As a consultant, your expertise sets you apart, but securing new clients can sometimes feel like a challenge—especially when in-person meetings are rare, and companies are cautious about consulting fees.
A thoughtfully designed consulting proposal can be the key to turning hesitant prospects into loyal clients. In this guide, you’ll find design tips and consulting proposal templates to help you craft winning proposals that stand out.
What is a consulting proposal?
A consulting proposal is a sales pitch that highlights how a consultant will address a client’s needs or challenges. It typically includes the project scope, deliverables, timeline, pricing and terms, helping the client understand how the consultant’s expertise can benefit their business.
A consultant may submit a proposal after being briefed by a prospective client on project requirements. Or the submission can be in response to a formal Request for Proposals (RFP).
The proposal should be persuasive, visually impactful and customized for the client’s unique needs.
How to create a winning consulting proposal template?
A strong proposal highlights your expertise, addresses client needs, and reflects your professionalism. Use this guide to craft a consulting proposal that stands out and boosts your chances of success:
- Cover Page: Include your name, the client’s name, the submission date, and your branding elements like colors and logo.
- Executive Summary: Briefly address the client’s challenges, your proposed solutions, and key metrics or benchmarks to measure success.
- Project Scope: Clearly define what tasks you will and won’t cover. For example, specify if you’ll optimize a website for SEO but not rewrite its copy.
- Deliverables: Detail the tangible outcomes, such as reports, software products, prototypes, or process maps.
- Timeline: Provide deadlines for milestones and final deliverables. Incorporate consultant time tracking for accurate project progress monitoring.
- Costs: State your fees upfront, including payment structures like deposits or installments, and specify your preferred payment methods.
Keep reading to discover eye-catching consulting proposal templates and presentations that will help you tell a story, unlock conversations and ultimately, win the job.
What should be included in a consulting proposal?
A consulting proposal typically includes:
- Cover page: Consultant and client names, submission date and branding.
- Executive summary: Client challenges, proposed solutions and success metrics.
- Project scope: Detailed tasks to be completed (and excluded).
- Deliverables: Specific outcomes like reports, prototypes or plans.
- Timeline: Milestones and deadlines for each phase.
- Costs: Clear pricing, payment terms and methods.
- Terms and conditions: Legal agreements and responsibilities.
- Next steps: Guidance on signing or starting the project.
19 Consulting proposal examples [with templates]
Simple consulting proposal templates
Sometimes a clean, simple consulting proposal without too many frills is all you need, whether you’re pitching a traditional corporate client or simply want something easy to fill out.
After all, juggling your current workload and finding new clients (and then pitching these leads is tough. A well-designed sample consulting proposal will make your life a lot easier. Plus, clients hiring a consultant may even be more likely appreciate a simple, straight-forward proposal that they can understand than one that needs lots of explaining.
Success tip: Focus on value and ROI in your proposal
Be upfront about how significant the potential return will be for the client’s investment. A significant return is incredibly compelling for a potential client and will make a client much more likely to sign you on.
Alex Williams, a web consultant from Hosting Data UK recommends anchoring your consulting fees to the value your client will receive. A high ROI means the client will be much less likely to bat an eye at your (hopefully substantial) fee.
Simple B2C consulting proposal
This simple B2C consulting template allows you to easily personalize your proposal with your personal branding and the client’s logo right on the cover page. You can also make it more personal by uploading real images of the client’s office or retail space.
Simple business consulting proposal
This professional consulting proposal is ideal for pitching corporate clients. It includes a table of contents and your contact information in the footer of each page, ensuring easy navigation and consistency.
You can also duplicate the last page to add an appendix or additional details as needed, giving you flexibility to customize the proposal further.
Business consulting proposals
B2C client consulting proposal
This straightforward yet impactful consulting proposal template is great for outlining key growth strategies. If you’ve already covered most of the details with the client—either in conversation or during a presentation—this template is perfect for reinforcing those main points.
Business growth client consulting proposal
This business proposal template uses more formal colors, making it a great fit for traditional clients.
Choosing the right colors is key, and it’s all about the psychology behind them:
- Cool colors = trust, loyalty, stability
- Warm colors = energy, excitement, positivity
For example, if your client works in banking (a more traditional industry), going with a cool color like blue can help build trust. You can see this trend in the logos below.
Check out our post on choosing and using brand colors for more examples.
Here’s another tip: use the executive summary in the template below to show you truly understand the client’s business and their goals. Make it clear that you know how to take them from point A to point B.
Highlight current challenges and opportunities using the two columns in the consulting proposal example below: problem and solution.
B2C consulting proposal
For B2C clients, emotional marketing is key to driving sales and connecting with customers.
As consultants, your job is to understand the power of emotional marketing while also using data to guide your approach. By focusing on the client’s bottom line, you can show how emotional marketing leads to real results, like more sales, loyal customers and increased revenue.
In the consulting proposal template below, use the “Problem” section to describe the client’s current situation, and the “Budget” section to explain the value and ROI your services will deliver.
Abstract business consulting proposal
This bold proposal grabs attention with its eye-catching geometric background and unique illustrations, making a strong impression from the start. A powerful opening sets the tone, showing professionalism and keeping your client engaged for a better chance at success.
Creative business proposal template
This sample consulting proposal is best for consultants who want to express their ideas with text.
That said, don’t be afraid to add visuals. Visuals make your content more memorable and engaging and they can also make it easier to understand.
Here are some ways to summarize information from your proposal:
- Icons: illustrate a list
- Pie charts: show market share
- Timelines: illustrate project milestones
- Mind map: show a product launch strategy
The above project proposal template also has plenty of room to highlight your experience, past clients and unique skills.
A project summary is complimented by key deliverables, with a concrete project timeline laid out on the last page. Drag and drop in visuals, as you please.
The table of contents on page two will help the client quickly refer to key sections. You can even hyperlink to sections throughout the proposal, directly from the table of contents.
Business strategy consulting proposal
To win over clients, business strategy consultants need to show they can offer practical, effective solutions that address the client’s specific challenges. It’s all about proving you understand their goals and have a clear plan to help them achieve success, from start to finish.
You can check out this project proposal post for more tips on writing up a proposal.
Again, visuals can be an incredibly helpful way to simplify information. You might even consider making an infographic to present data.
This project proposal example uses icons as bullet points to help explain its deliverables:
Construction consulting proposal
To get the job, construction consultants need to demonstrate that they can provide real, cost-effective solutions to their prospective clients’ challenges. They need to demonstrate that they understand the client’s requirements and that they have a solid vision from initial concept to project closeout.
This construction proposal template provides a clear and concise breakdown of your unique vision and can be branded with your business colors and logo using our online tool:
Marketing consulting proposals
When it comes to marketing consulting, clients want to see that you can create strategies that drive real results. They need to feel confident that you understand their target audience and have a clear plan to boost their brand visibility and growth.
Check out the marketing consulting templates below for a simple way to present your ideas, showcase your expertise, and create a proposal that resonates with your clients.
Social media marketing consulting proposal
A great social media marketing proposal lays out a consultant’s plans, sets client expectations and highlights just how amazing you are in the social sphere. You can also mention your knowledge of digital marketing trends.
Solid research on the client’s stats, audience and competition is the backbone of any great social media marketing proposal. What platforms are they strongest on? Have they had any successful campaigns?
Your social media plan should show that your recommendations are based on a thorough understanding of the client’s current situation, challenges and opportunities.
Success tip: Use the SMART framework
Follow the SMART framework when laying down social media goals for your client. As in: all goals must be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely.
Marketing proposal template
This short and sweet marketing proposal template addresses all the major points in one page. Copy any of the pages to add more pages and information.
There are several template examples that you can look at and draw inspiration from to make the most of your resources and promote your business. This blog post on 5 marketing proposal examples that’ll help elevate your business is a great guide that I will advise.
Social media project proposal
This project proposal example has a “project background” section where you can address the client’s needs and any problems. Be as specific as possible. Use point form, if it helps organize your thoughts.
Social media consulting proposal
This bright and cheerful social media consulting proposal is designed to grab attention. In the timeframe section, keep the schedule clear and easy to follow—clients should be able to understand the timeline at a glance. If you need to get more detailed, you can always add an appendix.
This example offers a straightforward schedule, but feel free to copy the slide if you want to include additional details:
Content strategy consulting proposal templates
A content strategy plan should outline:
- What kind of content you’ll create (and/or curate)
- What types of content will go on what platform
- When and how often content will be posted
- Tone and style of content
Ask your client for any style guides or brand colors before you start your content strategy plan.
Don’t miss our post and free eBook on repurposing content. Your client will probably be excited to learn of all the ways they can maximize their existing content and create exciting infographics, presentation slide decks, white papers and more.
Include visual content marketing statistics to support your argument.
Content strategy consulting proposal
This clean, modern content strategy plan includes space both for text and bold graphics.
It also already has every section you need to create a comprehensive proposal. Let the template be your guide–a competitor analysis, user persona examples and customer feedback are all key aspects you’ll want to research and fill out.
Corporate consulting proposals
Consulting RFP template
It can be tough to stand out among a sea of Request for Proposal (RFP) responses. A well-organized, dynamic consulting RFP template will set you apart.
Success tip: Break up text with visuals
Long paragraphs of text are sure to send your potential client to sleep. Use graphics, charts and other visuals to make your point instead.
Above all, avoid marketing jargon. Write clean and clear copy. Scour the RFP itself for key phrases, buzzwords and acronyms that you can apply to your proposal. This will show you know how to speak your client’s language and understand their world.
Corporate business consulting proposal
This professional corporate business consulting proposal is ideal for pitching to large companies, non-profits, or government agencies. It’s straightforward and formal, but without feeling too stiff or stuffy.
Using this template helps you present your ideas in a polished way that resonates with decision-makers, showing you can handle big projects while keeping things clear and easy to follow. It’s a great way to build trust and set the stage for a successful collaboration.
Corporate organization and optimization proposal
This text-based consulting proposal is given an extra touch with an abstract design motif that adds visual interest without overwhelming the content.
The design helps to highlight key sections and makes the proposal feel more engaging, while still keeping the focus on the information. It’s a great way to balance professionalism with creativity, making your proposal stand out in a subtle yet impactful way.
Organizational consulting proposal
This consulting proposal example features a fresh gradient background paired with bold icons, giving it a sleek, modern feel.
The gradient adds depth and a touch of energy, while the icons make key points easy to identify at a glance. Together, they create a visually appealing design that’s both contemporary and professional.
Minimalist organizational consulting proposal
Looking for a slightly more conservative design? This sample consulting proposal has the same format as the above–but swaps out the background and fonts for a slightly more muted look:
HR consultant proposal
HR outsourcing is expected to reach US$ 48858.42 million by 2031, according to the 360 Market Updates. With this kind of opportunity at stake, you want a thorough proposal that’s professional and easy to digest.
HR consultants can use this project proposal outline to clearly detail key deliverables, project costs and timelines, along with your team’s expertise.
It also provides space to highlight your unique competitive edge, showcasing what sets you apart from other consultants and how your approach adds value. This structure ensures that clients understand exactly what to expect and why you’re the right fit for the job.
Design pro-tips with Venngage
Here are some design pro-tips you can easily implement using the Venngage editor to take your proposals to the next level:
Design pro tip 1: Visualize concepts with icons
Swap in different icons from our library of thousands of modern icons. Use this strategy to illustrate your specific deliverables or customize the cover page to reflect your client’s industry.
For example, if the client is in the healthcare industry, you could add medical symbols.
You can also use icons to create an icon story. Icons are a quick way to communicate concepts and visuals. Use a cluster of icons to decorate your proposal or to explain an idea.
Direct the reader’s gaze to certain parts of a page with icons. Add a circle or square background to your icons, make them over
Design pro tip 2: Add your brand colors
Add your potential client’s brand colors to your consulting proposal template. Venngage’s My Brand Kit feature pulls colors, fonts and logos from your client’s website so you can apply them to your proposal with one click.
Design pro tip 3: Use gradients to spice up your designs
Gradients are one of the biggest graphic design trends so using a gradient design in your consulting proposal is perfect for forward-thinking companies, especially those in marketing and design. Change up the gradient quickly in Venngage by clicking “background” and selecting a different color scheme.
The takeaway: Why consulting proposal templates are a game-changer
Let’s face it—creating a consulting proposal from scratch can be overwhelming. That’s where a good template comes in handy. It helps you present your ideas clearly and professionally without all the extra hassle.
A solid consulting proposal template lets you focus on customizing the content to match your client’s needs while keeping your branding and structure on point. Plus, it saves time and makes sure you don’t forget anything important.
Explore Venngage’s consulting proposal templates and get started today!
Further Reading:
- How to Design an Engaging LinkedIn Presentation
- 10+ New Leadership Infographic Examples
- Crisis Communication Plan Templates for Leaders
More Consulting Guides:
