These 4 Elements Make My Freelancing Offer Irresistible To Clients
You know that feeling when a potential client really loves what you have to offer as a freelancer, but they just can’t seem to pull the trigger on actually hiring you?
They’re intrigued, but there’s still something holding them back.
Man, I used to struggle with that SO much in my early freelancing days.
I’d put together what I thought was a solid, well-rounded proposal covering all the key details and pricing.
But more often than not, it would just get met with:
“Hmm…you make a good case. I’ll have to think about it and get back to you.”
Ugh, the dreaded “I’ll think about it” response!
It was honestly the worst.
My heart would drop into my stomach because I knew exactly what that meant — another potential client slipping through my fingers, at least for the time being.
Maybe they’d eventually circle back, but maybe not.
It made it really difficult for me to properly plan out my workload and project my income with any certainty.
One minute I’d be celebrating landing a new gig, then watching a dozen others fizzle out into the “I’ll get back to you” void.
Totally demoralizing.
But you know what?
After racking my brain and doing tons of research into consumer psychology, I finally figured out a way to make my freelancing offers practically irresistible to clients.
By including just 4 sneaky psychological elements which I often share in my newsletter, I’m able to overcome and eliminate those last-minute objections that had been allowing clients to waffle.
Now I get an enthusiastic “You’re hired!” way more often than not.
Wanna know my secret sauce?
Of course you do — who doesn’t want to learn how to book more premium clients more reliably?
Let’s dive into those 4 crucial proposal elements that do the trick for me:
Element #1: A Clear, Compelling Value Proposition
Imagine this: A potential client reaches out about needing help with creating conversion-friendly website copy for their business. Basic stuff, right? So in my proposal, I write:
“I’ll rewrite your existing website copy to be more clear, concise, and compelling. This will include optimizing each page for maximum conversion potential by highlighting your key value offerings and incorporating strategic calls-to-action. My content writing process also ensures the full site will be optimized for search engines to increase organic traffic.”
See what I did there?
I didn’t just say “I’ll rewrite your website copy.”
I got really specific about what I’ll deliver, the exact elements I’ll focus on improving, and the direct benefits to their business goals like more conversions and traffic.
No guesswork required on their part about what they’re getting.
But in another scenario, let’s say I responded more vaguely like:
“I offer high-quality digital marketing services to grow your online presence and maximize conversions.”
Uhh…okay?
That’s a pretty generic, fluffy statement without any substance.
Exactly what “digital marketing services” will I be providing?
How will it tangibly improve their website?
What’s the deliverable and timeline?
There are too many unknowns there, which creates skepticism and hesitation in the client’s mind.
By being upfront and spelling out a clear, benefit-driven value proposition, there’s no room for misunderstandings or objections about not knowing what they’re paying for.
Clients have total clarity and can clearly envision how their investment will pay off.
Element #2: Limited Scarcity or Time Restraints
As a freelancer, you’re in full control of how much you take on at any given time.
So why not use that to your advantage and manufacture a sense of scarcity?
These days, whenever I send over a proposal, I include a line like:
“This proposal is only valid for the next 48 hours before the offer rate increases by 15%.”
Or I add something like:
“I can only take on 2 more clients this quarter for website copy projects before closing availability. Spots are extremely limited!”
See what I did there?
With just one simple line, I suddenly created an urgency and perceived scarcity around my offering.
If the prospect doesn’t make a decision quickly, they’ll miss out on the opportunity entirely or have to pay a premium.
It’s such a small psychological trigger, but it works like a charm for lighting a fire under their butt to take action instead of hemming and hawing.
Nobody wants to feel like they potentially lost out on a good deal or limited-time opportunity.
The fear of missing out is very real!
Element #3: A Relevant, Valuable Bonus Incentive
Everybody loves getting bonus freebies and added value, am I right?
That’s why I always sweeten every proposal with some kind of special bonus incentive related to the service, like:
“As a free bonus value-add, I’ll also optimize your website’s main pages by incorporating premium stock images and graphics!”
Or:
“As my new client, you will receive a free comprehensive SEO audit ($397 value) to identify key areas for improving your website’s search engine visibility.”
By giving away a nice little freebie that’s highly relevant and valuable to what they’re purchasing, it adds unexpected delight that increases the overall perceived value of the core offer.
Suddenly the client is getting even more bang for their buck without having to pay more!
And let’s be honest — don’t you also love a good bonus throw-in?
You do. And that’s how clients feel about it, too.
It makes them feel like they’re winning from the get-go before we’ve even started working together.
Element #4: A Clear Risk-Reversal Guarantee
Here’s the truth: For someone who has never hired you before as a freelancer, it can feel like a gamble.
They’re betting actual money on you delivering as promised without any prior experience to go off of.
And if you’ve been burned by a sub-par freelancer before, those hesitations are only amplified.
So to remove that risk and fear of wasting money entirely, I make sure to include an ironclad satisfaction guarantee like:
“My work is guaranteed. If you’re not 100% satisfied with the final website copy deliverables for any reason, you’ll get your money back. No questions asked.”
Having that zero-risk safety net instantly puts prospects at ease.
They have absolutely nothing to lose by giving me a try, even though deep down I know they I’m going to work to hard to make sure they don’t have to ask for their money back!
No more worries about potentially wasting their hard-earned money on a disappointing experience or sub-par work.
With all four of those powerful elements working together, my proposals suddenly become absolutely irresistible — they’re crystal clear in value, motivating with scarcity, exciting with bonuses, and reassuring with guarantees.
It’s a one-two-three-four punch that human nature cannot resist.
Which means way more “You’re hired!” responses than “I’ll think about it” disappointing replies.
Whether I’m pitching my web development or content marketing services, that proposal is gonna be extremely hard to refuse.
Those four elements have been game-changers for increasing my number of booked clients, getting higher quality leads, boosting profit margins, and making more money from each individual client.
If you’re a fellow freelancer who wants to make more compelling, irresistible offers that sell themselves on value instead of price, I can’t recommend this approach enough.
And if you want more strategies like this to help you land premium clients and gigs easily, don’t hesitate to subscribe to my newsletter today.
