Hello fellow Upwork freelancers!
If you are like me, proposals are one of the most fun, but frustrating aspects of Upwork! Always getting outbid, clients never responding, and even proposals getting declined for no reason at all. I found a bunch of templates on the internet on how proposals should be written, and my biggest takeaway from that was to make it less about me and ALL about how I can provide value to the client! It sounded easy enough! I began intensely reading job postings and thinking about how I could provide value based on the problems that clients were sharing. I noticed I was getting more responses when I changed my tone and framework, but I still didn't feel like it was great, BUT then I discovered my secret sauce.
Clients on Upwork want to work with freelancers that are friendly, genuine, and skillful. The skillful part can be assessed by reviewing our profiles to see if we've taken assessments, reviewing our portfolio, etc. However, friendly and genuine are a bit harder to gauge through text. So I started using video. I have found that recording myself on video for a minute or so shows how enthusiastic I am to work with the potential client and also gives them an idea of who I am as a freelancer! These videos usually start with a "Hello, my name is Cody, I've read your job post, and here is how I can successfully complete the work you are asking for..." of course the opener will be vary depending on the client and the work they need to be completed, but wow—video is easy to watch, it's engaging for the client, and takes way less time than writing proposals via messenger!
I hope this tip helps others who are struggling with getting proposals over to clients and winning the bids, it sure has drastically helped my odds! If anyone else has tips on successfully earning new client trust and work, let me know! I'd love to hear about other ways fellow freelancers are leveling up their bidding process!
Cheers,
Cody
