Writing the perfect project sheet

In the 8+ years I’ve been writing for business and industry, there’s one tool that I find is particularly undervalued – the humble project sheet. 

I’ve written project sheets for fabrication businesses, builders, electrical contractors, shipping and logistics companies, pest control companies and even industrial cleaners. The one thing they all have in common? A laser-specific focus on a specific set of capabilities, showcasing how you’ve put them to work in language that your clients understand.

I find that project sheets are also a great addition to your capability statement. Perhaps you didn’t have enough space (or you’ve since specialised into a particular area), and you want to tailor the cap stat to highlight specific capabilities for a new client.

Enter the project sheet – no more than two A4 pages (although I like to keep it to one). Have a few of these ready to go in your collateral arsenal, and you’ll be ready for any enquires that come your way.

Across all of these project sheets, there are four key things that I like to do to make sure the project sheet gets the best possible result. 

After all, the whole purpose of a project sheet is to showcase exactly how excellent your work is in one exact area, so that when your ideal client comes along you can talk directly to them (and bring in more of the work that you’re already good at!). 

1. Be specific. 

You’ve already done the work, so there’s no harm in promoting what you’ve done (unless you’re not allowed to under any client agreements). A good project sheet sets the scene with dates, project values, locations and client names. By including these details, you’re creating what’s called ‘social proof’ – and your client will think ‘if these guys have done well in a similar job/scope/remote location, they can do the same with my work!’. 

2. Use the language that your customer speaks.

This applies to all of your marketing collateral – you need to speak in language that your customer recognises. Not only does this build your credibility, but it saves them from having to ‘translate’ into what that might mean to them. The easier you can make it to do business with you, the better! In a practical sense, this might mean using industry-specific jargon or measurements that are specific to the kind of work you do. We usually discourage jargon, but if there ever was a place for it – it’s in a project sheet!

3. Focus on the first, the biggest, the best.

Don’t worry about tall poppy syndrome when it comes to a project sheet – you’re meant to be promoting how your business is the best, the biggest or the first. Whether it’s through an example of an innovative product in action, the first time you’ve put technology into the field, or the biggest saving you made – showcasing your expertise is important here. You’re subtly telling potential customers that this is the result they could have if they work with you.

4. Complement the words with quality photos and design. 

While this might sound like an odd tip coming from someone who doesn’t offer photography or design, I always work with great designers and photographers to deliver the best work. There’s a huge difference in professionalism between a Word document with Papyrus or Comic Sans and a designed PDF with photos that help to tell your story. One means you might be seen as amateurs running a backyard business, and the other is what a multi-national company would put out. Which of those would you most rather be aligned with?