What to Send Prospects Before the Proposal: A Step-By-Step Guide to Building Your Hello Page

Recently an agency owner asked me a simple but important question:

Question: what is the appropriate length for an intro piece? And what does it contain? Do you have a simple ‘hello’ piece I can look at? Not a full proposal, just something you send prospects to introduce who you are.

It’s a great question (thanks, Martha!), and one more agencies should be thinking about it.

A strong “hello page” isn’t your proposal and it isn’t a full creds deck.

It’s a straightforward introduction you can use at two important prospecting stages:

1. As the first thing a prospect sees in initial outreach
   When someone opens your email or LinkedIn message, this page helps them quickly understand who you help, what you do, and why it’s worth a conversation with you.

2. As a follow-up after a first conversation (and before you send your full proposal)
   Often, prospects need context before reviewing a detailed proposal. A concise landing page or PDF warms them up, reinforces your value, and creates a smoother path into the deeper conversation.

And, importantly, it’s easily shareable with other team members.

Most agencies don’t have this piece.

They either send prospects to their homepage (which is a whole other blog post, but is typically not a drilled-down landing page like the one we’re about to walk through ) or jump straight to a proposal (too much, too soon).

A well-built “hello page” fills that gap.

In this post, I’ll walk through the structure of the “hello page” we use at RSW/US, section by section, and show you how to adapt the same approach for your own agency.

And before we dig in, I’m not touting our RSW/US landing page as a masterpiece of design. It’s straightforward, and purposely so.

So you could. of course, make it your own, from a design standpoint, but be careful not to let the design overshadow what’s most important here: the reasons to believe that prospect should work with you.

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Step 1: Start With a Clear Headline, Subhead, and Top-of-Page CTA

The first screen of your page has one job: answer “Is this for me?” and “What do you do?” immediately.

On our page, (Which you can find here for reference) we lead with:

• A headline: “RSW/US: Your Partner in New Business Development”
• A subhead: “The Most Trusted Outsourced Solution for Marketing Communications Firms”

Right under that subhead, we place a primary CTA button:

“Contact Us For A Conversation”

If a prospect is already convinced (or just curious), they can act immediately.

How you can apply this

• Use your firm name + primary outcome in the headline
• Use the subhead to call out the audience you serve (e.g., “for B2B SaaS brands,” “for regional healthcare systems”)
• Place a low-pressure CTA (“Start a conversation,” “Schedule an intro call”) right below, not buried at the bottom

Remember: some people will skim everything. Others will click right away. Your hero section has to serve both.

Step 2: Add Your Tight Elevator Pitch Under the Hero

Right beneath the headline and CTA on our page, we include a compact elevator pitch that sets the context:

“At RSW/US, we focus solely on helping clients get closer to close. We have successfully supported marketing services firms, ad agencies, PR firms and software development firms since 2005.”

Why this works:

• Outcome-focused: “get closer to close” tells prospects what we’re really about
• Audience-specific: agencies, marketing services, PR, software firms, not “everyone”
• Credibility: operating since 2005, signals staying power

How you can apply this

Write a 1–2 sentence intro that answers:

• What outcome do you help your clients achieve?

• Who specifically do you serve?

• What type of firm you are

• How long / what proof supports that? (If you’re a younger firm, drop this, or drop it altogether if you feel the longevity of your firm might be seen as a hindrance.  Again, a whole other blog post, but I personally don’t see it as a such, speaking broadly.)

Keep it 1-2 sentences, and place these three or four in whatever order you prefer.

Step 3: Embed a Short Intro Video to Humanize the Page

Under that elevator pitch, we embed a short video that prospects can watch without leaving the page.

In the video, I walk through:

• Why common “differentiators” (creative, bold ideas, strategic) are really table stakes
• Why relying on referrals or a single internal rainmaker is so risky
• Stats like 60% of internal BD hires fail within 2 years and 35% don’t make it a year

  The core pillars of our program:

  • Longevity (nearly 20 years in this niche)

  • Stability (U.S.-based new business directors with long tenure)

  • A platform-agnostic tech stack (CRM, email, dialer, AI, intent, etc.)

  • Multi-channel outreach (phone, email, social, direct mail)

  • Strong, challenge-focused messaging

  • Comprehensive support through meetings, proposals, and follow-up

  • And key outcomes like 30–50% of meetings becoming opportunities and 90% of clients closing new business in year one

In other words: the video gives prospects a fast, human overview of what they’d otherwise have to read.

How you can apply this

You don’t need a high-concept brand film. You just need:

• 2–4 minutes of you (or whatever team member makes sense) explaining:

  • Who you serve

  • Why you are/what type of firm you are

  • What makes your approach different

  • What results you tend to see

• Keep it conversational, like you’re talking to someone across a table
• Embed it so it plays on the page, and they can also go to YouTube rabbit holes required

Think of the video as letting prospects “meet you” without scheduling a call yet.

Step 4: Use a “Why Us?” Section to Break Down Your Core Value Pillars

Next on our page is a “Why RSW/US?” section that turns our offering into a set of clear, scannable value pillars.

Each bullet is written in plain language, for example:

• Customized Positioning Plans – focused on your unique services, goals, and business problems you solve
• Targeted Prospect Lists – custom-built with tech + human verification
• Experienced New Business Directors – 10–15+ years of experience, embedded in your team
• Robust Marketing Technology – platform-agnostic, multi-tool stack to support outreach
• Coaching & Counseling – help with meetings, proposals, positioning
• Integrated Outreach – multi-touch, omnichannel mix (phone, email, LinkedIn, direct mail)

Each point answers: what is it, why does it matter, and how does it help me as a prospect?

How you can apply this

Create 4–6 “pillars” that sum up your offering. For each:

1. Give it a simple label (“Always-On Optimization,” “Content Engine,” “Measurement & Reporting”)

2. Add 1–3 sentences explaining:

   • What you actually do

   • Why that’s important to the client

   • What’s different about how you deliver it

This section should read like someone explaining what you do over coffee, not like a brochure.

Step 5: Show Outcome Proof With Logos or Quick Wins

After explaining how we work, we move into “Getting clients closer to closing business is our sole focus. Here’s just some of the business won by our clients:” followed by recognizable client logos: AARP, Chipotle, JPMorgan, La-Z-Boy, Macy’s, McKesson, and more.

This is social proof in its simplest form: “We help agencies win with brands like these.”

How you can apply this

Don’t overcomplicate it. Use:

• Logos of brands you’ve helped your clients win (general rule of thumb: no more than 5 years old)
• Or concise “mini-wins,” like:

• • “Helped X agency land Y brand in Z category”

  • “Grew healthcare portfolio by 3 new systems in 12 months”

The key is to link your involvement to real outcomes, even briefly.

Step 6: Layer in Testimonials for Depth and Variety

Next, we include a “What our agency clients say…” section with multiple testimonials (2-3 sentences) from different types of clients: full-service agencies, media partners, digital shops, etc.

These quotes:

• Talk about where they were before (inbound/relationship-based only, wanting to expand beyond their home state, etc.)
• Highlight the partnership and process (strategic plan, persistent outreach, being “part of the team”)
• Show specific outcomes: more meetings, new segments, new clients, ongoing growth

How you can apply this

Choose 3–4 testimonials that together answer:

• “Can they help a firm like ours?”
• “What was the experience of working with them?”
• “Did it actually lead to new business?”

Try to cover a mix of firm types and sizes so more prospects see themselves in the quotes.

Step 7: Add a “Behind the Work” Resource Hub

After social proof, we include a “Behind the Work: Strategy, Stories & Results” section that links to:

• Case studies – to show how the process plays out
• Blog posts – to share insights and opinions
• Survey reports – to demonstrate research and thought leadership

This is where we shift from “here’s what we do” to “here’s how we think.”

I realize every firm will differ as to which (or all) of these they have, but if you have any thought leadership content, here’s where to put it.

How you can apply this

On your hello page, add a small “Resources” , “Blog” , “Behind the Work” , any proprietary research, reports or YouTube or LinkedIn channel if it’s a good representation of your firm.

Short descriptions under each link help the prospect choose where to click next.

You’re guiding them down a path from curiosity → trust → action.

Step 8: Reinforce Authority With Thought Leadership Mentions

Below that, we include a section: “We’re proud to be thought leaders in the industry. Here are a few places we’ve been featured:” along with logos like Adweek, Ad Age, 4A’s, MarketingProfs, etc.

We don’t over-explain; the logos themselves do most of the work.

And I understand you may not have this for your firm, so this one is definitely optional.

How you can apply this

If you’ve:

• Been featured in industry publications
• Spoken at conferences
• Participated in panels or podcasts
• And you could also use awards in this section.

…you can pull those logos or titles into a simple strip with a short header like:

“Where our thinking has been featured”

It’s a fast way to say: “Others in your world have vetted us.”

Step 9: Use an FAQ Section to Answer Silent Objections

The final major content block on our page is an extensive FAQ that answers the questions we hear most often, such as:

• Where are you based?
• Why choose you over other options?
• What types and sizes of firms do you work with?
• What channels do you use for prospecting?
• What is your tech stack?
• Do you prospect as us, or as RSW/US?
• How do you charge?
• Do you help with content and positioning?
• How do you handle conflicts?

We also use FAQs to reiterate key points (U.S.-based, average NBD tenure, omni-channel approach, no extra list fees, etc.).

How you can apply this

Make a list of the 5–10 questions prospects ask you most often, especially on early calls. Then:

• Turn each into a short Q&A
• Keep answers tight and conversational, not ad-speak or legal-sounding
• Use them to address risk, fit, process, and pricing expectations

The goal is to have a prospect get to the bottom of the page thinking, “They’ve already answered most of my concerns.”

And, is great for SEO/AI platforms.

Step 10: Close With Clear Contact Info and a Human Next Step

Finally, our page ends with a “Connect With RSW/US” block that includes: address, phone, and a direct email.

It’s simple, but important. Some people don’t want a form or button, they want to know there are real humans they can reach.

How you can apply this

Give prospects multiple comfort-level options:

• A “Schedule a call” button
• A simple contact form
• A direct email/phone for someone specific

Let them choose how they want to start the conversation.

Bringing It All Together

A strong “hello page” doesn’t scream “buy now.”

It quietly and confidently answers:

• Who you help
• What you do
• Who you are
• Why your approach is different
• What proof there is that it works
• How to take the next step

And as that agency owner’s question reminded me, it’s not just for first touches, in fact, it’s probably more powerful as:

• A follow-up between a first conversation and a deeper proposal
• A confidence-builder prospects can share internally with their team

If you build a page that follows includes this structure as an initial blueprint (understanding, again, not all may work for your firm): headline, CTA, elevator pitch, human video, clear pillars, proof, resources, authority, FAQs, and easy contact, you’ll give your prospects exactly what they need: a simple, confident “hello” that makes them want to keep talking.