Are you ready to stop wasting hours (OK, days) writing creative proposals that go nowhere?
It’s time you started landing more of the inspiring, well-paying creative projects you deserve!
Tell me if this sounds like you…
- You’re a seasoned creative professional, worth your weight in gold. Yet you spend WAY too much time writing proposals, only to have the prospect reel from sticker shock, or worse, not respond at all
- You re-invent the wheel every time you create a proposal, taking precious time an energy from the creative work you love (and are actually good at!)
- You lack confidence when it comes to negotiating and closing the sale
- You don’t know how to follow up without feeling like a pest
If you’ve ever looked at the superstars in your industry (the ones who get all the great projects, speak at conferences, and are on all the great panels) and wondered what gene they have that you don’t.
I’m here to tell you there’s no difference between you and them.
Here’s what successful creatives know that you don’t (yet)…
- Who their ideal clients are, what keeps them up and night, and what they need right now
- How they are uniquely equipped to solve their ideal client’s problems
- How to create a message, services and content that resonates with their ideal clients’ objectives
- How to turn a qualified prospect into an ideal client
Learning how to build a roster of high-quality clients isn’t rocket science (thank goodness!), but it is a process you need to understand, and take action on if you’re to get the results you want.
If you’re tired of trying to figure it out yourself (really, who has the time?) and are ready to learn the exact steps to qualifying high-quality clients and closing more sales, I have the perfect solution for you!
Introducing…
Proposal-Writing Workshop for Creatives
A blueprint for writing winning proposals, negotiating your rate, and closing sales with confidence and ease
I’m Justine Clay I’m and here to share what successful creative business owners and freelancers know, and do differently.
How do I know this?
When I moved from London to New York in 1996, with little more than a psychology degree and English accent, I would never have believed I would make a living writing and negotiating multi-six figure proposals on a weekly basis. After a stint waitressing (what kind of a New York story would it be without that?), I landed my first job answering the phone in a design agency. I’m pretty sure the only reason I was hired was my English accent, but I didn’t care, it was my ticket to somewhere. A year later, I was hired by an up-and-coming creative representation agency, where I learned every aspect of managing independent creative professionals. From spotting great creative talent, putting together a portfolio, making new business calls and writing and negotiating a proposal, I learned that every element was crucial to building a successful creative career.
In 2005, I branched out and opened my own creative services agency, Plum Creative, where I built a reputation within the advertising and design industry for helping retail and lifestyle brands find the perfect talent for their projects and managing the project from beginning to end. With one of my top earners billing $2,000 a day (every day) were working on great projects and making good money.
And then the recession of 2008 happened.
Almost overnight, the work dried up. I was paying myself out of my savings and the pressure of not knowing how long I’d be able to hang on had my stomach in knots.
As the freelance work situation worsened, more and more creatives were turning up on my doorstep looking for work. I’d spend an hour or two helping them identify their unique talent, define their ideal client profile, re-work their portfolio, and sharing the names of a few people to call. They walked out of my office transformed; lighter, clearer and armed with a plan.
I had an epiphany: I had a gift that I could share with the creative community on a much larger scale. I could teach them to become their OWN agent.
I’ve spent 6 years developing workshops and courses that will teach any creative professional how to attract high-quality clients, land larger projects, and get paid what they’re worth.
Imagine discovering you have WAY more business smarts than you thought, and deciding who to work with, when, and for how much.
Can you feel the relief of finally busting through the limiting beliefs that, as a creative, you’re just not cut out for the business and sales aspect of business? Imagine knowing how to convert high-quality prospects into well-paying clients.
If you’re tired of wasting time on proposals that go nowhere and are ready to learn how to write winning proposals that communicate the value you offer and why your prospects need to work with you now, here is your next step.
Join the
Proposal-Writing Workshop for Creatives
A blueprint for writing winning proposals, negotiating your rate, and closing sales with confidence and ease
Join me, and a handful of your industry peers at a NYC location where you will learn the exact steps to writing proposals that win the project.
And because I’m all about taking action, you’ll have the option to bring a proposal you have in the works (or one you’d like to resurrect) and apply the content directly to your own business.
“Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.”
– Henry Ford
You will receive:
- A proposal and term sheet template
- A blueprint to workbook your way through the content
- Checklists, scripts, best practices
Here’s how it breaks down:
You will receive:
1) A checklist of information you need to succeed
Preparation is everything! In this section, you will learn how to ask the right questions, get the information you need to write a winning proposal and gain an advantage over your competitors
2) The essential elements of a winning proposal
In this section, you will learn the fundamentals of an engaging proposal that educates, inspires confidence and leads to a “yes!”
3) How to adapt a proposal without re-inventing the wheel
You will learn how to create a proposal template you can easily adapt to reflect each client’s unique needs, without starting from scratch.
4) How to set your project up for success
You will learn how to create proposals that set the tone, establish boundaries, and deal with potential problems before the project even starts.
5) How to negotiate and get paid your rate
A well-crafted proposal and on-boarding process allows you to communicate your value in direct, and indirect ways. In this section, you will learn how to confidently negotiate your rate, handle objections, or get a client back from sticker shock.
6) How to follow up
I can count the number of times I sent a proposal and got an immediate “Yes!” on one hand (or maybe one finger!). You’re going to have to follow up, so in this section you will learn how to do it with grace and ease.
You also get this bonus!
30-minute one-on-one follow up Skype call with me ($100 value)
To ensure you feel supported throughout the process, you can re-connect with me one-one-one for a 30 minute Skype call where you can ask questions, share challenges, or ask for feedback.
What other brilliant creatives are saying:
Proposal-Writing Workshop for Creatives
A blueprint for writing winning proposals, negotiating your rate, and closing sales with confidence and ease
Friday, March 3rd • 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
A NYC location, TBD
Space is limited to only SIX participants, so grab your spot today!
best deal
One Payment of
$450
2 Easy Payments of
$250
10-Day Money Back Guarantee
If you change your mind before February 24th, just send us an email and we’ll refund your money. No hard feelings or questions asked!
I am committed to helping purpose driven, motivated and resilient creative professionals fulfill their vision and mission in life, and want you to know that you’re right for this program.
This course is right for you if:
- You have the talent and are willing to do the work, but you don’t know the exact steps necessary to land the clients you want
- You’re tired of hustling and are looking to be more strategic about how you attract and engage with prospects
- You know you’re not charging enough, but don’t know how to negotiate the rate you want
- You know you need to be proactive and persistent, but worry you’ll appear pushy or salesy
- You recognize you need to invest in yourself and your business and are ready to do the work
The course is not for you if:
- You’re looking for someone to fix your business for you
- You know you have resistance around certain issues, but are not willing to go outside your comfort zone to make the necessary changes
- You say you want change, but you’re not willing to invest your time, energy and resources to make it happen
Got questions?
Here are some answers to questions I hear most often :
I specialize in working with creative entrepreneurs and freelancers. With a deep background in branding, design, and advertising, I do particularly well with creatives of the communications and problem-solving variety including: art directors, creative directors, design directors, graphic designers, website designers, branding and design agencies, copywriters, content creators, writers, video producers and directors.
While I specialize in working with creative professionals, my system works for any professional whose mission is to share their unique talent with people who have a genuine need for it. My ‘non-creative’ clients, who include IT professionals and a Systems Architect, are just as successful as the traditionally creative ones. It’s really a question of if the program and process resonate.
This program has been created specifically for engaged creative business owners and freelancers who are willing to put aside any pre-conceived ideas and fears and do the work. This program won’t work for skeptics, complainers or people who make excuses not to take action. I’m invested in the success of each and every person who works with me, so it’s important that we’re aligned on our vision and what it will take.
Yes! And to ensure each person gets feedback on their proposal, the workshop is limited to only SIX participants.
Yes! My top tips are:
- Bring a proposal with you so you can translate and implement the information into something tangible
- Buddy up with someone in the group and hold each other accountable
- Take me up on my offer of a 30-minute follow up Skype session and take advantage of having two brains working on your business
If you do the work, you can expect to:
- Gain a clarity and confidence around what a client needs to see, hear and experience in order to say “yes” to your proposal
- Become more intentional and strategic about what clients you want to attract
- Gain a crystal-clear understanding of your ideal clients’ needs and how you are uniquely positioned to help them
- Attract better quality, higher paying clients, while the less-than-ideal clients effortlessly drift away.
- Create a pitch that naturally and clearly communicates what you do to potential clients and referral partners.
- Understand which marketing tools are right for you and create a marketing plan that doesn’t feel like ‘selling’ or ‘work’.
- Create content that engages and draws your ideal clients to you.
- Work on more creatively fulfilling projects.
I understand, but let me re-frame that thought for you. If you don’t invest in yourself, who will? And when (not if) you win that project, your investment will more than pay for itself.
Yes, you can either pay in full, or take advantage of a 2-installment payment plan.
If you can’t make the workshop this time around, I’ll be sure to offer it again very soon. Email me at justine@justineclay.com and let me know that you’re interested in a future workshop.
Yes, I am offering every participant a 30-minute, one-on-one follow up session where you can ask questions, share challenges and we’ll brainstorm solutions.
Sign up now for The Proposal-Writing Workshop for Creatives and start building a thriving creative business.
Join me! I’m excited to help you build the creative business you dream of!
Ready to join the
Proposal-Writing Workshop for Creatives
best deal
One Payment of
$450
2 Easy Payments of
$250
Please remember, this investment may be considered a tax-deductible expense