🐈
» Forums » Freelancers » Asking public questions before biding
Page options
acostalaura
Community Member

Asking public questions before biding

So, this is just a suggestion to Upwork. I am not very sure where to post it. 

 

I have seen in other freelancing platforms that you can ask questions about the project and the answer is available to all freelancers. I think this is a resource very needed in Upwork right now.

 

As the connects now are paid and in my opinion the freelancer experience downgrades I think this is a feature that could make everything easier. Clients usually leave out a lot of details about the job (at least in the design/illustration categories) that could help me and others to know if it is worth biding. It is really not apealing to me to bid in a project that says "I want 10 illustrations." and nothing more. If this feature is implemented I could simply ask in what style or other details and I would not be wasting my money on a job that does not really apply to what I can do.

 

I feel it is really a simple tool that could help a lot. Other things that could really help would be if Upwork push Clients to be more clear on the needs of the project and not let them only write one sentence. I understand that clients are more important to Upwork than Freelancers, but if the projects were more clear then better freelancers would apply to these projects and more clients would be satisfied.

 

Just that for now. I hope this reaches someone that cares! Thank you

 

11 REPLIES 11
versailles
Community Member

They got rid of free connects so clients receive less spam. There is no way on Earth they are gonna to let people send direct messages to clients now that you have to pay to send a message to clients. This would make no sense.

 

In addition, do this and clients will receive tons of messages from people begging for a job. See what happens when an unfortunate client adds their website in their job post that contains their contact information. Their phone lines and inboxes are flooded by people begging for work. 

 

You don't want Upwork to implement this (and they won't).

 

 

-----------
"Where darkness shines like dazzling light"   —William Ashbless

Agrreed with Rene K 

do know what many job posts have incomplete information and i guess you are not from graphic designing field where whole description is needed before bidding...

 

now dont say ignore such projects where description is incomplete there need to be some way where we can ask for complete details...

I am not talking about direct messages. I am talking about a public question. Maybe limit it to 2 or 3 total per post. I have seen other platforms do it and they don't have a million questions. just relevant ones


Laura A wrote:

I am not talking about direct messages. I am talking about a public question. Maybe limit it to 2 or 3 total per post. I have seen other platforms do it and they don't have a million questions. just relevant ones


I agree... I raised this point in another thread. It's like where on amazon you can ask a question about a product, and the whole world sees the answer.

 

You want me to design a book? How many pages/words? Illustrations/stock photos? You want an eBook? Does that mean PDF version of the print book, or an actual epub/kindle file? I'm not using 6 connects to ask those questions, so instead I just don't apply.

shetani
Community Member


Kelly B wrote:


It's like where on amazon you can ask a question about a product, and the whole world sees the answer.

Not really, the clients aren't selling anything to us. On Amazon, you're the buyer and you can ask questions before spending your money. "The whole world" sees the answer but it's the whole world of buyers - not other sellers. Letting freelancers ask questions is letting sellers ask questions (i.e. beg buyers to buy from them).

 


Kelly B wrote:

You want me to design a book? How many pages/words? Illustrations/stock photos? You want an eBook? Does that mean PDF version of the print book, or an actual epub/kindle file? I'm not using 6 connects to ask those questions, so instead I just don't apply.


They don't necessarily want you to design a book. They posted their job on a marketplace - they want someone to design the book. If you don't want to work with the client because they didn't answer all of your questions in advance, then yes - just don't apply.

 

Now that connects cost money (© Jen M), if Upwork would implement a public board and freelancers asked questions there instead of sending me a proposal directly, I'd ignore every one of them. If I'm not worth their 90 cents, they're not worth my $$$.

tlbp
Community Member


Laura A wrote:

I am not talking about direct messages. I am talking about a public question. Maybe limit it to 2 or 3 total per post. I have seen other platforms do it and they don't have a million questions. just relevant ones


I've seen other platforms do this and almost all the questions I've witnessed were attempts by freelancers to convince the client to hire them before they submit a proposal. 

Rene K, For example. In people per hour there is a clarification board under the project and all the questions are about the project. Maybe they are preset questions? something like that

I have no idea if this a good idea or a bad idea or something Upwork would do or not do but I can't imagine I would ever ask a question on it.

 

The thing to realize is that customers often have no idea what they want and the most difficult customers have the wrong idea about what they want.  In your proposal you might find by asking the right question can actually help enlighten them, not only about their own project but about your ability to do that project.

 

No way I am going to hand out a good question to every single person bidding a project.  The only reason someone hires me at my rate is that I convince them I am brilliant at what I do and it helps me not at all to have 45 other people say "what he said".

 

Now, I realize that there are some really hopeless jobs out there that could maybe be helped by this feature.  But I also see a few jobs that the job is actually a cry for help, and if you can read between the lines, you can see oppurtunity.


Mark F wrote:

I have no idea if this a good idea or a bad idea or something Upwork would do or not do but I can't imagine I would ever ask a question on it.

 

The thing to realize is that customers often have no idea what they want and the most difficult customers have the wrong idea about what they want.  In your proposal you might find by asking the right question can actually help enlighten them, not only about their own project but about your ability to do that project.

 

No way I am going to hand out a good question to every single person bidding a project.  The only reason someone hires me at my rate is that I convince them I am brilliant at what I do and it helps me not at all to have 45 other people say "what he said".

 

Now, I realize that there are some really hopeless jobs out there that could maybe be helped by this feature.  But I also see a few jobs that the job is actually a cry for help, and if you can read between the lines, you can see oppurtunity.


What Mark said. I've said it before, too. 

 

Let clients who can't bestir themselves to write decent RFPs get pelted with crap proposals. They'll either get a clue or leave.


Rene K wrote:

They got rid of free connects so clients receive less spam. There is no way on Earth they are gonna to let people send direct messages to clients now that you have to pay to send a message to clients. This would make no sense.

 

In addition, do this and clients will receive tons of messages from people begging for a job. See what happens when an unfortunate client adds their website in their job post that contains their contact information. Their phone lines and inboxes are flooded by people begging for work. 

 

You don't want Upwork to implement this (and they won't).

 

 


I totally see your point, but I totally see Laura's point as well. The only solution I see is to ignore job posts with insufficient job descriptions, and I only apply to those that have enough information for me to at least do a close initial proposal. After I speak with the client, I then can revise my proposal based on the additional information I discover. But when it's just "I need a grant writer" and no other information, even with a high budget, I pass. If you can't even tell me what field you work in, like "arts education nonprofit seeks grant funding" or "homeless shelter needs grant writer" then I don't want to open that can of worms where the client isn't even prepared to seek grant funding. It would be nice if we could ask a few public questions, but I don't see how it could be implemented without the concerns Rene raises. 

Latest Articles
Featured Topics
Learning Paths