||||
Work Package #3 |
Pricing
Project pricing, i.e. the amount of money the client will pay, must be included in the proposal. Each work package should list a price, and the total price of all work packages should be listed. Project pricing can be handled in different ways, but the most common is fixed-cost. Fixed-cost pricing has an exact price that is agreed upon before the project begins. The agreed price and payment terms are associated with specific deliverables.
Collecting payment for consulting services rendered is currently outside the scope of our Consultant Match service. It is the responsibility of the consultant to invoice the client at the intervals or milestones agreed upon in the proposal. In many companies, the purchasing department will require proof that the deliverables are satisfied before payment is released.