Request for Freelancer Feedback on My Profile

[Jennifer M]

Poor Antun. No good deed goes unpunished, Antunfriend.

[Chris P]

I did specify "constructive" feedback.  At least Antun was good enough to suggest a potential issue to consider.

Would you describe your comment as constructive?

[Mark F]

I didn’t make a comment, I asked two questions but I think your answer is clear enough.
I officially am turning down your request for feedback on the grounds that it will incriminate me.

[Martina P]

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Mark F wrote:
I didn’t make a comment, I asked two questions but I think your answer is clear enough.
I officially am turning down your request for feedback on the grounds that it will incriminate me.

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I guess that's one of your new super-powers as our new super-guru? 

[Chris P]

your questions were rhetorical (so more like comments really) and not useful.

I'm sorry that you feel criminalized.  I'll try to be more encouraging in future.  Thanks for your comments

[Chris P]

Just wish all threads like this started with the "constructive" word.

Should cut down very nicely on all the self-promotion round here.  

[Mark F]

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Chris P wrote:

Just wish all threads like this started with the "constructive" word.

Should cut down very nicely on all the self-promotion round here.  

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What are you talking about, self-promotion?

[L. S · Accepted solution]

Hi Chris!

It's too long!  I would cut that by more than half and go straight to the project details, commitment to deadlines, confirm values/budget and that's it.  Quick reference to recommendation letters and other basic straight to the point details.

There's a lot of redundancy in your text where you say the same things (none related to the proposal) more than once and you really need to remove all the excess of that proposal.

This is all stuff you need to delete:

"I can see that you're new to the platform, so you're going to be bombarded with proposals and information shortly. I'm going to keep this short and sharp. If you want to know more, you can set up a voice call and I'd be happy to walk you through the process*. *Really, even if you just want to know how the platform works. I've worked with so many clients who've had an awful first experience or been burned by unscrupulous contractors."

"That's fancy industry talk for, "

"There's a lot more to it than that, but there it is in brief."

Make this one sentence long:  "As for me, I've been working in the field for about eight years. I'm what's known as a generalist. I personally see to every aspect of the process from start to finish. I'm on call throughout the project and work is tracked through Upwork's desktop app (which is excellent and sends regular screenshots of my screen to the workroom so you can keep track of what's going on)."

I have no idead why you included this in your proposal as there is no need and is not clear.  I would just delete it:

" I'd suggest reviewing a few more proposals but (and I'm aware that this may sound a bit self-serving) don't leave it too long. Experienced contractors get a bit wary of clients who've received 20+ proposals and still haven't made a decision. I apologize if I'm telling you things you already know."

"Some clients prefer brevity but there's a lot of uncertainty inherent with online hiring and I prefer to keep my clients in the loop."

Good luck man!

Best,

Hugo

[Chris P]

Thanks Hugo!

Great notes.  I'll be sure to pare proposals down in future.  

Generally, it's easier if a potential client has hired on the site before.  If they're new to hiring freelancers online then I often find clients need a bit of cajoling.

The work I do also tends to require a lot of client involvement.  Building a rapport is key to projects running smoothly and it can be tricky to find the right balance between keeping things brief and familiarizing them with the process.

[L. S]

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Chris P wrote:

Generally, it's easier if a potential client has hired on the site before.  If they're new to hiring freelancers online then I often find clients need a bit of cajoling.

The work I do also tends to require a lot of client involvement.  Building a rapport is key to projects running smoothly and it can be tricky to find the right balance between keeping things brief and familiarizing them with the process.

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Yes, it really depends on the client.  To the contrary of some comments on this thread, not every CLIENT on Upwork is looking for freelancers for just a quick job with a quick job proposal. A lot of clients are looking for a VERY DETAILED applications, recommendation letters and a CV apart from follow up video calls as well.

I've worked with single clients where our contracts lasted for almost three years. Some of these were multibillion dollar companies, F100 companies and the applications I sent to these jobs (openings) were VERY large, but straight to the point with answers and notes to the points in the job description. Sometimes it was clear they needed me to provide them with that information, other times it wasan't.

Sometimes I have sent large proposal as well due to the nature and past history of the client and was indeed hired for the small one time job.

Again, it varies. You need to analyze the client, precisely what they are asking and try to give them key information with the least amount of text.

Nowadays, if they are a new to Upwork or a client with lot's of history, I still make sure my proposal is short and straight to the point, unless they layout questions which will request additional feedback from me. Good luck man!