If you are a freelancer and have been burnt many a time at job boards especially when others outbid you, you are definitely not alone. I have my bids turned down and declined so many times that I almost gave up!
However, I did win some bids (and am up to my neck in projects now...though I am not exactly earning big bucks for it!) and thanks to a really good buyer who gave me a really great review rating, I am able to get noticed more often in my bids. So, how did I win those initial few bids when I do not have any reviews?
Here are the steps that I took:
1) Find out the name of the buyer : I always try to address the buyer by his/her name when submitting a proposal. For example, when I see a job I am interested in, I will first check out the profile of the buyer. If it reveals a name, I will take note of it.
2) Be polite, professional and brief: When I submit a bid, my proposal is always polite, professional and to the point. I start it by addressing the buyer and then I state out in brief, why I could provide the services required. I always end it with a thank you.
3) Pricing: There are a lot of firms / freelancers out there who could submit really low bids from $1 per article to $3 per hour of work. We could never go down to that level of pricing (or else you'd be earning peanuts for a lot of work!) so DON'T! Instead, stick to your original pricing and search out projects which have higher budgets. It is not wise to reduce your prices as it would only lower your standards. If the buyer do contact you about your pricing and asking for a lower bid amount, you could do a bit of adjustment but not much. If possible, offer the buyer a few options as in a range of pricing for certain services. Example: $5 per hour for basic data entry work, $6 per hour for data entry and basic research work, $10 per hour for research and writing of articles, etc. This way, the buyer have a choice and may even accept your bid.
4) Close the deal: Sometimes, the buyer would send a message asking you a few specific questions. Sometimes it is to test your skills, sometimes it is just to get to know you and sometimes it is just to check out your response time. So, ALWAYS check your message board/email on a regular basis, if possible, a few times a day to ensure that you did not miss any new messages. ALWAYS reply to a message immediately and again, be polite and professional about. If it is a test, do your research first before answering the questions. If it is a sort of interview, answer it as eloquently as possible and be genuine and honest. Do not claim to be able to do this or that when you can't as it will only backfire on you later. Buyers always appreciate frank, polite and professional responses to their messages. It reflects that you are serious about your work and that you are professional about it.
5) Get a good review: If you are awarded a project, congrats! But before celebrating, the crucial point is to ensure you deliver the project. Be sure to do it according to the buyer's requirements. Adhere to whatever schedule they set. Always report back to them (if they required it) and always treat them with the utmost respect and professionalism. Remember, they are your clients and you do not want to drive away your clients! Follow instructions and importantly, put your best into your projects. It may be paying you only $15 per article or $9 per hour but it is still payment for your services. Be your own worst critic and go over all your work carefully before submitting it to your client. Once you have a satisfied client, you will get a great review!
These are but a few of my own personal tips. I do hope it helps! Happy bidding out there.
Showing posts with label job boards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label job boards. Show all posts
Sunday
Tis time to celebrate!
Yep, I am so excited and happy that I was awarded two projects after weeks of patiently bidding and visiting job boards. And right before Christmas too! I would definitely see it as a Christmas present as these two projects are definitely one way for me to get some feedback. The extra income is also of course a bonus!
The first project I got was a virtual assistant cum writer sorta job which involved coordinating, composing emails and writing short articles. It should be fun as the subject is an interesting one.
The second project is a writing job where I have to produce articles, blog posts and copy writing for the employer. The topic at hand is a relatively new one for me so it will prove to be an eye-opener and I will definitely get to learn something from it.
On top of that, I have finally got my high-speed internet connection in place so no more waiting for sluggish downloads.
Triple YAY!!!
I have already committed a several hours of work to these two employers each day, five days a week, for at least a month. But I am still going to continue bidding for other projects, perhaps those which does not take too much time to complete. Hopefully, I will be able to manage and still get my required shut-eye everyday. The idea of going around Panda and blurry-eyed like a zombie is not really good in the long run.
Oh and I almost forgot. I was suddenly struck by my long missing muse and have started outlining a new fantasy fiction book. It has promise of becoming a five-series book and I will have to set time aside to work on it too.
And finally, another YAY for the year-end bonus which was banked in last weekend!
It is actually not a bad way to end this year (despite having more out-of-office work to do). As long as I am on the path towards working from home, I am happy as can be.
So, a Merry Christmas to all and Happy New Year!
The first project I got was a virtual assistant cum writer sorta job which involved coordinating, composing emails and writing short articles. It should be fun as the subject is an interesting one.
The second project is a writing job where I have to produce articles, blog posts and copy writing for the employer. The topic at hand is a relatively new one for me so it will prove to be an eye-opener and I will definitely get to learn something from it.
On top of that, I have finally got my high-speed internet connection in place so no more waiting for sluggish downloads.
Triple YAY!!!
I have already committed a several hours of work to these two employers each day, five days a week, for at least a month. But I am still going to continue bidding for other projects, perhaps those which does not take too much time to complete. Hopefully, I will be able to manage and still get my required shut-eye everyday. The idea of going around Panda and blurry-eyed like a zombie is not really good in the long run.
Oh and I almost forgot. I was suddenly struck by my long missing muse and have started outlining a new fantasy fiction book. It has promise of becoming a five-series book and I will have to set time aside to work on it too.
And finally, another YAY for the year-end bonus which was banked in last weekend!
It is actually not a bad way to end this year (despite having more out-of-office work to do). As long as I am on the path towards working from home, I am happy as can be.
So, a Merry Christmas to all and Happy New Year!
Saturday
Job boards and bidding
It is not easy to bid and win projects in job boards, free or otherwise.
This I have discovered in this past month. In the free job boards, it is even worse as competition is stiff and more often than not, some bidders' rates are so low it is hard to compete with them.
In paid job boards, competition is equally stiff but not as bad and there are also bidders whose rates are so low, you wonder how they could actually make a living with those rates.
Another thing I found out is that it is very difficult for new freelancers like me as we do not have any positive feedback from other employers yet. Many of the employers preferred those who have positive feedback and of course, also the lowest rate.
With this conditions, it is very difficult to break into the market. I noticed many new freelancers lowered their rates in order to win some projects so that they could get feedbacks at last and perhaps, be able to get more customers in future.
I have contemplated that but I could not bring myself to it. I am of the opinion that I should not lower my rates just to get a project when the amount of time and energy put into it cost more than the quoted rate. It does not make good business sense.
In situations like this, it reminds me of a very wise advise from the shoe fashion guru, Jimmy Choo, whom I interviewed a few years back.
"We must always set a standard and pricing for our masterpieces and never lower it no matter how much you needed the money."
The reason is simple, he had said that if the price was lowered, you lose your integrity and customers will expect you to lower it again in future. It would be very difficult to bring the price back up without losing customers.
Not surprisingly, Jimmy Choo was practically broke trying to sell his handmade shoes in the beginning because he placed a very high price for his shoes and were not getting any customers. He only had his big break when his shoes were showcased in a women's magazine and the rest is history.
Despite being world-renowned for his beautifully crafted shoes, Jimmy Choo remembered his poor background and remained a humble, nice and polite man. Even now, he is very friendly and courteous to everyone he meets.
But I digress. To get back to the point of bidding and rates, I decided to follow Jimmy Choo's advise. Considering where he is now in the fashion industry, I am sure he is not wrong about setting a standard for our work and never lowering it just because we needed the money.
So, I shall steadfastly stick to my usual rates and continue bidding till I get my break!
This I have discovered in this past month. In the free job boards, it is even worse as competition is stiff and more often than not, some bidders' rates are so low it is hard to compete with them.
In paid job boards, competition is equally stiff but not as bad and there are also bidders whose rates are so low, you wonder how they could actually make a living with those rates.
Another thing I found out is that it is very difficult for new freelancers like me as we do not have any positive feedback from other employers yet. Many of the employers preferred those who have positive feedback and of course, also the lowest rate.
With this conditions, it is very difficult to break into the market. I noticed many new freelancers lowered their rates in order to win some projects so that they could get feedbacks at last and perhaps, be able to get more customers in future.
I have contemplated that but I could not bring myself to it. I am of the opinion that I should not lower my rates just to get a project when the amount of time and energy put into it cost more than the quoted rate. It does not make good business sense.
In situations like this, it reminds me of a very wise advise from the shoe fashion guru, Jimmy Choo, whom I interviewed a few years back.
"We must always set a standard and pricing for our masterpieces and never lower it no matter how much you needed the money."
The reason is simple, he had said that if the price was lowered, you lose your integrity and customers will expect you to lower it again in future. It would be very difficult to bring the price back up without losing customers.
Not surprisingly, Jimmy Choo was practically broke trying to sell his handmade shoes in the beginning because he placed a very high price for his shoes and were not getting any customers. He only had his big break when his shoes were showcased in a women's magazine and the rest is history.
Despite being world-renowned for his beautifully crafted shoes, Jimmy Choo remembered his poor background and remained a humble, nice and polite man. Even now, he is very friendly and courteous to everyone he meets.
But I digress. To get back to the point of bidding and rates, I decided to follow Jimmy Choo's advise. Considering where he is now in the fashion industry, I am sure he is not wrong about setting a standard for our work and never lowering it just because we needed the money.
So, I shall steadfastly stick to my usual rates and continue bidding till I get my break!
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