Turn Proposals Into Profits: Winning Strategies for Interiorscapers

Creating an easy-to-read, eye-catching proposal is one of the most important aspects of gaining new clients, securing new revenue streams, and winning bids. Proposals can be frustrating, time consuming, and about as enjoyable as doing a tax return. However, over the years, I’ve found a few approaches that help make proposals more efficient and effective.

Simplifying With Concept Proposals

One of the most demanding aspects of creating a proposal is determining your costs and profit margins. In certain situations, I leave this part out and opt for what I call the concept proposal. A concept proposal consists of your company’s information and the client’s or potential client’s details, along with before and after images of the space. There is no pricing or scope of work—only a brief summary of your vision for the project. This type of proposal is ideal when trying to solicit new accounts or when you want to influence a long-time client to consider a redesign.

The key to a successful concept proposal is grabbing the client’s attention with enticing images that show how you can transform their space from bland to vibrant. The sharper and more eye-pleasing the images, the better your chances the client will bite. Software like Illustrator or Photoshop can improve the quality of your design images, but if you’re not savvy with these programs, it might be worth investing in a graphic artist.

Once the client starts asking questions about costs, that’s when you know you’ve got their attention. At this stage, it’s worth your time to include an itemized price list. At the bottom of the proposal, I paste my scope of work and legal terms to complete the package. This approach keeps the initial proposal simple and focused, saving time while still engaging the client.

Navigating Budgets With Tier Proposals

One of the trickiest aspects of creating a proposal is when a new client doesn’t know how much they want to spend or won’t disclose their budget. No matter the reason, not knowing your client’s price range feels like playing a frustrating guessing game. You can often estimate a client’s budget by observing their office environment. A high-end space filled with marble, luxury furnishings, and artwork suggests they should be able to afford expensive exotic foliage with upscale containers to match. But this is just an assumption, and we all know what they say when you assume. 

To avoid this guessing game, I use a three-tier proposal. I always start with a high-end design, priced on the expensive side. Next, I offer a mid-range option, followed by a more economical version. This approach helps prevent sticker shock from scaring off a novice client by giving them more affordable options. Interestingly, I’ve also had the reverse happen when using the three-tier proposal—clients fall in love with the most expensive design and end up increasing their original budget. The three-tier proposal gives clients options that align with their preferences and spending capacity, making it a great strategy for crafting winning proposals.

Mastering the Art of the Bid

The most stressful type of proposal is the bid. If you haven’t yet experienced the bidding process, it can be intense. Typically, it’s a large corporate account that likes to open its vendor service contracts every few years to pin competitors against each other, driving down prices. Or, the account is unhappy with its current interiorscape service and is looking for a new vendor. Either way, doing a building walk-through with your competition can be intimidating.

In most cases, the client just wants the bottom-line price for their current plant inventory, so you don’t need to spend time creating visuals. You’ll likely receive a list of the foliage inventory to price out. The pressure comes from knowing that other interiorscape companies are trying to win the same account, which can influence your decisions.

If you really want the account, it can drive you crazy wondering if the competition is going to undercut your prices. You might be tempted to lower your rates to barely cover expenses, but this is a big risk, especially if you’re locked into a multi-year contract. What often happens is that the quality of your work falters because cutting labor and plant replacements is the only way to make any profit.

Even if you provide great service, if the client is required to bid out the contract every year, you could still lose the account to a lower bid. I know of this happening to an interiorscape company that provided quality work but lost the contract the following year because they were underbid by just a few cents. The bidding process can be unpredictable, and undercutting your prices may not always be the best strategy in the long run.

Tailoring Your Proposals for Success

Depending on the situation, different proposals can help you achieve the result you want. Regardless of the style, you can give yourself an advantage by making sure your proposal is visually appealing, concise, and easy to understand for someone unfamiliar with the plant industry. Including client references, showcasing images of your best work, and highlighting any awards or unique specialties that set your company apart can make a big difference. These elements add credibility and help build trust with potential clients.