Client requests for proposal - a plea to Upwork

[Nichola L]

Dear Upwork,

Would you please do something about educating clients. Why should we waste a connect on this sort of RFP, and how can we answer those ridiculous questions without knowing more about the job?

Details

Seeking an editor for my book.

Skills Required: Editing Proofreading

You will be asked to answer the following questions when submitting a proposal:

1. What challenging part of this job are you most experienced in?
2. Why do you think you are a good fit for this particular project?

[Irene B]

Agreed, Nichola

Due to lack of relevant information, those questions are pretty useless. One would need to know the topic, length, possible time frames involved, etc. in order to formulate an accurate proposal....and to answer the questions intelligently. 

As it stands, the most appropriate answers would be:

1. I can't answer as you have supplied no information regarding the project.

2. Besides being the best at what I do, I can't answer the question due to lack of information regarding the project.

[Sandra T]

At least it says book. Not that this gives a whole lot of into, but at least it excludes the possibility of the text being 100 pages of awefully fiddly legal stuff or medical reports or anything else outside your (generally, not Nichola's) expertise.

Am I generally for educating clients to provide at least a bit more info? Yes, totally.

Also, I would really like to see this thing removed where these questions automatically get tacked on to a job posting if the client isn't interested in them but forgets to unclick them. Because of this feature you never really know if the client was actually interested in the replies or if they got tacked on accidentally.

However, I do see some good in these open questions. E.g. you can showcase your knowledge by pointing out all the different aspects this sort of work might/should include.

I am trying to compose templates for these, it's work in progress and I am not entirely sure about certain aspects. As much as it opens space for discussion with the client, it also opens the possibility of backfiring later on (in the interview process or during the actual job).

I understand that some of us might be competitors in regards to certain jobs, but I'd like to see some ideas or best practises for these open questions (either by fellow freelancers, or by Upwork - I've seen bits in the proposal workshop provided a while ago, but it didn't really address this directly, if I remember right).

It's a two-sided thing for me - sometimes I see the question and happily type away or pull out a template which I think fits the question perfectly, sometimes I cringe and ask myself if I really want to go through the hassle again...

[Jean S]

A client may post a job with all the details I need, and ask questions and request sample files BUT if I am invited to apply I don't see the questions and I have no way to attach a sample. I lost one job this way because the client requested files and had questions and I couldn't add these. 

I agree with the others about the questions. They are basically unanswerable even when you do have certain information. They don't apply to every category.

[Petra R]

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@Jean S wrote:

A client may post a job with all the details I need, and ask questions and request sample files BUT if I am invited to apply I don't see the questions and I have no way to attach a sample.

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 Don't you look at the job posting before responding to an invite? Also, what do you mean you can't attach a sample? The "attach file" optionis at the bottomof the interview message thread, and the "view job posting" link is at the top.

[Zamir U]

Hi Petra,
it's true, there's no way to attach a file/sample, while accepting an interview. Only I can, send the attachment in the next msg or including an outgoing link to the sample in the reply.

[Jean S]

There is no way to attach a file even after you have sent your message. Once the client replies to you then you can attach a file. I usually have to inform the client that files are not allowed to be attached which is really unprofessional.

[Fergus M]

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@Nichola L wrote:

You will be asked to answer the following questions when submitting a proposal:

1. What challenging part of this job are you most experienced in?
2. Why do you think you are a good fit for this particular project?

---

Those stupid questions do my nut in. I've had #1 several times now. I just reply "Nothing about this job is challenging. I'm a professional."

[Nichola L]

"Nothing about this job is challenging. I'm a professional."

Can I use this too?

[Fergus M]

Of course! In fact every professional should use it. Along with:

- Why are you particularly suited to this job?

"Because you want stuff written. I'm a writer."

- What do you think you would be good for this project and why?

"What does that even mean?"

- What is your favourite animal?

"Mind your own business. This isn't a dating agency."

If we all treat these stupid questions with the contempt they deserve perhaps clients will stop asking them.