The Proposal: A Tool to Help Freelancers Get The Gig!
Making a proposal is a complex effort. Let's simplify it.
I help photographers and creative entrepreneurs over 40 reclaim their confidence, cut through the noise, and build bold, independent lives through no-BS insight, experience, and action. Welcome to my Substack.
I am glad you are here.
The Proposal:
This tool will help you create a strong first-pass proposal for a wide range of clients.
Of course, it works for professional photographers, but it will also work for most any creative business: design, writing, architect… it is a very diverse tool.
Here was my test input. Quite simple, really. Yours will be much more detailed. As always, the detail IS the difference.
Client: Agro Associates
Industry: Construction
Company Type: Landscape Architecture
Project Type: Library Shoot
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Client Goal: Photo assets for Promotional Materials, Proposals, and Social Media
Problem or Opportunity: Spring is the best time of the year to shoot these projects with the best light, and the best color.
Scope Ideas: 24 Photos of 6 different landscape installations.
Timeline: April 24-28
Budget: TBD
My Service or Skill: Photography, Design, Marketing
What makes me different: Thirty years in advertising and photography. Marketing and Ad Agency Expertise
Past Results or Proof: Award Winning Ads and photography.
This is the response I can use to make my proposal.
ASSUMPTIONS
(These are the assumptions that were made by the AI tool, so make sure you read these carefully.)
I assumed the “Library Shoot” refers to a portfolio/collection of existing landscape installations rather than a single library building project, based on the scope mentioning 6 different installations. I also assumed standard commercial photography deliverables and usage rights would apply.
Project Overview
Agro Associates requires professional photography assets to elevate their promotional materials, proposal presentations, and social media presence. The objective is to capture 24 high-quality images across 6 distinct landscape architecture installations during the optimal spring season when natural lighting conditions and seasonal color are at their peak.
This photography initiative will provide Agro Associates with a comprehensive visual library that accurately represents the quality and scope of their landscape architecture capabilities, enabling more effective client acquisition and brand positioning in the competitive construction and landscape design market.
Proposed Solution
I propose a comprehensive photography campaign that leverages three decades of advertising and marketing expertise to create compelling visual assets specifically tailored for business development and brand communication. The approach will combine technical photography excellence with strategic marketing insight to ensure each image serves multiple purposes across your promotional ecosystem.
The solution encompasses professional on-site photography of your selected installations, incorporating optimal composition techniques that highlight both design sophistication and practical functionality. Each photograph will be captured with multiple usage scenarios in mind—from large-format proposal presentations to social media optimization—ensuring maximum versatility and return on investment.
Post-production services will include professional editing, color correction, and delivery in multiple formats optimized for various applications. The final deliverables will provide Agro Associates with a cohesive visual narrative that communicates professionalism, expertise, and design excellence to prospective clients.
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Scope of Work
**Photography Services:**
- On-site photography of 6 landscape architecture installations
- 4 professionally composed and edited photographs per installation (24 total images)
- Strategic shot selection, including wide establishing shots, detail work, and contextual environmental views
- Multiple angle coverage to showcase design elements, materials, and integration with surrounding environments
Technical Deliverables:
- High-resolution master files suitable for large-format printing and proposals
- Web-optimized versions for digital marketing and social media platforms
- Standardized naming convention and organized file delivery system
- Basic color correction and professional post-production editing
Strategic Consultation:
- Pre-shoot consultation to identify optimal compositions for marketing objectives
- Shot planning based on intended usage across promotional materials, proposals, and social media
- Recommendations for visual consistency across the image library
Timeline
**Pre-Production Phase:** April 15-23
- Site visit planning and logistics coordination
- Shot list development and approval
- Weather contingency planning
Production Phase: April 24-28
- On-site photography across all 6 installations
- Flexible scheduling to accommodate optimal lighting conditions
- Real-time image review and additional coverage as needed
Post-Production Phase: April 29-May 6
- Professional editing and color correction
- File preparation in multiple formats
- Quality control and final deliverable organization
Final Delivery: nMay 7
- Complete image library delivery via secure digital transfer
- Organized file structure with usage guidelines
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Pricing & Structure
Photography Package: $4,200
This comprehensive rate includes:
- Pre-production consultation and planning
- 5 days of on-site photography services
- Professional post-production editing for 24 images
- Delivery in multiple optimized formats
- Travel to installation sites within 50-mile radius
- Commercial usage rights for promotional materials, proposals, and social media
Payment Structure:
- 50% deposit upon contract execution
- 50% balance due upon final delivery
Additional Considerations:
- Travel expenses beyond a 50-mile radius billed at the current IRS mileage rate
- Expedited delivery available for an additional 20% fee
- Extended usage rights or exclusive licensing available upon request
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Why Me
Three decades of experience in advertising and photography provide Agro Associates with a strategic advantage that extends beyond technical camera skills. My background combines award-winning creative execution with deep understanding of how visual assets function within comprehensive marketing and business development strategies.
Proven Track Record:
- 30 years of advertising and photography excellence
- Award-winning campaigns and visual communication projects
- Extensive experience creating assets for B2B marketing and proposal development
Strategic Marketing Expertise:
- Understanding of how photography integrates with broader promotional objectives
- Experience optimizing visual assets for multiple platforms and usage scenarios
- Ability to anticipate client needs and create versatile, long-lasting visual libraries
Technical Excellence:
- Mastery of architectural and landscape photography techniques
- Expertise in capturing the intersection of design, functionality, and environmental integration
- Professional equipment and post-production capabilities ensuring consistently superior results
This combination of creative vision, technical proficiency, and marketing acumen ensures that your investment yields maximum impact across all intended applications.
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Next Steps
Immediate Actions:
1. Review and approve project proposal and timeline
2. Execute photography services agreement
3. Provide installation locations and site access information
4. Schedule pre-production consultation
Pre-Production Requirements:
- Site location details and access procedures
- Preferred shooting priorities if weather constraints arise
- Key design elements or features to emphasize at each installation
- Specific formatting requirements for intended usage applications
Project Initiation:
Upon agreement approval and deposit receipt, pre-production planning will commence immediately to ensure optimal preparation for the April 24-28 photography window.
Closing Statement
Spring represents the optimal opportunity to capture your landscape architecture installations at their most compelling, and this window demands both technical expertise and strategic vision to maximize the investment value.
My three decades of award-winning experience in advertising and photography ensures that Agro Associates will receive not merely documentation, but powerful visual assets specifically designed to enhance your competitive position and support sustained business growth.
The combination of optimal timing, a strategic approach, and proven expertise positions this project to deliver an exceptional return on investment through higher proposal success rates, stronger brand positioning, and more effective marketing communications.
I look forward to partnering with Agro Associates to create a visual library that accurately reflects the quality and sophistication of your landscape architecture capabilities.
The above is copied and pasted from the tool results.
You could take this and modify it in a few places to make it sound more “you,” but it is already at 95%.
Time savings like this are vital in these fast-moving times.
And look at the result after we make our proposal a client-facing website.
Five tiny minutes, and it’s hosted free. Drag and drop.
The tool will be here for free for the next week:
Until April 18th.
Use it.
Make a few proposals.
Get the gig.
The Proposal
All of my Premium Members have full use of my tools. All of them. Over fifteen at this point.
I am teaching a class on how to build this kind of tool for yourself. Learn more here. We start April 5, 2026.
If you’re over 40 and still hungry to make, build, and create, stick around. This space is for people who aren’t done yet (and never will be). I’ve got five decades of wins, failures, comebacks, and creative battles under my belt, and I’m sharing everything that still works—and burning the rest.
No fluff.
No hustle porn.
Just real tools for building a creative life on your own damn terms.
My Personal Website
My Photography Website.
Me on Medium.
Most freelancers lose deals before the conversation even starts. Not because their work isn’t good enough, it is, but because their proposals look like everyone else’s. Generic structure, vague language, nothing that makes a prospect feel like they’re reading something written specifically for them.
I just got a proposal from a creative (video) that I have been talking to. Boring, corporate-looking, same-old-same-old. This is not acceptable anymore.
Here are ten ideas for you that will make your proposals rock!
