Written by: Vickie Sullivan  |  April 03, 2025

Personalized Client Proposals Are Your Competitive Edge

A recent rant on social media reminded me how our obsession with efficiency can bite our brand—especially when it gets in the way of providing personalized client proposals.

Backstory: A business colleague put out a call for proposals for website and branding work. Every contender sent back a beautifully designed, agency-grade presentation. But here’s the kicker: the content wasn’t about the client. It was all about the vendor—who they were, what they did, how great they were. In one case, the proposal included a three-page list of what the agency does and doesn’t do.

It was clear that these folks used a template and just filled in the blanks. What this said to the potential client: We are a factory, and you are just another input.

Buyers Want Personalized Client Proposals

Thanks to AI-driven personalization, skipping the effort of personalized client proposals is becoming a fatal mistake. Buyers today expect us to understand them deeply—before they reach out, and definitely by the time they see a proposal. And that level of customization? It’s not surface-level. It’s a deep dive. The days of dropping in a client’s name and calling it “personalized” are over.

It’s not enough to just talk to a potential client—you need to back it up with personalized client proposals that reflect their unique needs. They need to know that you heard them. That means your proposal must reflect their world, their challenges, and your specific solution for them.

Am I saying you should ditch templates? Not at all. Templates are great—as a starting point. But you have to do the work to make it yours, and more importantly, theirs. Lead with their situation. Center their goals. Show them they’re not just another name in the CRM.

Yes, crafting personalized client proposals takes more time. But if you want the client, it’s worth it.

Now Read This:

• Why Your Client Hates Your Value-Add Efforts
• Expand Your Influence. With Less Risk

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