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Only Propose What You Can Confidently Defend

Stop lying in your proposals. It’s literally costing you business. I reviewed an agency proposal last week. They included hourly estimates for every phase. I asked: “Is this the way you’d prefer to do it?” They said no. “Then why is it in your proposal?” They didn’t have an answer. And they’re not alone. Most agency owners include things in proposals they don’t actually believe in: ↳ Hourly breakdowns—because they think clients expect them. ↳ Revision rounds—because they’re afraid of scope creep. ↳ Business jargon—because they think it sounds professional. Here’s the rule: never include anything in a proposal you wouldn’t or couldn’t defend in conversation. If a client asked, "Why is this $150/hr?" and you have no better answer than “because that’s our rate,” take it out. Your proposal should only contain things you believe, priced around outcomes you can deliver. Everything else erodes trust with your prospect.