After a first cold email pitch where I pointed out that parts of a prospect's business could do more for them where I asked if I could send some ideas on how I could help, the CEO got back to me and was interested.
I then sent an email outlining two of their main challenges with the current website and suggested a date for a meeting to learn more about their goals to be able to see what would be the best solution. He then replied thanking me for my views, asking what a cooperation could look like, the cost and the continuity of the work. He then asked me to send over a suggestion for him to look like so we then could schedule a meeting if it looked interesting.
I'd have preferred to meet up to get to know them better first so I can tailor my proposal, so I consider this more of an overview. I've got tons of ideas for how they could improve what they do - things I know would make a difference to their bottom line. While I don't want to be distrusting and assume that they'll steal the ideas, I don't want to give away everything. I intend to write maybe a two page thing, quite brief. Two questions, really:
1) How much should I include to show them what I can do, without giving it all away? I'll focus on the benefits and solutions, but how much else? For example, in the marketing part of the assignment, I have an idea for the marketing system where just giving very basic parts of the idea would be to give them enough to do it themselves.
2) I don't know how much to charge yet. It's maybe a $5,000 thing tops, but I'm new and don't want to say a number that will scare them away. Can I give a $2,000-5,000 estimate, for example, and then say that we have to talk it through before?
Looking forward to hearing your experiences and advice!
Best,
Noma
