PROPOSALS

[veroni123]

Hi, It been a month I opened an account in Upwork Job Board. I am happy that I can see lots of Job opportunities. My profile has been completed 100% and I had submitted 5 proposals so far but not been hired yet. Please help me as I am new to this arena. I feel so discouraged. Thanks for helping me to earn money through Upwork.
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[petra_r · Accepted solution]

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SHANTH V wrote:

Hi, It been a month I opened an account in Upwork Job Board. I am happy that I can see lots of Job opportunities. My profile has been completed 100% and I had submitted 5 proposals so far but not been hired yet. Please help me as I am new to this arena. I

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Edit your overview to fix all the (many) mistakes. Fix spelling, punctuation, grammar, capitalization and word choice.

It wouldn't matter if you were a programmer or graphic artist, but a writer with so many mistakes will turn a client off.

I also don't seem to find a "Good Shepherd School" that offers masters degrees... Free online courses don't belong in the education section.

Everything on your profile must be accurate, true and correct.

[veroni123]

Thanks for your tips.

[themiroc]

Hi Petra,

I'd love you to criticize my profile like this!

Though I'm constantly submitting proposals, following the advice I've read in this forum, I don't land as many jobs as my peers.

Maybe some corrections or additional advice would help me improve my selling strategy.

In my proposals I always highlight the client's requirements, show relevant previous work, highlight great feedback, bid appropriately (always within the threshold, sometimes higher if the fixed-price budget is too low), and finish the cover letter with a "call to action" inviting the client to a quick chat or call.

Thanks for your time!

[zoeadel]

Hi Shanth,

Do not be discouraged, keep going!!

When you start out it can be difficult to stand out in a crowded place, but in my experience, it gets easier and easier and it's so worth it! A few weeks ago I quit my job and went full-time self-employed thanks to Upwork.

I am a content writer, and here are some tips that I think worked for me:

• Applying only to jobs that I was literally perfect for.
  • It is a competitive space and if you're not perfect for a job you can assume someone else will do it better. 
  • Find jobs within your niche and apply to them and them only. This will save you a lot of time

• Send a detailed proposal that is well written
  • Check your spelling and grammar.
  • Read the description properly and reference it in your proposal - especially if they've asked you to write a specific sentence or phrase 

• Match the clients budget 
  • It may be okay to exceed it a bit, but if a client asks for a job to be done for $300 and you bid $1,000 then you're too expensive for them.
  • Equally if they ask for $300 and you say you will do it for $20 - they may be suspicious of the quality of work you will deliver
• Complete your profile 100%
  • I can't see your profile, but you need to make sure you've filled out as much as you possibly can
  • Include examples of work from work off Upwork to show you can do what you say you do
  • Include your education and employment history etc etc - like I said complete as much as you can
    
• Don't apply to jobs that have a tonne of proposals already
  • Check the number of proposals received. Usually, if there's more than 10 I don't bother unless the job is hands-down perfect-perfect!
  • Make sure there aren't too many interviews already. Before now I've opened a job, written my cover letter and by the time I finish - poof - someone is in interview! Some jobs are super-competitive and move fast. Just check there's still a slot for you before you waste time writing a proposal
• Complete the Upwork readiness test if you haven't already

Those are a few tips that will serve you well! Shout if you want any more tips or thoughts around something specific - good luck!!

[veroni123]

Hey Zoe!!!

 Thank you so much for your tips. Here is my link https://www.upwork.com/o/profiles/users/~014d884bc2c7e1e117/

If you find an error please let me know. It will be helpful to me. Thanks for your guidance.

[zoeadel]

Hi Shanth,

Ah I see your profile, my mistake I could've found it myself.

I can only reiterate what Petra has said, you are a content writer and you say: 'My grammar and vocabulary are unerring and I have a strict adherence to deadlines.'

Thinker. Meticulous and conscientious are the two words that best describe me. I aim to help you generate content to make that it is not painful to read.

I have underlined two errors in the first few sentences, but I won't correct them for you. I think you should read through your profile and make the relevant changes. Some of the mistakes would be highlighted by Microsoft Word or similar. 

Your profile, no matter what you do, should be flawless. If you are a content writer it is crucial to have polished copy. The same goes for proposals. 

Keep going, I revised my profile a few times before I got it 'right' and I'm due to revise it again now I've been freelancing a while. I want it to better reflect what I do now.

Good luck, keep crafting your skill and keep going.

[veroni123]

I made the changes. Thank you zoe.

[petra_r]

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SHANTH V wrote:

If you find an error please let me know. 

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If you don't have a Master degree, remove that completely... Don't just replace one degree you haven't got with another you haven't got. If you are found to be lying about any aspect on your profile, you will be removed from the site and banned. 

And again, a 4 week free online course does not qualify for the degrees section because it is, you know, not a degree.

[veroni123]

No, I actually done  a Masters in Philosophy (English Literature). Thank you 

[pallavi_graphics]

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Zoe A wrote:

• Match the clients budget 
  • It may be okay to exceed it a bit, but if a client asks for a job to be done for $300 and you bid $1,000 then you're too expensive for them.
  • Equally if they ask for $300 and you say you will do it for $20 - they may be suspicious of the quality of work you will deliver

I applied to a proposal where client's budget was "$20.00-$45.00 Hourly"  and i saw the bid range minimum was 10, so i applied with 9 USD per hour keeping mine minimum because as per my previous experience of applying to job i saw people with minimum budget got the opportunity. But now as i was tracking the job, i checked again and the now the Proposals ha become  Less than 5 and low bid range is 20.

So does that mean the client has rejected my proposal?

So if i apply with the thought that clients will consider quality and i apply with 25 the client goes with the one with minimum budget and when i apply with the thought that client will go with minimum budget the client goes with quality. Hope i made my thought clear.

What to do? Please help.

Thanks

[zoeadel]

Hi Pallavi,

If you submitted a proposal, whatever the rate it should have reached the client - you can check to the if the proposal is active by visiting this link: https://www.upwork.com/ab/proposals/ 

or navigating in the menu > find work > proposals 

I think that would be a good place to start.

In terms of bidding, I don't know is trying to guess a client's motive is a good idea. My advice would be for you to bid within the client's budget (as long as you're happy with it) and that you add your own evaluation of what the project is worth. 

Hope that helps 🙂

[pallavi_graphics]

Thanks for reply.

It actually is very frustrating when proposal don't convert and all connects are simply wasted.

Thanks.

[petra_r]

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Pallavi S wrote:

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 Less than 5 and low bid range is 20.

So does that mean the client has rejected my proposal?

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Yes, that is what it means.

Lowballing means the better clients reject you for lowballing.

On hourly jobs, I only ever bid my profile rate.

[petra_r]

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Zoe A wrote:

• Match the clients budget 
  • It may be okay to exceed it a bit, but if a client asks for a job to be done for $300 and you bid $1,000 then you're too expensive for them.

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That depends on your selling skills. I largely ignore the client's budget and bid what would make it worth my while to do the job. 

I regularly win jobs at multiples of the client's budget.

That said, if my bid is more han 3 or 4 times the stated budget, I only bid if I am invited. I regularly win contracts at several times the stated budget. I think the record was 8 times.

[pallavi_graphics]

Was it like this even when u started? I have been a member since 1.5 months.

[petra_r]

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Pallavi S wrote:
Was it like this even when u started? I have been a member since 1.5 months.

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You live in a high-cost country, so clients see someone in your country bid  half the minimum wage and get suspicious. A client willing to spend $ 45 an hour is most unlikely to hire someone who tells that client that her skills are only worth $ 9, which is exactly what you do when you bid a fifth of the top of the range.

Your profile rate (considering the country you live in) sounds like low quality entry level, which is not what your target clients would want for their brand...

When I go shopping for something special to wear, and have an idea that my dream boots will cost me between € 100 and € 200, I don't even go in the shop with the € 29.99 fake leather ones from China.

When I am short of money and need a nice dress, I go in the charity shop for a nice second hand one, I don't walk into Armani.

Clients are the same.

[pallavi_graphics]

Thanks Zoe for this insight, I will definitely make amendments in my profile.

[intikhabalam243]

don't worry give more time if you can, Make your proposal attractive and professional, However, if you have a problem, you can ask