From Rags to Freelancer

[hatedsalesrep]

Got motivated by @Sanj Modha to start my own "process" to making actual paper online.

I wanted to start my own business lately but first I need to break my mental barrier of income. I don't have a job right now so money is limited(extremely) but more importantly I realize that unconsciously I still have doubts if I can even make a dollar by my own efforts online in decent amounts.(anything over $1k)

So I am focusing on selling my services as a digital market/data analyst. This means anything from email marketing, to SEO, to Social Media, Web Analytics, Google Tags, and others.
I will be posting on both fiverr and upwork BUT working primarily in Upwork. This means everyday applying to jobs. It means constantly updating my portfolio sites. It means learning something new in the industry daily. It means being persistent.

I've been applying to some jobs lately and I have focused on making my cover letter as no BS as possible. Just one sentence about me and then the rest about what value I'll provide for you. Direct and to the point.

I'll start by posting daily about what I got done, what I could have done better, and what new improvement I'll make the next day.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Sanj Modha]

Got motivated by @Sanj Modha to start my own "process" to making actual paper online.

I wanted to start my own business lately but first I need to break my mental barrier of income. I don't have a job right now so money is limited(extremely) but more importantly I realize that unconsciously I still have doubts if I can even make a dollar by my own efforts online in decent amounts.(anything over $1k)

So I am focusing on selling my services as a digital market/data analyst. This means anything from email marketing, to SEO, to Social Media, Web Analytics, Google Tags, and others.
I will be posting on both fiverr and upwork BUT working primarily in Upwork. This means everyday applying to jobs. It means constantly updating my portfolio sites. It means learning something new in the industry daily. It means being persistent.

I've been applying to some jobs lately and I have focused on making my cover letter as no BS as possible. Just one sentence about me and then the rest about what value I'll provide for you. Direct and to the point.

I'll start by posting daily about what I got done, what I could have done better, and what new improvement I'll make the next day.

You can definitely do it on UpWork. I do very little searching and I've already found 4 clients since creating my profile at the end of June.

Make a list of your skill sets then do a search for them on UW. Find out how your competitors are "positioning" themselves so you can stand out.

 

[hatedsalesrep]

Update: I finished up my Bio for Upwork, got some certifications approved, messaged 3 proposals by focusing exclusively on what VALUE I can provide and got 1 response. It took time, but the quality of my profile & proposals are much better.

What could I have done better? Not doubting my skills so much. Also taking even more action..More custom proposals, post on craigslist, post on fiverr.

I have a question @Sanj Modha, obviously our skills are in high demand(data analytics), and I have the issue of measuring payment. While I have no issue working at $5 hr, or free for a bit, I don't want to surprise them by saying "OK it was $5 hr, now the regular rate is $40-50."
What did you find worked best for you in terms of pricing at the beginning?

So far I am confident that I will receive work soon. As long as I show up every day and OPTIMIZE.

 

[Sanj Modha]

Update: I finished up my Bio for Upwork, got some certifications approved, messaged 3 proposals by focusing exclusively on what VALUE I can provide and got 1 response. It took time, but the quality of my profile & proposals are much better.

What could I have done better? Not doubting my skills so much. Also taking even more action..More custom proposals, post on craigslist, post on fiverr.

I have a question @Sanj Modha, obviously our skills are in high demand(data analytics), and I have the issue of measuring payment. While I have no issue working at $5 hr, or free for a bit, I don't want to surprise them by saying "OK it was $5 hr, now the regular rate is $40-50."
What did you find worked best for you in terms of pricing at the beginning?

So far I am confident that I will receive work soon. As long as I show up every day and OPTIMIZE.

Good work! You took action which puts you ahead of the 90% at least. Keep applying and tweaking your profile to get that "Rising Talent" status. Keep doing some tests if you have the time. I can do a lot more but 2 is enough for now.

You can do a trial run at $5/hour but don't sell yourself too short. Contrary to popular belief - UW isn't a race to the bottom. There are 1000s of clients happy to pay higher rates for the right talent.

I'm currently at $47/hour to get some business and positive reviews. Once I have enough - I'm bumping it back up to $97/hour.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[hatedsalesrep]

Got some unscripted reading today, worked on my data course by working on creating some real life projects and messaged another person today on Upwork for work. Took me a solid ~40/50 minutes just to write that proposal..

That made me realize the self-aware reason why people just click proposal and go the easy route. Although one can't deny that "lazy" has ALOT to do with it, it's also the fact that it becomes real. When you send 10+ proposals a day part of you thinks "Not like I will get this job anyway". However, when you are spending almost an hour on just one proposal where you have to do research on them, figure out what needs they need, figure out what kind of person they are, etc..It becomes scary. Its more like "what if I do get the job?! What if I cant perform like I promised??"

 

[hatedsalesrep]

Update: Went back home for 2-3 days and my envinronment was pretty demorilizing so I sidetracked my goals for 1-2 days. Jumped right back, applied to another Upwork contract. Finished unscripted and almost getting adword certified today so I can get a little more social proof on Upwork.

 

[hatedsalesrep]

Update: Began reading miracle morning last night and started applying it right away. Woke up at 6:30 and got my morning ritual done, including: meditation, visualization, journaling, and exercise. It felt great. I also finished both the Hubspot inbound marketing course and Adwords. Got certified in both which looks great on the Upwork profile.

Applied to another Upwork job today, took a bit but feel great about it. Every time I apply my writing skills get much better and I also feel as if its one step closer to getting that gig I want.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[hatedsalesrep]

Update: Today I spent a good half of the day redefining my "why". It took a lot to see things in a different perspective but my head feels so much lighter. I understand the meaning of HELPING now..It's just about helping that one person, and then it just snowballs..but the focus should be strictly on helping WITH the skill set that is UNIQUE to you that you've acquired(hopefully) through repetition and learning.

Now in terms of what I actually did:
1. Applied to another job on Upwork
2. Watched 3-4 of @Andy Black podcasts..this man deserves an award. Thanks Andy
3. Read a shit ton of threads on clarifying purpose and what it truly means to "get it"
4. Updated my website's about me to be more genuine and identify my WHY
5. Posted my first video on Youtube (

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ROnB1EE-3Y
) PLEASE criticize me and give me bullet points
6. Posted on my Blog
7. Set up a tiny tiny marketing gig for a friend to help him fix his contract
8. Worked on my Business Analytics course
9. Read "Thinking, Fast and Slow" and started "Start With Why"

So.. TLDR:
Lot of introspection today but I felt it was needed. Some structuring, some action, some reading, some learning...0 Wasteful entertainment.

 

[hatedsalesrep]

So frustrating..Difference between action faking vs action taking is immense. 10 calls in and all that info from books went right out of the door. People just slamming the phone, rejecting me especifically when I call and tell them HOW they can improve and that they don't even have to pay me and I will do it based on performance , "sorry no time"

I'll record myself making some calls and upload it on Youtube to hear some feedback but man. So much difference and I see I have so much to still learn.

 

[RedKiteKid]

You seem to really have the whole 'provide value first' thing down. Keep plugging away I'm sure you'll come good soon.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.