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donnamcfarland
Community Member

Potential clients disappear

I am new to Upwork (1st 30 days). I have sent 21 proposals and had a 33% response rate, which seems pretty good to me since I'm so new. I was hired for only one job (still in progress). On the others, we correspond, maybe talk by phone, they seem like they're ready to hire me and then that's the last I hear from them. I look back at their job postings and there is no activity -- they don't appear to be interviewing or hiring somebody else, either. The most recent was one where we corresponded, agreed on the work and the price. I got a message saying she wanted to hire me and she was in a hurry -- how soon could I start? I answered that I could start that day. That was last week and I still haven't received an offer or reply message. Is this typical? Is there normally a couple week lag between contact and being hired? Thanks.

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prestonhunter
Community Member

re: "I got a message saying she wanted to hire me and she was in a hurry -- how soon could I start?"

 

Oh? Are you in a hurry?

Okay!

I can start right away!

 

re: "That was last week and I still haven't received an offer or reply message."

 

Then the client was not ACTUALLY in a hurry.

 

re: "Is this typical?"

Typical?

I don't know. But it happens.

 

re: "Is there normally a couple week lag between contact and being hired?"

 

Yes.

There is always a lag.

Sometimes that lat time is just a few seconds.

 

Sometimes a few minutes.

 

Sometimes a few months.

 

I do not follow up or chase down clients.

 

If a client wants to hire me, she knows where to find me.

 

If she is not ready to work with me yet, that's fine. I'm not going anywhere. When you're ready, I'll be right where you left me... you can find me using Upwork Messages, and you can send me an official contract offer. And after I have a contract in place, I'll start working for you.

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prestonhunter
Community Member

re: "I got a message saying she wanted to hire me and she was in a hurry -- how soon could I start?"

 

Oh? Are you in a hurry?

Okay!

I can start right away!

 

re: "That was last week and I still haven't received an offer or reply message."

 

Then the client was not ACTUALLY in a hurry.

 

re: "Is this typical?"

Typical?

I don't know. But it happens.

 

re: "Is there normally a couple week lag between contact and being hired?"

 

Yes.

There is always a lag.

Sometimes that lat time is just a few seconds.

 

Sometimes a few minutes.

 

Sometimes a few months.

 

I do not follow up or chase down clients.

 

If a client wants to hire me, she knows where to find me.

 

If she is not ready to work with me yet, that's fine. I'm not going anywhere. When you're ready, I'll be right where you left me... you can find me using Upwork Messages, and you can send me an official contract offer. And after I have a contract in place, I'll start working for you.

Thanks. I like your answer to the are you in a hurry question.

Occasionally, we hear about clients who try to trick freelancers into working for free by saying they are in a hurry, and giving the freelancer some work to do, but the client never actually starts a contract.

 

I think this is rare, but it happens.

 

These clients are just scammers.

It is not actually difficult for a client to turn a job posting into an official contract. They just need to click the green "Hire" button.

 

So any real client who is really in a hurry is going to make sure that she has a contract in place.

 

Think about it: In real life, if you REALLY wanted something done... For example, if you wanted a birthday cake made for your nephew's birthday tomorrow... if the baker said she needed 50% payment up front, before she could start making the cake... Would you NOT pay that 50% payment up front? Or would you tell the baker: I'm really in a hurry. I PROMISE to pay you when I pick up the cake?

 

Would you take that risk?

 

A REAL Upwork client won't take that risk either. Only a scammer would ask a freelancer to do any work, and NOT set up a REAL Upwork contract.

Thank you! I appreciate the additional information and the warning. The client is also new, so I wondered if she knew how to actually hire me, but it sounds like it's not at all difficult.

If a client is genuinely in a hurry, then she is going to check with you to make sure you're working on the project.

 

And you will say: "Not yet. You will need to click the Hire button first."

 

No matter how new a client is, they will eventually be able to figure out how to start a contract officially... and once that contract is in place, then you can do the work.


Preston H wrote:

 

No matter how new a client is, they will eventually be able to figure out how to start a contract officially... and once that contract is in place, then you can do the work.


Absolutely.

In fact Upwork make that part pretty idiot-proof.

 

I work with brand-new clients a lot and they almost invariably do seem to figure it out easily enough with little or no help.

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