Spent 2 years writing 200-page marketing proposals. A client finally told me nobody reads past page 3.
I used to pride myself on these thick proposals with market research, buyer personas, full campaign timelines, budget breakdowns, the works. Took me 3 full days per big client. Then at a networking event in Columbus last month, a guy who runs a local HVAC company flat out said 'I stop reading after the first 2 pages. If you can't sell me on the idea quick, I move on.' It hit me that all those hours I spent on details were for nothing. Now I'm trying to trim everything down to a 3-page max. But part of me worries that without the depth, I'll come across as unprepared. Anyone else struggle with knowing how much detail is actually needed versus what we think is needed?