6 Tips on How to Create an In-Person Event Proposal That Wins Clients
If you’re looking to win clients and land event planning gigs, it’s crucial to have a solid in-person event proposal.
But with so much competition, how do you make yours stand out? You already know how highly competitive and dynamic this space is. And with the option for online, in-person, and hybrid events, the possibilities for creating spectacular multimedia displays are endless.
If you are working on creating a winning in-person event proposal, you will have to think through some details. What products and services does your client expect from you before, during, and after their event?
What do you bring to the table? How are you different from your competitors in the same area in the events industry? You will need more answers to these questions to win more clients.
This article will look at everything you need to sell your services well. Make sure to follow these tips for crafting a winning in-person event proposal.
First, what’s in it for you?
Benefits of an In-Person Event Proposal
- Establishes the purpose and goals of the event: By outlining the purpose and objectives of the event in a proposal, you’re confident that your client will have a clear vision of what you’re trying to offer. This can help ensure that all efforts focus on achieving the desired outcomes.
- Helps to secure resources: A detailed event proposal can help you and your clients secure the needed funding to put on the event. This can include funding from a specific company department and resources such as staff, equipment, and venues.
- Streamlines planning and organization: A well-crafted event proposal can make everything more efficient and effective. By outlining all of the necessary details in advance, you can ensure that every aspect of the event is accounted for and that there are no unexpected surprises throughout the project.
- Amplifies the chances of a successful outcome: By setting the goals, plans, and processes of the event in advance, you increase the chances of success. A well-planned event is more likely to run smoothly and achieve its goals.
- Can be used as a reference: The event proposal is like a roadmap you can refer to along the way to ensure you’re on track and make any changes as needed.
Tips for Creating a Winning Events Proposal
Making a comprehensive in-person event proposal is convenient because it combines everything you need to present to the client. You can connect it to your marketing, ticketing, billing, and events management.
Here are some steps to guide you and bring in your next big client:
- Familiarize yourself with the client’s needs and preferences
Everything begins and ends with your client. What do they do? What are their needs and expectations?
Once you have understood what individuals and clients are asking for these days, you will know what parts to emphasize in your in-person event proposal.
It would help if you asked detailed questions about what people want at their events. Be prepared to change things up and offer something unique if it means responding to a client’s needs better.
Client feedback is one of the biggest secrets to growth but is often avoided. You can run surveys to collect these valuable insights.
- Understand your company’s offerings and values
What is unique about your events company? You should have your key selling points ready to share at any moment. Clearly communicating your experience and expertise can give your potential clients peace of mind and confidence in your ability to deliver.
The sooner you show that you have what it takes and can bring together what is expected, the better your chances of landing this client.
- Present your multimedia capabilities.
Many in-person events need significant support. Some have an online component and require live streaming. You must present this from the get-go if you can offer such services.
Handling the media aspects of the business is easiest when you use an events management platform. For instance, InEvent can seamlessly manage your next event’s media and live elements.
InEvent offers events companies a range of professional features to help you with the following:
- Running live meetings
- Real-life experiences
- TV-like broadcasts
- Virtual events
- Highlight your experience and past successes.
One of the best ways to sell is to talk about your experience and past successes. Potential clients want to know that you have worked with big clients and pulled off similar events. Adding some of these highlights to your in-person event proposals can set your business above the rest.
- Research your market rivals
Your events business is all about your creativity and your ability to deliver. You exist inside a rapidly involving industry, so you can’t operate in a vacuum.
It is essential to know who your competition is, what they offer, and how you differ from them. Some of the other event companies might cater to a particular market niche. Establishing who the different players are and what makes each of them stand out is essential.
Why should a client come to you rather than another events business? It’s crucial always to equip your sales team with the right answers. Answering this question every so often allows you to tailor your in-person event proposal.
- Stay up-to-date on industry developments.
You can’t get away from the latest industry trends and offerings. Find out what’s out there and what new skills and capabilities you might need to add to your company and your clients. Depending on your industry, there might be regular newsletters and publications with all the latest trends and technologies you can expect in your area.
Knowing what is out there and being done in different spaces can guide you. It might be time to decide whether or not you need to make any revisions to what you are currently offering. There could be some small extras and add-ons that you could include in your events packages to help you land additional clients who appreciate these products and services.
An add-on could be having a QR code generator as a part of your events package, which can help your clients generate dynamic QR codes for several promotional and marketing needs of the event.
…Now, what?
No two clients or events are the same, so no two proposals should be the same. You can tailor your writing to address the client’s preferred style and pain points.
Now that you have put together all the different elements of the proposal, namely the need and the offer, you can start thinking about how to go from meeting the client’s expectations to exceeding them.
Bundle/Package your services
In your proposal, you want to highlight and map out clearly how your business offers a comprehensive start-to-finish package. A client hoping to host a spectacular event might need assistance with event planning and marketing before the day of the event.
Use online proposal software to manage proposals.
Gone are the days when you had to create each proposal yourself. Online proposal software takes a lot of the heavy lifting out of the process for you.
It can free up time that you can use to focus on more critical elements of your business while still sending flawless event proposals. Most often than not, such proposal software has eSignature features, integrations, and other customization options to help you streamline your proposal creation process.
Final Thoughts
If you have a great in-person events company and a track record of delivering unique events, it’s time to grow your clientele by selling your story in the best way possible. An events proposal that is put together with all the correct elements can make the difference between winning a new client or not.
By clearly outlining your event concept, detailing your experience and qualifications, and showcasing your skills and expertise, you can create a proposal that impresses potential clients and increases your chances of securing the job.
The good news is that you don’t have to spend too much time designing a compelling proposal. You can use online proposal software to create flawless events proposals that win clients!
This post was written by Idongesit Inuk and co-developed by Sara Emezi
About the Author / Sara Emezi
