I realize there are comments I haven't responded to; I'll figure out a process to respond to them. Sorry about that. How do you make your contract with clients? What to add in the contract? Okay, this is a great thing. So, write the best proposals: agency proposals. Let's do 20 men. I'll cover structure, mainly spend time talking about the customer problem, pressing pain points, paraphrasing, empathizing with their situation, demonstrating understanding. That's really big. Then spend the last 30% talking about your solution, pitching price, and talking logistics. Okay. Visuals, automated mechanisms. So, excuse me, legal regard what I personally do. I am not a lawyer. Automated proposal generation mechanisms.
Write the best proposals: agency proposals. Let's do 20 men. I'll cover structure, mainly spend the vast majority of time talking about the customer problem, pressing pain points, paraphrasing, empathizing with their situation, demonstrating understanding. That's really big. Then spend the last 30% talking about your solution, pitching price, and talking logistics. Okay. Visuals, automated mechanisms.
First, congratulations on the numbers – 500 emails, 10 replies, 8 opportunities, that’s a 2 % reply rate and an 80 % conversion from replies to opportunities, which is a solid 1.6 % positive reply rate. My main tip is not to treat the sales call as a demo. Framing it as a demo puts the burden on you and turns you into a “dancing monkey” performing for the client, rather than a consultant partnering with them. Instead, position the call as a consultative session. I usually start by saying I built a very similar system for another client recently and ask if they’d like to see it. Then I spend roughly the first half of the call asking deep, consultative questions: what problems are they facing, how much money those problems cost them, what solutions they’ve tried, why they’re looking to solve it now, and any fears they have. After gathering that information, I synthesize a simple solution – essentially a system that addresses about 80 % of their problem – and walk them through a comparable example I’ve built. I keep the explanation straightforward and focus on how it solves their specific pain points. This consultative structure lets you demonstrate value without the pressure of a formal demo and makes closing the sale feel natural.
Thanks for the question. Shipping an automation isn't really needed—you don't need to ship it at all because the shipping happens during the building process. You start by talking with somebody who likes what you have to offer, get them on a call, discuss the problems and solutions, do quick math to see how much the problem is costing them, and pitch your solution at a fraction of that cost—usually around 30%. Once they agree, you send a proposal, they sign it and pay you a little money. I like doing a 50/50 upfront and then upon delivery structure for a small intro offer, then transitioning to a retainer fully paid up front at the beginning of each month. After they sign, you need to get them on a kickoff call to walk through expectations, scope, timelines, and confirm the scope again before starting work—this is your point of highest leverage. If there are project problems, deal with them now while you have some of their money and haven't done work yet, rather than at the end when they're holding money out on you. On the kickoff call, you also have them sign up to the necessary platforms (like Make.com or N8N) so they have everything they need upfront and you never have to bug them again for access; the only messages you'll get are positive happy updates. As a Make.com partner and NN verified creator, I get preferential treatment like a thousand free operations via affiliate promo codes, which adds 3‑5% to your margin because they use your affiliate links and trust you as an authority. You have no liability for recurring payments—they take that on. Before the end of the call, you have all the credentials so you never have to bug them again. That's how you actually go about doing the shipping. To find clients in the really early stages of your automation agency, join Maker School.
To close a client with limited proposals send custom Loom videos. They let you practice and deliver your value proposition without the cost or stress of live calls—effectively giving you free sales‑rep experience. Plus personalized outreach maximizes the return on every dollar you spend on Upwork connects; if someone watches your video you want the highest chance they'll convert. Also always use your real face on Upwork because clients want to work with a genuine person not an avatar.