If you’re an online business owner, I can guarantee you’re sending proposals to your clients for them to book you (and if you’re not, we need to talk😬). In the old days before the online business world was booming, a proposal was a printed presentation of a service – breaking down the details, scope, outline, and investment. Now with the Internet at our fingertips, there are hundreds of ways we can send proposals to our clients. Whether it’s a good old-fashioned PDF or a savvy client management system, your proposals are your way of wrapping your service offer in a shiny red bow for your clients to book you. And if you want that shiny red bow to be really big and really shiny, I’m sharing my secret sauce for your proposals.

Although there are numerous ways to present your service proposals and a variety of items you could include, one thing is certain: your clients want to see some sort of personalization. In fact, Forbes has stated, “91% of consumers say they are more likely to shop with brands that provide offers and recommendations that are relevant to them.”

How can you WOW your clients with personalization in their proposals, while still being efficient with your time?

Adding a video message directly to the proposal allows you to personalize it in a way that feels intimate, and clear, and uses the power of connection all in one swift go!

The video message is a fun way to surprise and delight clients when they view their proposal while also adding that human element that makes your proposal feel genuine and authentic!

Here are a few tips on how to create a compelling video message for your proposals:

1. Keep it short & sweet. Shoot for 1-2 minutes of face-to-cam action so it’s an easy watch before they book. We don’t want them to get bored midway through the video, but we also want the video to feel useful. This sweet spot of time will keep them engaged to watch the entirety of the video.
2. Make it personal. Since this video will act as your main point of personalization, truly make a point to be personal! Say their name, refer to commonality, and reiterate their paint points & goals – show them that you listened to their needs, you understand what their unique problem is, and you have a plan for how to solve it.
3. Walk them through the next steps. Tell the client exactly what they need to do to book. What needs to happen in order to get started? Do they need to fill something out? Do they sign a contract? Do they make a payment? Walk them through the next steps so there’s no confusion at this point in the booking process.

If you’re using a digital proposal, one of the easiest apps for embedding video messages is Loom. Loom is a free website that allows you to record directly from your phone or desktop. Once you’ve recorded, Loom creates an easy embed code that you can plug directly into a code block on a proposal in a CRM, app, or website page.

If your proposals don’t have the option to add HTML code, you can even copy the Loom share link and it will embed directly into an email!

Not sure where to start with creating your online proposals? Dubsado is my favorite software for creating and sending streamlined and beautifully designed proposals. Want to take Dubsado for a spin? Click here to get started with a free, unlimited trial and 30% off your first month or year if you decide to stay.

If you’re already a Dubsado user and ready to elevate your proposal, grab my Signature Dubsado Proposal template here – it’s designed for conversion and will WOW your clients!