SECRETS to Growing Your Upwork Sales

[williamtcooper]

I have been using Upwork for the last six years and have completed 480 Jobs and Earned $1,000,000 with 5-Star Reviews as a Marketing Sales Artificial Intelligence expert.

Upwork has changed their algorithm in 2023 and it's necessary to update your strategies accordingly especially if you want Invites and new clients. I had to change my strategy also and now received 200 Invites / Talent Scouts / Consultations in the first two months of 2023.

PROFILE: Always complete your Upwork Profile before applying for Jobs. Create a synergized Title, Summary, and Skills to apply for Jobs to match what Clients are searching for. Focus on two of the Skill keywords in the Title to emphasize what you bring to the table for the Client. Create 4 short paragraphs in the Summary. If the Summary is too long, most Clients will not read the rest of the Summary; too short then there isn't enough information for a Client to hire. The first two sentences of the Summary are the most important because they are visible to the client as they search for a freelancer. Use all 15 Skills IF they apply. The Skills are used to assist a Client in locating your Profile via search. Add your Portfolio and always use a colorful image. Consider adding a Project Catalog if it applies. Use a short sentence description for each Employment entry. By the way, it goes without saying make sure that your Profile Settings are on Public not Private so others can view the Profile.

COVER LETTER: Create a flexible cover letter that is less than 100 words. Long cover letters rarely get read, but instead are ignored. Break the cover letter into four sections. Section 1 : Acknowledge the job that you are applying for such as "Looking forward to discussing your graphics design project". Section 2: Highlight your validations stamps IE skills that are brought to their project. Section 3 Explain how you will solve their problem and the final section request an Upwork Zoom call to discuss their project.

JOB SUBMISSIONS: Tips - Only apply to Jobs that you are highly qualified, don't Bid for the top 3 spots unless you are an exact match and have a high probability of getting the job, don't immediately apply for jobs, but instead wait at least a few hours so your bidding is more accurate, don't get into bidding wars because serious Clients will view most applicant's cover letters, don't apply for Jobs that have 20 - 50 applicants in less than 24 hours. If a Client gets 50 cover letters, there is only a 2% chance of being hired; bad odds. I set my freelancer sort to apply for jobs with less than 20 proposals.

OVER DELIVER: Always over-deliver based upon the Client's expectations. Do such outstanding work that the Client can't but help to give 5-Stars and a raving Review. Great Reviews have most Client's sold on hiring a Freelancer before even talking with them. I can't mention the number of Clients that started their interactions with me about how they couldn't wait to start working together on their project based upon my Reviews. After 320 Upwork Jobs, I have maintained 99% 5-Star Reviews and only 1% 4-Star Reviews which continues to draw in more clients.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Use your social media footprint to promote your Upwork Profile especially LinkedIn. Create a Post on LinkedIn highlighting your Upwork Profile containing a link back so prospects can review. Small businesses that I want to begin a business relationship with are better served on Upwork due to the Upwork's system and billing. I have 2.5 million very engaged LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter Followers. They are a great source to promote my profile on Upwork.

HELP OTHERS: Always uplift, encourage and love other users on Upwork. Remember everyone has to start somewhere as you did. Others helped you along the way, so assist users that have questions.

THANKS UPWORK: Thanks Upwork for being a blessing to me on this site and I hope to do so for others!

ENJOYED THE POST: Let me know with a message below. Everyone needs to be encouraged!

This is a recently written Post with Upwork's Financial Results and Forecasts for 2023 at:

https://community.upwork.com/t5/Coffee-Break/Upwork-s-Financial-Results-and-Forecasts-for-2023/m-p/1...

This is a recently written Post with the SECRETS to hiring freelancers on Upwork at:

https://community.upwork.com/t5/Clients/SECRETS-to-Growing-Your-Business-On-Upwork/m-p/1235553#M8984...

[williamtcooper]

Lisa,

Also wanted to mention from a freelancer's perspective it keeps away all the clients that are seeking FREE work and FREE ideas. I have had 30 Consults since November and the clients are much more serious and many turn into bigger projects. Whereas before I would have short introduction Zoom calls and many clients were using my time to pick my brain for free. Now I do less work, get paid for it, and land bigger clients because they are more serious about their business.

[belle0815]

Hi William,

Thank you for revealing the secrets to growing your Upwork sales.

I appreciate you sharing these with other freelancers, especially those who are new to the platform.

Thank you,

Annabelle 

[williamtcooper]

Hi Anna,

Thank you so much for those kind words!

If you have any Upwork questions that I can help with, please let me know.

Have an awesome Saturday!

[afea7f9c]

Hello 

Sir I am facing a issue that is I completed my profile and other things I submited so many so proposals but I can't get any project yet please help me

[williamtcooper]

Muhammad, did you mean to place $100 per hour on your Profile or $10? Most of your competition is $5 to $20 per hour. Adjusting that number completely changes your Profile. Let me know. Have an awesome day!

[7839a906]

thanks William T C

and i hope to be like u and earn this"completed 320+ Jobs and Earned $880k", but how long did it take you to get your first job?

[williamtcooper]

Maysaa,

Great question! Once I actually starting using Upwork versus having only a complete Profile, it took around a few weeks to obtain my first job. It took time to learn and implement the above information because I was just learning as I went versus everyone here has the above information and is interacting with other experienced people. Working hard and smart, having great skills and doing excellent client work are KEY to be successful on Upwork.

[williamtcooper]

Maysaa, do you have any other questions? Thanks!

[7839a906]

Good morning William

How are you today ? I hope that your day will be bright with alot  of activity , and more profits.

How do I post my account or invite friends to increase my profile visibility, or is this topic limited to the upwork community?

[williamtcooper]

Good morning Maysaa,

Yes please feel free to ask any questions. The few words in your Upwork title, strategically using all of the 15 Skills IF they apply, and completing a client's job so well that they give you great Reviews will get your Profile better in the search as well as more clients that will want to hire you. Have an awesome day!

[7839a906]

Thanks William,

Could you take a look at my profile and give me your opinion on it, please ?

[williamtcooper]

Hi Maysaa,

Please use all 15 Skills IF they apply and use a short one sentence description for each Employment entry. Have an amazing day!

[the-right-writer]

How long did it take to get your first job?

[365fda6f]

Hi William, 

Hope you are good. It was really a helpful post from you. I am new on Upwork. Since 26 Dec 2022, I have submitted 29 proposals but didn't got any order. I also earned badge of Rising star. Can you spend your few precious minutes on checking my profile. That will be really helpful for me.

Thanks

Stay Blessed

[williamtcooper]

Arslan,

Please modify your Summary into 3 short paragraphs, use colorful graphics for the Portfolio images and use a one sentence description for the first Employment entry. Have a blessed day!

[365fda6f]

William, 

Thanks for the kind words and suggestions. 

Stay blessed

[williamtcooper]

Arslan,

If you have any other questions, let me know and stay blessed also!

[db1d9a64]

Hi William always you have been  an awesome kind man, thanks for all your efforts am sure I'll make you proud soon on upwork. 

Thank you

Femi.

[williamtcooper]

Femi,

Thanks so much for the kind words and if I can assist you in any way please let me know. Have an amazing day!

[db1d9a64]

Yes pls William, you once checked my profile bio and you told me to make it 3 paragraphs and make it colourful which I've done. Pls check for further improvements 

Thank you.

https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/~01d38a1a5ffa001cb3

[williamtcooper]

Femi,

Please place the Summary into 3 short paragraphs not numbered points and write a one sentence description for the Employment entry. Have a great day!

[111111studio]

Hey William
it all makes sense and I've been doing pretty much all that every time. Yet, lately I've noticed I don't get any responces from any of my bids. I've had pretty good start at UpWork but lately it died out... 

[williamtcooper]

Hey Bart,

I agree your Profile is just fine. Are you applying for the exact Skills that are in your profile and that match many (not all) the Skills that the client places on their post? For example if the client Skills are Graphics and Content, do you have Graphics and Content for your Skills? The closer the keyword match the better the odds of being tagged as a "Best Match" on the client side which gets your proposal seen. Have an amazing day!

[111111studio]

Hi William, 

I've been busy so I wasn't following this page for a while. I don't always check if the "skills" match exactly but I always apply/pitch for projects I know I can deliver. It's weird and disappointing as I've had a great start on UpWork. Also I really don't appreciate the whole bidding system...

[shovon005]

Hi William. This is a great article. It helped me as a newcomer. Do you have some time to review my profile, please? 

Another question, I registered with Upwork 5 years ago but have been active recently in 2023. Will it affect my profile to get jobs with WordPress Design?

[williamtcooper]

Shovon,

Glad to see you here!

Please reduce the length of the Summary by a third. If it's too long, many clients will not read the rest of the Profile. Modify the Employment entries to one short sentence each. Consider adding a Project Catalog so more clients can locate your services. Most clients will view your profile as a new freelancer since there are no Reviews. If you have any other questions, let me know. Have an amazing day!

[shovon005]

Thanks William. I'll surely reduce the summary length and add a Project Catalog too.

[williamtcooper]

Shovon,

Did you have the opportunity to make the changes and do you have any other questions? Thanks!

[7bd16c2b]

Hello, I am a new freelancer on the site. Can you review my profile and tell me how to solve the problem of putting the file on private status .

[williamtcooper]

Ali,

Your Profile is now in Public because I am able to view it. Please use all 15 Skills IF they apply so you can be found, modify the Summary into 3 short paragraphs IE more needed and remove the Other Experiences. Have an amazing day!

[nav_designer]

Remove boosting system and let the boost profile according to the freelancer's skills and achievements.

after this connect war. It seems to end my freelancer career.

[williamtcooper]

Hassan,

Follow the above advice and you will get more free Invites and don't have to worry about Boost.

I have received 100 Invites so far in the month of January. 

Only Boost if you can maintain the postion for a period of time, otherwise don't Boost. If freelancers apply for the proper Jobs according to above advice, they will become a BEST MATCH on Upwork's system and in my opinion get promoted better than the Boost. The KEY is to follow the above instructions exactly. Let me know if you have any specific questions. Have an amazing day!

[nav_designer]

Hi, William Thanks for your precious advice! I got the same amount 95% of invites are fake or just acquiring data and portfolio, I was growing and my kitchen was running perfectly. but after boosting system I just landed 2 jobs in 6 months, normally I got 4 to 5 per month, nowadays I get some work from invites and previous clients but it's not enough to survive. 

[williamtcooper]

Hi Hassan,

Thanks for your words of encouragement!

I do receive some invites that could be information gathering, however they don't get too far since November 2022 I only go to Book an Consultation (30 Consults in 3 months) to discuss their project. I had too many clients wanting to pick my brain for free. Some of the Invites are low quality (small budgets), however most appear to be real.

How can you tell most are information gathering or fake? What are the telltale signs because some of this can be automated away at the server level?

You have an excellent Earnings background! Big picture on your Profile, please more tightly align the Title, Summary, and Skills to each other and this will be one area that can help. Have a wonderful day!

[nav_designer]

Hi, William thanks for the great advice, actually boosting is not favorable to most freelancers and this is the truth, you are very professional which is why you can land jobs easily via consultation and invites, and your location also supports you.

I got fake invites because I work with design and creative categories, so newbies, starup companies, or the person who wants to outsource a project steal the portfolio and creative dedication and process, 

out of 150 invites, only 5 clients responded back. even others do not say Hi, 

I will update my profile and thanks to notify me, I hope it will help me out.

Have a great day!

[williamtcooper]

Hi Hassan,

Do you get 150 Invites or submitted 150 proposals?

Let's discuss and get to the exact issues.

[tlsanders]

FWIW, I don't do many of these things, and there are plenty of other successful freelancers who don't. Adding skills that aren't directly on point isn't helpful, and may even be counterproductive if you're selling targeted services and loading up on tangential skills makes your focus look more scattered. 

I absolutely never conclude a proposal asking for a completely unnecessary conversation. Some clients message me back and some simply send an offer. Across 176 Upwork projects, I have had a live conversation with approximately five clients before starting work. 

I don't follow a template in sending proposals, and don't put restrictions like word count limit on it--I respond to a posting in a way that's appropriate to that particular posting. And, the very last thing I would ever want to do would be to use my own social media and other channels to drive clients I could work with directly onto Upwork instead. 

I'm sure these strategies work for some freelancers, and there's nothing more magical or universal about mine than yours. But, you repeatedly present this cut-and-paste as if it's the one correct approach for everyone, and it's simply not.

[williamtcooper]

Tiffany,

- Never add unrelated Skills.

- Never ask for unnecessary conversation.

- Never follow a cut and paste template.

- Do use your social footprint if you know how to do so cost-effectively.

- Never believe in magical thinking - work off the facts.

Please follow the above advise and plus what I have already stated above and Upwork works very well. 

This is a zero sum game. If one freelancer gets 10 new orders in a month in their category, then those 10 orders didn't go to other freelancers.

Any freelancer that is very happy with their current results should continue to do what they have been doing and not change. For those that are not happy with their results, consider changing.

Encourage others and show the freelancers how to do better. I am grateful for the staff of Upwork helping to get me to this point and plan on passing it forward. Too many of the staff have answered my questions and I am grateful.

[ed70a44c]

hello

can you please check my profile I never got an invitation I am having trouble finding a job
thanks

[williamtcooper]

Elnur,

Please modify the Summary and place into 3 short paragraphs, consider turning the Earnings from Private to Public so clients can see what size projects can be handled, and use a short one sentence description for the Employment entry. Have a wonderful day!