Oct 6, 2018 09:41:17 AM by Karen G
Hi. I started an agency a couple of weeks ago. I still haven’t got my first job, even though I send several proposals a day every day. My personal profile is good, my JSS is 100% and I’m Top Rated, but I think clients don’t see it when I send them proposals from my agency.
My first question is how do the clients see my proposal, when I send it from my agency. Does it look like search results when you search for agency freelancers?
I suspect that my agency is highlighted instead of my personal profile, so the clients see that my agency has earned zero dollars and nothing more. They can see that I’m Top Rated only if they click on my name, but how many of them would do that?
So, I was thinking of some possible shortcuts to getting my first job. What if I send proposals as an individual freelancer and then change the type of proposal at some point? Is it possible to change the contract type (individual to agency) when I accept the offer? Alternatively, is it possible to withdraw my proposal once I discussed the terms with the client and resubmit it from my agency account?
Of course, in any case I’m going to inform the client of what I’m doing and why. I intend to do my first contracts as an agency on my own, so it’s not as if I’m trying to foul anybody pretending that I’m going to do the job myself and then giving it to someone else.
Oct 6, 2018 11:04:35 AM Edited Oct 6, 2018 11:06:22 AM by Petra R
A lot of clients will not work with agencies or agency freelancers and delete all agency freelancer proposals unread.
What is worse, your proposals will show up as agency freelancer proposals even when you apply as an individual freelancer.
Oct 6, 2018 02:03:15 PM by Karen G
Thanks, Petra. But are you sure about that (freelancer proposals showing up as agency proposals)? I mean why would there be an option to select the type of proposal if that selection wouldn’t work? Will this functionality work at least fo the nonexclusive freelancers who join my agency?
Also, I just sent a proposal as a freelancer and the message on the site confirmed that I applied as a freelancer and that I can also send proposals from my agency to the same client. I checked and it looks like I can send an agency proposal later if I need to.
If this works the way you described, it’s weird and misguiding. At least the informative messages on the site should be changed then.
Oct 6, 2018 02:40:19 PM by Karen G
Also, can it be that my freelancer proposal will appear to the client as an agency proposal only if I choose my agency as my default team in the settings? Right now I have no default team selected.
Oct 7, 2018 06:17:51 AM by Petra R
All proposals from a Freelancer who is part of any agency show as "Agency Freelancer" proposals. It does not matter whether you apply "under your agency" or "as an individual."
It doesn't make it look as if "an agency" is applying, but it does mark you as an "agency freelancer"
Oct 7, 2018 02:25:55 PM by Karen G
OK, so my proposal will be somehow marked as an agency proposal even if I send it as an individual. I really would like to see what it’d look like. Is there any chance you can show me the example proposal on a screenshot?
What I care most about is if the clients see my Top Rated status and my JSS in the list of proposals without them needing to click on my name.