Been burned by freelancing sites in the past? Here are a few of my BEST Freelancing tips for getting the most out of these sites before you write or submit your proposal
Freelancing Tips to get you Started
- Read reviews before you apply.
- Avoid people with unverified payments or less than one hire.
- Only apply to intermediate and expert level jobs. They pay better.
- Check for their average pay rate before you apply.
- Create a resume and attach it to each proposal.
- Attach samples before they ask. It goes a long way.
- I only apply to jobs with less than 20 proposals and no interviews. The fewer applicants and interviews, the better your chances.
- Avoid using templates
- Don’t apply unless you want the job.
- Avoid generic letters; be upbeat.
- Always upsell them. I lost a job I was perfect for because someone up-sold the client. (Yes, she was kind enough to tell me because she liked me).
You’ll still get A LOT of rejections, but it’s okay. The few clients you’ll get will be worth it.
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Advice for New Freelancers
If you have written numerous proposal but don’t get any feedback, most likely, you’re applying for the wrong jobs. When using freelance sites, my #1 tip is to be choosy! On many sites, you can filter job requests by how much the client is willing to pay.
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My opinion?
#ONLY apply for top-dollar proposals!
Give value FIRST
This is one of my top tips not just for freelancing sites, but for EVERY proposal that you send out. Don’t just send your portfolio or examples of your past work. If you want to stand above the pack, you need to put some time into your proposal.
That means researching the client as much as possible and giving them a customized proposal. Compliment them about specifics of their business. Give them specific feedback. Go ahead and DO part of the work they are planning to hire you for.
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For example, if they are hiring you to help with their Pinterest account, then go ahead and send them a few “pinnable images” for their blog BEFORE they hire you. Giving them VALUE FIRST will show them that YOU are the right person for the job.
Hire others
There’s another excellent way to use freelancing job sites that many of us neglect. Yes, you can use these sites to find jobs, but you can also use them to hire your freelancers.
Have a data entry project someone is paying you $30 per hour to do? What if you hired someone to finish the project for you and paid them $5 per hour? That would mean that you would be making $25 per hour to CHECK the work that this freelancer did for you!
Get creative with what YOU can outsource in your own business. We are in the outsourcing business, after all, aren’t we?
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