Know-How Exchange : Copywriting

First of all, you'll want to check your language usage -- carefully... There are several books and online resources if you google "proposals" or "proposal letters" to help guide you.

A proposal is an offering. I assume as starting the business you are not at that stage yet. I think you are looking to write a letter advising others of your service, in the hope they will call to hire you.

First, if this is your main marketing at this service, it will be a waste of time. A sole letter will not put you in front of the hundreds of similar services your target gets every day. You are going to get from behind the desk to market yourself one on one. Letter writing is just too passive. The vast majority of them will not even get to the decision maker. A good mail order campaign with a 3% return is considered successful. Can you afford to outlay the cost of that mailing iwth that small "at best" return.

If you are intent, I also assume you have done a plan and you know why a client would choose you over another. That needs to be in your letter. A client would also want to know why a newbie. Your letter needs to pass the "so what" test. Read each line, and if it doesn't resonate something after that-- it needs rewritten.

You letter must end with a call to action. Give the reader some reason to pick up the phone now.

Here are a few questions that you need to be able to answer as part of your effort to attract clients. This list is far from comprehensive, but should serve as a jump start for your value proposition.
1. Why did you choose this business venture? Is this your passion? Why?
2. What do you do especially well and how does that relate to this business venture? For example, are you naturally gifted or experienced and successful at the business services that you intend to provide? Saying you are will not be enough--can you show this with proof, such as past work examples in a portfolio?
3. How will you help your prospective clients a) make money, b) cut costs, or c) reduce risks?
4. Who is a well-qualified business lead for your services? How will you know when you find them? Are they small, medium, or large companies? Are they in a specific market niche? Which one? Who are the competitors? Who are the decision makers? Decision influencers? Gatekeepers? And so on.
5. What is your own cost structure? While you cannot set prices based upon your costs, you do need to understand them so that you are not losing money on every job.
6. How can you build up the perceived value of your services in your customers' minds? What are their challenges? What are their pain points? What do they dislike doing (and would gladly pay someone else to handle for them)?

Carefully proofread *everything* that you write, email, tweet, or post online. Typos and grammatical errors will hurt your image.

Read up on selling and marketing techniques to improve your value proposition and sales pitches. Gitomer's "The Little Red Book of Selling" is a good book--easy to read and practical to implement. That said, don't get stuck reading and researching. Go. Do. Create. Ship. Learn. Refine. Have fun doing it. Repeat.

Good luck.