Barbara W wrote:
Yes, I would appreciate feedback on my overview too. I have similar overviews posted on both platforms I use, and if they can be improved, I would love to do so! I am eagerly seeking higher-paying clients that would allow me to maintain my low-paying (but valuable to my personal growth and experience) clients.
OK Barbara, at the moment your profile acts as magnet for lowballers and scammers because it literally screams "naive newbie!"
Remove the "Assistant" from the title. You're either a writer or you are not. Clients don't hire "Writing Assistants" (whatever those may be) they hire writers.
Scratch the "Hello there." Your profile is your billboard, your advertising space, your brochure, your shop window., your catalogue. It is not an email or a letter.
Remember that the first few lines are all a client sees of your overview in the preview window. What they see there will decide if they even bother reading your proposal and look at your profile. Do not waste that space!
Scrap "My name is and I am from" - they can see what your name is and where you're from, it's right there. Scrap your age - irrelevant. Remove the empty space. It's like paying for a TV advert and broadcasting a white screen for the duration of the advert.
Saying "I am very new to this" chases off the decent clients and attracts the scammers. Scratch that.
Scrap "I am searching for opportunities to develop my skills!" - Same as above. For starters clients don't care what you are searching for. They want to know what you can do for them. They pay you (hopefully) and not the other way round so whether you are searching for mushrooms, opportunities or the holy grail is of no interest to them.
It also makes you sound amateur. Clients don't want to pay for you to develop your skills, they expect you to have them. You're a freelancer, not a working student.
Remove the bit about your portfolio pieces. It's irrelevant, and again makes you sound amateur. It tells the client nothing they need to know.
Remove your office hours and the whole "25% surcharge" thing from your profile. If you want a 9-5 (or a 10-6) job go work in an office. If you have normal operating hours that is great, and if you want to charge extra for stuff that's fine also, it's something to discuss at an interview.
The last thing a client wants to see on a profile is your office hours and the word "surcharge."
OK. So we've now wiped out your profile. Let's start over:
Raise your rate by 20% or so
Think of creating a fabulous overview as a writing assignment.
Write a super catchy advert for an amazing product called "Barbara Ward"
What are your unique selling points? What makes you stand out? What will make you particularly attractive to prospective clients? What can you do FOR THEM? What is your experience?
Remember that all important, make-or-break first paragraph?
Make that count. If THAT does not catch their attention they will not read your proposal,and not look at your profile. I bet 90% or more of your proposals are not even opened at the moment.
Take a few hours to research what other successful writers have in their overview, how they structure it. Identify your USPs (Unique Selling Points) and make sure they're right up there.
"Native English Speaker" is one. "US based" is another. Add what your strengths are, what are you particularly good at writing? Content? Business plans? Product descriptions? How-to-guides?
What are your areas of expertise?
Have a go, invest time in yourself and your profile, completely redo it, come back and ask again!
). Don't ever succumb to the temptation of leaving snide innuendo or guarded insults - professionalism will always win out over non-professionalism. As Petra said, it's rope to hang you - or I'd say a stick to beat you with. Often the most annoying thing you can do to a client like this (but with the least potential for a bad outcome) is to stay entirely pleasant and objective (but assertive). They're expecting you to give them that stick or rope because they know they haven't any left themselves. So don't give it them...