Client feedback on my proposal formatting changed everything

A client told me my 40 page proposal was too dense and they almost skipped it entirely. They said they wanted bullet points and visuals instead of long paragraphs. Has anyone else had to completely rework their proposal layout based on one piece of criticism?

2 comments

2 Comments

ruby_lane12d ago

People get so used to their own way of doing things they forget normal people don't want to read a novel to get the point. That's just how life works everywhere now, not just business proposals. Look at how people scroll through their phones, they glance at headlines and pictures before they read anything. Same thing with resumes, product instructions, even recipes online. The client did you a favor by being honest, most people just toss dense stuff in the trash without saying a word.

joseph44812d ago

ruby_lane nailed it with that "glance at headlines and pictures" thing. Guilty as charged over here. I once wrote a recipe for mac and cheese that was like 800 words. Nobody read past the first paragraph. My mom literally texted me "just tell me how much cheese." So yeah, the client did you a solid by being straight up about it. I've had people toss my writing in the trash without saying a word, and I'd rather know why than wonder. Saves everyone time.