Writing an application that wins work
What clients actually look for in a proposal
The three things clients read first
Do you understand the job? — summarise what needs doing in your own words in the first two lines.
Have you done this before? — give one or two of your closest past projects, with links.
Are the price and timeline sensible? — quote what you can actually deliver. Don't lowball to win and renegotiate later.
What gets an application skipped
- One copy-pasted message sent to every job — it's obvious
- Too long. Clients read dozens of these.
- No work samples at all
- Asking to move off-platform immediately without engaging with the brief
What to attach
A one-page CV, or three to five samples most relevant to that job. You don't need to send everything you've ever made.