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Lex DeVille

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Seems that Upwork has began charging for Connects. 16 cents per pop.

But repeat clients don't need any Connects, so its good that repeat business isn't penalised.

Also, I got this email from Upwork:

View attachment 25352

Good point from Upwork that skill field develop too quickly for skills tests to update quickly.

Some of the skills tests were embarrassingly no better than middle-school comprehension tests lol.

Wonder what benchmark or filters that Upwork will use now to have freelancers stand out, to replace skills tests.

Maybe more power to portfolios, as typically should be?

Are you getting billed for proposals? If so, where does it show up? I've sent a couple proposals this week to see how it all works and didn't notice any additional billings on my reports.

Upwork is empowering profiles more, starting with specialized profiles. There are new questions and options you can add to make it easier for clients to figure out if you're worth their time. I haven't played with those yet because I got rid of my specialized portfolio a while back.
 
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ZF Lee

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Are you getting billed for proposals? If so, where does it show up? I've sent a couple proposals this week to see how it all works and didn't notice any additional billings on my reports.
Seems you can buy Connects when you need them. Upwork doesn't do this automatically.
In amounts that you want.

It seems we can go finish our stock of Connects, and then pay to restock them whenever we want.

Extracting from the support website:

Add Connects
Connects cost $0.15 (USD) each and are sold in bundles of 10, 20, 40, 60, and 80. To purchase additional Connects:

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Select Memberships & Connects
  3. Click Add More Connects
Once you’ve selected the bundle you wish to purchase, click Add Connects and your account will be automatically charged.

Plus...

Connects may also be returned under the following circumstances:

  • If a project is canceled by the client without making a hire, the Connects used on that proposal will be returned to you for reuse. This does not apply to expired job posts.
  • If a job post has been removed by Upwork for a Terms of Service violation, the Connects used on that proposal will be returned for you to reuse.
Note: Withdrawing your proposal will not return your Connects.
 

Lex DeVille

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Seems you can buy Connects when you need them. Upwork doesn't do this automatically.
In amounts that you want.

It seems we can go finish our stock of Connects, and then pay to restock them whenever we want.

Extracting from the support website:

Add Connects
Connects cost $0.15 (USD) each and are sold in bundles of 10, 20, 40, 60, and 80. To purchase additional Connects:

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Select Memberships & Connects
  3. Click Add More Connects
Once you’ve selected the bundle you wish to purchase, click Add Connects and your account will be automatically charged.

Plus...

Connects may also be returned under the following circumstances:

  • If a project is canceled by the client without making a hire, the Connects used on that proposal will be returned to you for reuse. This does not apply to expired job posts.
  • If a job post has been removed by Upwork for a Terms of Service violation, the Connects used on that proposal will be returned for you to reuse.
Note: Withdrawing your proposal will not return your Connects.

We still get stock connects to work with? I thought they were adding the charge to all connects.
 

ZF Lee

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We still get stock connects to work with? I thought they were adding the charge to all connects.
I meant by stock connects that prior to the charges update, we would have some Connects still in storage.
Never heard of anyone who went around with zero Connects to use lol.

Charge is to get new Connects, if we need them.

Let's say we have 35 connects.

And we used up 10, leaving 25.

So, we can choose to buy 10, 20 or 40 connects to replenish our store of connects.
 
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Wiezel

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Ah, I see. I misunderstood. The only thing to do when you can't get approved is to keep trying and testing different things. In my experience, the best way to get approved is to try different skills and build your profile around the skill each time. Upwork wants you to show them what makes you someone who will be a good freelancer in that skill.

- How does your education support your ability to do the skill?
- What about your work experience?
- Does your bio focus on the skill and what makes you credible with it?
- Do your tags support that skill and only that skill?

Those are the main things I've focused on when getting people approved in the past. It's hit or miss though. Some people have taken 40 tries before they got approved. There's no guarantees. It might be worth looking through the Upwork Skills Index to find an in-demand skill and building your profile around that.

Mostly it comes down to trial and error, but if they haven't permanently suspended you, then just keep trying.

Maybe I'm misreading this but does this mean if you learn a certain (new) skill and you won't get approved and start all over again in learning another (new) skill? For me I don't own any particular skills that will sustain my expenses so I will need to learn new skills. By not getting approved I will need to change my skill and also learn a new skill completely from scratch again?
 

Lex DeVille

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Maybe I'm misreading this but does this mean if you learn a certain (new) skill and you won't get approved and start all over again in learning another (new) skill? For me I don't own any particular skills that will sustain my expenses so I will need to learn new skills. By not getting approved I will need to change my skill and also learn a new skill completely from scratch again?

You don't have to learn a new skill to apply to do a skill. You only have to support your position that you can do the skill. If I weren't a copywriter, I could still support my ability to perform copywriting by showing how my psychology degree is relevant, or how other training I've had backs up that ability. I could also show how past work experience in collections gave me persuasion skills that are useful in helping me write copy. It doesn't matter if I don't know how to write copy. It only matters that Upwork believes I can write copy and make money.
 

Wiezel

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You don't have to learn a new skill to apply to do a skill. You only have to support your position that you can do the skill. If I weren't a copywriter, I could still support my ability to perform copywriting by showing how my psychology degree is relevant, or how other training I've had backs up that ability. I could also show how past work experience in collections gave me persuasion skills that are useful in helping me write copy. It doesn't matter if I don't know how to write copy. It only matters that Upwork believes I can write copy and make money.

Gotcha, thank you for clarifying!
 
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  1. Why are you doing this?

    I am doing this so
    I have a time for money trade service skill I can start earning money from in the next week,
    I can work from anywhere - skip UK winters and potentially live abroad permanently,
    I could earn additional income to my main ventures / career job when I get one and scalable ventures,
    I can earn without having to rely on beta male admin jobs in boring offices where I have to pretend I’m happy or minimum wage manual labour jobs which realistically are below my level of intelligence and ambition and make me feel like a loser.
    I could always stop it if I find something better and then pick it up at any time in the future for income once I have the skill and understanding of how to get work,
    can support me when I’m trying to do what I enjoy - creating content out in the tropics, scaling up bigger projects, football coaching.

  2. Describe your endgame in specific detail...

    My end game would be taking on work and doing this for few hours per day to supplement my main income.
    Scaling it up to replace my main income when possible by virtue of being able to charge high rates due to my skill level and / or number of clients retained.

  3. How much money do you need to earn to make this worth it?

    If I can make £1600 a month net. from doing this I am doing better than what I have had at jobs and that would also allow a comfortable lifestyle in South East Asia.
    If I can net £5000 a month this is more than I can make in many careers.

  4. Who are you failing if you give up or don't succeed

    MYSELF.
    I also want the ability to travel some more (Australia, South America) and head back to Bali, to create enough income to be comfortable and feel free of the corporate world.
 

RASA911216

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Your homework today is to create your Upwork account following the guidance in this post. Create your account and submit it for approval. Then report back and let us know how it went or if you have any trouble. Do this now!

Thanks a lot for this amazing post! Already submitted my application and now I'm waiting for the approval. In the meantime will keep working on the startup.
 

Siddhartha

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Having done free work for friends, I took the content and copywriting skills I've cultivated over the past two months and started hitting up upwork.

Even though it took about 120 connects, I landed a first copywriting gig.

Something very interesting popped up though...

Upwork is now asking me to submit a picture ID and get on a video call with their support team before I apply for more contracts. Even after I payed them for the joy of having 20 more attempts to send proposals.

This sketches me out, and it's caused me to look around for other freelance site options.
It's also made me pull back and look around to see what opportunity is in my area. The owner of a local shop is pulling me in to help with his sales letter and I have a meeting with him on wednesday. Need to find a way to turn this and helping others locally into gold.

Does anyone else have experience transferring off of online platforms to local opportunity?
 
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I AM THE SENATE

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I've been following this thread but I didn't want to post anything until I tried it for myself. I finished updating my profile last night and preceded to bid on 4 jobs . Landed 1 and turned it around today.


Here are my answers to the day one questions.

1.Why are you doing this? - To earn extra money for debts and to finance my entrepreneurial pursuits.

2.Describe your endgame in specific detail - My endgame is to build my own video marketing agency.

3.How much money do you need to earn to make this worth it? $1200 per month would be ideal. $600 would still make it worth it.

4.Who are you failing if you give up or don't succeed? Myself, my daughter and my friends.
 

ZF Lee

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Having done free work for friends, I took the content and copywriting skills I've cultivated over the past two months and started hitting up upwork.

Even though it took about 120 connects, I landed a first copywriting gig.

Something very interesting popped up though...

Upwork is now asking me to submit a picture ID and get on a video call with their support team before I apply for more contracts. Even after I payed them for the joy of having 20 more attempts to send proposals.

This sketches me out, and it's caused me to look around for other freelance site options.
It's also made me pull back and look around to see what opportunity is in my area. The owner of a local shop is pulling me in to help with his sales letter and I have a meeting with him on wednesday. Need to find a way to turn this and helping others locally into gold.

Does anyone else have experience transferring off of online platforms to local opportunity?
I already got my ID verified and the call with the Upwork support team done.

They were very quick and professional about it.

Finished it all within minutes.
A single attachment of your ID, and a short chat with an Upwork rep.

Don’t be afraid of getting cleared up with the Upwork team. It’s just some simple ‘house rules’.
 
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Siddhartha

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Howdy all,

Currently at 57 sent proposals, 8 """active""" candidacies, and 4 paying jobs, 2 of which ghosted and didn't actually pay me after sending work.

Even though I've put a lot of effort into shining up my profile and adding value, it looks like today as of around 6pm that I have been shadowbanned for sending too many proposals without getting feedback. I watched Lex's "you" focused proposal YT and udemy vids many times as I sent these, and always aimed to give them more than they asked for.

Feeling a bit angry, feeling like I just don't know what the f*** I can or will do.

Any comment or suggestions are appreciated. I'm cooking up ways to either niche down or find local clients right now. They may have gotten me down, but f*** them if they think I'm anywhere close to being out.
 

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I've had a bit more success, but not a ton. I've actually spent the last day redoing my profile. If what you've done isn't working, try something else, right?

Here are the key variables:

- profile - (see what others having success are doing)
- picture - (test on Photofeeler)
- samples
- proposals

Start pulling the levers and see what you can do. I'm a day ahead of you in terms of making changes and I'll report back here if I have any breakthroughs.
 

ZF Lee

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Howdy all,

Currently at 57 sent proposals, 8 """active""" candidacies, and 4 paying jobs, 2 of which ghosted and didn't actually pay me after sending work.

Even though I've put a lot of effort into shining up my profile and adding value, it looks like today as of around 6pm that I have been shadowbanned for sending too many proposals without getting feedback. I watched Lex's "you" focused proposal YT and udemy vids many times as I sent these, and always aimed to give them more than they asked for.

Feeling a bit angry, feeling like I just don't know what the f*** I can or will do.

Any comment or suggestions are appreciated. I'm cooking up ways to either niche down or find local clients right now. They may have gotten me down, but f*** them if they think I'm anywhere close to being out.
Yup, local clients are good. Do Lindkedin, optimise the profile similarly to Upwork and follow people you like to work with..

I found some small success with meetup.com networking, but you have to go for 2-3 meetings to be the ‘in-person’. Not as quick as Upwork.

As for niche down, look at your paying jobs.

Are there any specific fields of sub-tasks within those jobs where you find that you are good at, and somehow Upwork jobs keep springing up for it? That could be a starting point.

And yeah...50+ proposals may be overkill.

The most I’ve ever sent out in a row was only 10-12, and then the job offers and interviews took my time from then on.
 
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Siddhartha

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If what you've done isn't working, try something else, right?
...
Start pulling the levers and see what you can do. I'm a day ahead of you in terms of making changes and I'll report back here if I have any breakthroughs.

I understand what you're saying, and it's something I've already been playing around with for the past few weeks. One thing that may have had the biggest impact, is that I didn't have any portfolio pieces uploaded for awhile because of specific issues I ran into when using the portfolio builder on UW; the issue was so bad that it had to get elevated from support to engineering.
Other than that, I'm guessing that my new-ish, low job count profile probably just couldn't compete with some of the other freelancers that were submitting.

Yup, local clients are good. Do Lindkedin, optimise the profile similarly to Upwork and follow people you like to work with..

I found some small success with meetup.com networking, but you have to go for 2-3 meetings to be the ‘in-person’. Not as quick as Upwork.

As for niche down, look at your paying jobs.

Are there any specific fields of sub-tasks within those jobs where you find that you are good at, and somehow Upwork jobs keep springing up for it? That could be a starting point.

And yeah...50+ proposals may be overkill.

The most I’ve ever sent out in a row was only 10-12, and then the job offers and interviews took my time from then on.

Yeah, linkedin has been may main method of market research and will be the main form of outreach after I've optimized it. You said you got deep into interviews and offers after 10-12 proposals; how long had you been freelancing on upwork before this? Any factors with your profile that you think contributed to that success?
 
Last edited:

ZF Lee

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You said you got deep into interviews and offers after 10-12 proposals; how long had you been freelancing on upwork before this? Any factors with your profile that you think contributed to that success?
I had freelanced over...six to seven months?
Maybe over a year? Not too sure...

That was beginning from last year.

But don’t take the duration at face value.

I F*cked around after getting my first gigs, due to stupid shit like procrastination and university studies killing my time.

Now since I’ve been bitten once, I don’t let either bite me again.

I think getting the first initial good reviews from clients, as well as filling in the portfolio section helped

Plus, it was around mid-year and intuitively speaking, businesses in general seemed to need more help with their stuff.

And as for interviews, at that time, I didn’t always need to schedule online calls with prospects. The clients just texted me requirements and asked questions over the chat.

These last few days though, since my price points are much higher than day 1, and I choose to be picky on what I can or cannot do (eg I do not write copy for certain markets), the interviews come in.
 

Siddhartha

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Alright, Nabbed a 6$ gig and completed it, waiting on feedback and seeing how that boosts me elsewhere.

Another note: Someone reached out to help me with their site copy, but I could tell just from the introductory text chat that they wouldn't be a good client. Their cause was noble, but the way they chatted was just frenetic, and they spent an hour and a half taking me in circles on what they wanted or didn't want. I told them I wouldn't be the best person to help them and wished them luck on their journey, and they lost it.

You see something new everyday I guess.
 
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Upwork is one of the fastest ways to get your feet wet with online business. You probably won't get rich on Upwork (though it's not impossible), and that isn't the purpose of this guide. This multi-post guide is an Upwork Tutorial for those who:

  • Need to get moving on something...ANYTHING
  • Need a way to bootstrap cash...FOR FREE

It doesn't matter where you're from or what your situation is. If you have semi-stable internet and a computer to work from, then you can make money on Upwork at no cost to you but your time.

In the posts that follow I will share a series of Upwork Tutorials to get you started even if you don't know what the f*ck you're doing, and even if you don't have any skills or experience right now. This step-by-step guide will give you a clear path from $0 to your first $1,000 or more on Upwork.

If you follow my posts and do as I say, you will make money...

Possibly this week.

However, you should know that your success here requires a difficult mindset shift. You will have to change how you do things. Employees do NOT make good freelancers. So here are some things you should know right now:

  • You can take your 20 year work history and light it on fire
  • Tuck your college degrees away on some shelf
  • Tear that entitled victim attitude to shreds because...

Freelance clients don't give a shit about your education and experience unless it backs up your ability to get the job done. Also, nobody owes you anything. In the freelance world, you rise to your own level based on how much you help people, and on how clearly you demonstrate that you can help people.


Also... I'm developing a corresponding tutorial for my YouTube channel, and as such will be posting videos related to each post topic. You can watch them or not. You do not have to watch them to get the information because I will also post it in text here.

Consider this DAY ZERO.

Each day I will walk you through one piece of the Upwork puzzle. Step-by-step I will guide you to get approved on Upwork, get started, and make money. At the end of each post you will find a homework assignment.

Do the homework each day.

I would encourage you to share your progress and results either here, on my channel, or both since it will encourage engagement that will send traffic to the Fastlane Forum (each video links to the forum), and to my channel which is valuable for M.J. and for myself and also promotes future comprehensive tutorials such as this one, which is valuable for you.

SET OFF AT SUNRISE TO GET THERE BY DARK

There's only one way this thread won't become another action-faking, analysis paralysis knowledge feast for you. To make anything useful happen, you will have to take MASSIVE action and get started. You will have to stop telling yourself every silly excuse. Stop being afraid. Don't let phantoms of fantasy futures destroy your dreams.

Action is the only way.

So start today. Right now. Make a commitment. Commit to do this. Commit to act and to get started. You will start this today. You will take your first step now. And that first step is to determine WHY you are doing this. What do you want to come of this? To do that, your first homework is physically to answer all of the following questions:

  1. Why are you doing this?
  2. Describe your endgame in specific detail...
  3. How much money do you need to earn to make this worth it?
  4. Who are you failing if you give up or don't succeed?

It's important to know WHY you are doing this. You can't be vague about it. "I want to be a highly paid freelancer who creates value" is not a good response for your "why."

You are doing this because you need to pay bills or debt. Because you want to quit your shitty job. Because you need money for your ecommerce business. Because you want to travel and earn money from anywhere. Because you want to support your family. Because you want to earn full-time pay with part-time work from home.

You are trying to escape something (bad job, bad boss, debt, poverty, feeling like a loser). You desire some kind of change (travel, money, freedom, skills, to get started). You are selfish and you want things in life and THAT IS OKAY.

But you need to define those things. The things you want. The things you don't want. Because it is those things that will help remind you why you set off down this path in the first place, especially when there's nothing but miles and miles of bumpy road ahead.

That is your homework today.

Do the homework. Post your response. In the next post I will teach you how to give yourself the best possible chance to get approved on Upwork. As of 2019, getting approved on Upwork is probably the single biggest barrier to entry for new freelancers.

Lucky for you, you're not a freelancer. You're an entrepreneur, and you have me as your guide. So follow this Upwork Tutorial and commit to continue even when the long road makes you weary. If you do, you may discover the distance between sunrise and sunset isn't so far apart as it seems.

By the way...

This is the only mindset post.

Get your mind right now. In the days that follow, we've got work to do.


Thank you Lex. This is my day DAY ZERO.
 

carcrazydan

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Hi Lex. Just wanted to stop by and thank you for your hard work. After implementing your advice, I have been converting more proposals into offers. As far as the haters go, well, I think attracting haters is a solid indicator of success, so you must be doing something right!
 

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Hi @Lex DeVille.

Submitted my application to UpWork yesterday as a Social Media Marketer and have just heard back from them a few minutes ago but unfortunately I've been rejected!

This is what they said:

"We’ve reviewed your profile and currently our marketplace doesn’t have opportunities for your area of expertise.
If you have more relevant skills or experience to add, you can update and re-submit your application. You can find more information regarding our decision here."

I followed your guide from this thread (obviously made mines relevant to SMM). Do you think adding that I specialise in Facebook Ads and Facebook Marketing when I resubmit may help? Or do you think this service is just too crowded on UpWork and I should learn and focus on another?

Thanks in advance
 
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Entre Eyes

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Traveling to Higher Conciousness
An do not forget to utilize your Lists that you already have rapport with!

You say I do not have a list. Well if you have a mail account like me that I use for all the high quality sign up incentives to join their lists that is now YOUR lists.

One day I just got the idea to hit the reply button on all the Marketers that were talking to me like I was a great friend and emailing sometimes multiple times in day.

Just say to yourself it's a numbers game.

Long story short it has worked 3 separate occasions. The last time $300 from two separate bloggers and paid half from both upfront. Knocked it out in couple days and had $600.
 

Simplify

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  1. Why are you doing this?
I am doing this because I need to do something. I have been action-faking for too long now and need to just get something started. I started on the main forum "Getting started" section. I was deciding between learning to code and do web design from @Fox or copywriting from @Lex DeVille. I have chosen copywriting as I enjoy writing and I have had previous feedback from past articles on blogs that I do a good job. I am teaching english online and want to move out of that job. I don't want a 9-5 job in a physical location because I've done that and hate it so why go back. I have been travelling for a year and honestly love freedom of movement. I can't go back to the traditional after travelling for a year. Eventually I want to replace my teaching income with freelance copywriting money. Possibly move back to South America where cost of living is lower and buy an online business. Either way this is a good way to make money to replace what I am currently doing while staying remote from my laptop with choices to relocate to South America or possibly Southeast Asia.
  1. Describe your endgame in specific detail...
My endgame is thus...have freedom of location. Have had this already for the past 6 months but its tied to online english teaching. Replace the teaching English income with copywriting income. Move back to a lower cost of living city. Save up extra $10,000 to my target $20,000. Buy an online business for $20,000 with good history and client base. Grow that business. Increase my capital. Buy more businesses. Scale. Possibly, further down the line, start my own business from idea to launch solving a specific need and using my business experience from before. Become financially free and choose exactly what I will do with my time on this planet with nothing tying me down. Start a family at some point during this process as this is very important to me. Live life to the fullest and be a good role model for my kids!
  1. How much money do you need to earn to make this worth it?
I need to make $1,000 a month initially to replace my teaching job. I can easily live off this amount in a cheap country in Asia/ South America. Save $10,000 to hit my target of $20,000. I will then use the capital to buy an online business and repeat that process. The copywriting is a vehicle for saving up the capital.
  1. Who are you failing if you give up or don't succeed?
I am failing nobody but myself. Also I am failing my future kids by not practicing what I preach if I don't take action on this.
 

drmattolesiak

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So I got my entrepreneurial start on Upwork a long time ago and when I saw this thread I thought to myself, "Meh, why not!".

I followed your instructions and shot out 30 proposals (because I'm a madman) yesterday.

So far one proposal got accepted BUT....

I just this very interesting email from Upwork:

"Hello Matt,

I’m part of the Upwork Enterprise Services team and I discovered your profile while looking to help fill a role for one of our clients. According to the skills showcased in your profile, I believe you are a great fit for this position!

Please note that most of Upwork Enterprise clients are Fortune 500 companies. This is a great opportunity to team up with a leading global company.

Please review all the details and submit your proposal if you're interested and available (the budget stated on the Job Post is only a placeholder, submit your best bid). Kindly take into account that clients pay special attention to freelancers who showcase past work samples related to the project you are being invited to.

We are looking forward to hearing from you soon!"


Well, well, well....don't mind if I do!

Awesome actionable information man. Thank you!
 
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tgioia

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Day 3 - How to Write Your Upwork Overview to
Stand Out and Get Noticed

Yesterday we covered your title and tags and before that we helped you get approved and set the stage for a positive mindset. Today we're digging into your Upwork Overview so you can stand out and get noticed even if you're brand new.

Despite what many people say, your overview is EXTREMELY important. YOU Focused Proposals (which we'll cover in an upcoming lesson) are also important, but you should know that every client who looks at your proposal will also check out your bio.

Beyond that, your bio is one of the first things clients see in Upwork search results. So if it looks like every other freelancer's bio, or if it looks worse, then you'll get skipped for sure.

But before we get into how to write a bio, let's look at how NOT to write a bio.

Avoid the following instant-death mistakes:


  • NEVER start with the word "I" or "me" or "my"
  • NEVER start by talking about your education or degree
  • NEVER start by talking about your years of experience
  • NEVER start by talking about what you want
  • NEVER start by describing your passions...

All of those trigger a hazy glaze over client's eyes and they won't even see you. So avoid those mistakes unless you want to look just like every other boring, lame, self-focused freelancer on the planet!

What is important in your overview?


  • To let clients know they're in the right place
  • To let clients know you have the right skills
  • To show clients you care about them
  • To make it clear you operate as a professional
  • To establish credibility
  • To describe their pains and problems clearly
  • To set ground rules and expectations
  • To give them an action to take
  • To give them a peek at the kind of person you are
  • To answer their questions

All of these will help you stand out and get noticed, and the more of them you add, the better off your overview will be.

Okay, but what do you actually say?

Below we'll work through a sample bio so you can see what goes where. Hopefully this will give you a sense of structure in case you struggle with this. First we'll look at a full example, then I'll break it down to explain each piece.

---

Dental Web Designer

Do you need help with dental web design? Are you a dentist short on time losing clients to competitors with modern, mobile-friendly sites? If so, you're in the right place!

Hi there!

I'm Lex DeVille, a Wordpress Web Designer who helps dental businesses overhaul your website for a modern, mobile-friendly look that helps you attract more customers. I've built websites for more than 10 dental clients and helped them to:

- Instantly rank higher on Google search results
- Earn new clients almost instantly
- Look as professional as the services you offer

When you work with me you'll get clear communications, and fast turnaround. First I'll design a mock-up framework, and once you approve it we'll go forward into full production. In the end you'll come away with a sales-optimized, mobile-friendly website!

If any of that is what you need, contact me!

Respectfully,
Lex DeVille

P.S. Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed and I'm happy to make revisions so your website works for you!

F.A.Q.

Q - Can you create a contact form for my website?
A - Yes, contact forms are one of my specialties, and I can even design it so it looks really need and is fun for your customers so they want to get in touch.

Q - Can you add a way to sell merchandise?
A - Yes, for an additional small investment I can build an ecommerce system directly into your website so you can easily sell your products and wares.


---

Alright, now let's break this thing down...

Do you need help with web design? Are you a dentist short on time losing clients to competitors with modern, mobile-friendly sites? If so, you're in the right place!

This is about how much shows up in search results. See the screenshot below for reference:

View attachment 24010


What your first paragraph should do is:

  • Get the client's attention
  • Talk about them before yourself
  • Show you do the exact thing they need
  • Target them directly
  • Touch upon their pain
  • Let them know they're in the right place

When I ask if they need help with dental web design, I'm directly stating that I do the exact thing they searched for. Since I asked a question, the reader is engaged. Since I said "you" I have their attention.

The second sentence gets even more targeted. If they're a dentist, then it's quickly becoming extremely clear that I'm someone who can help them. If you wanted to capture others, you could also state, "Are you a dental professional?" That way your question would also apply to their office staff.

When I mention them being short on time and losing clients to competitors I'm reminding them why they can't do this on their own, and how it's hurting them. After that I describe the outcome they want and let them know that's what this is.

---

Hi there!

I'm Lex DeVille, a Wordpress Web Designer who helps dental businesses overhaul your website for a modern, mobile-friendly look that helps you attract more customers. I've built websites for more than 10 dental clients and helped them to:

- Instantly rank higher on Google search results
- Earn new clients almost instantly
- Look as professional as the services you offer


Once you've targeted your audience, spoke directly to them, addressed their problem, and agitated their pain, NOW it is okay to talk about yourself.

Start with a greeting.

It mentally prepares the client to shift from talking about their problems to describing how you can help. We're creating a bridge for them to cross between the problem they have and the solution you will offer.

Connect yourself to their problem.

After your greeting you want to connect yourself as the solution to their problem. So introduce yourself, and describe yourself as a [whatever service they need]. Then describe how you help people exactly like them to get similar outcomes to what they want.

Add credibility to establish authority.

When I mention helping 10 dental clients I'm throwing out a number that says "I'm credible." You could also name big dental clients you've worked with, or mention how much sales increased for other clients after getting your help. All of this builds you up as an authority and a professional.

Alternatively, you could also mention your degree or experience IF you can show how they back up your ability to solve the client's problem.

Examples of credibility:


  • Increased sales by $1,500 in one day
  • Helped 3 dental clients to rank 1st on Google
  • Worked with Dental Depot, a Fortune 500 Company
  • Bachelor's Degree in Modern Web Design Concepts
  • Built 20 dental websites in the last year
  • Built a website for the dentist who cleans Kim Kardashian's teeth

Use bullet points to describe positive outcomes.

The final part of this section is bullets. These bullets are a chance to describe the outcomes the client wants. You may not know which one is most important to them. By describing several outcomes (3 to 5) you have a chance to say exactly what they need/want to hear before they act.

It's kind of like offering a child a new toy, an ice cream cone, and a video game if they clean their room. You may not know what's most important to them, but one of those 3 will probably get their attention, and getting all 3 is definitely worth the effort to pick up their bedroom!

---

When you work with me you'll get clear communications, and fast turnaround. First I'll design a mock-up framework, and once you approve it we'll go forward into full production. In the end you'll come away with a sales-optimized, mobile-friendly website!

Set expectations and overcome simple objections.

In this part I start with an NLP presupposition which assumes the sale, "when you work with me." More importantly, I set expectations that show I'm a professional and make it clear what will happen once we go forward together.

Clients have a lot of fears about working with freelancers. They've often had bad experiences. So address some of those things. Fast communication. Fast turnaround. A clear picture of next steps and what the client will come away with at the end.

---

If any of that is what you need, contact me!

Respectfully,
Lex DeVille

P.S. Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed and I'm happy to make revisions so your website works for you!


Give the client a next action to take and sign off.

Always close out your bio with a call to action. It should be a CTA to contact you in some way shape or form. Nothing else. The next step is to contact you, period.
  • Contact me
  • Message me
  • Reply and let's chat
  • Reach out to me
  • Hit me back
  • Talk with me
  • Speak with me
  • Schedule a quick chat
  • Let's have a quick call
  • Shoot me a message
After that you'll want to sign off with your signature. There is no WRONG way to do this. Only more or less creative ways.

More professional:
  • Sincerely,
  • Kind Regards,
  • Warmly,
  • Respectfully,
  • Warm Regards
More Creative
  • Friendly,
  • Lethal Weapon,
  • Creatively,
  • With Sugar,
  • Stars & Hearts,
  • Hired Gun,
  • From My Couch with Love,
Use something that makes sense for the kind of person you are speaking to. Don't use a creative signature for the sake of being funny or creative unless that's what your audience expects to see.

Add a P.S. statement.

The P.S. section is optional, but I like to use it as a last-ditch effort to grab client attention and say one more thing that might be the weight that tips the scale.

Here are some things you could write there:

  • Satisfaction guarantee
  • Keep my info in case you need me later
  • Did I mention I offer fixed-rates?
  • Happy to make revisions until it's right for you

---

F.A.Q.

Q - Can you create a contact form for my website?
A - Yes, contact forms are one of my specialties, and I can even design it so it looks really need and is fun for your customers so they want to get in touch.

Q - Can you add a way to sell merchandise?
A - Yes, for an additional small investment I can build an ecommerce system directly into your website so you can easily sell your products and wares.


Easily extend the length of your bio WHILE adding value with a F.A.Q. section.

This last piece is optional but I really like to have it because:

  1. It's an easy way to make sure your overview is long enough for SEO
  2. It gives you a chance to address OTHER services you can offer
  3. It answers common questions clients might have about working with you
  4. It gives you one more chance to catch their attention
  5. It gives you one more chance to overcome objections

Think about what questions your clients will likely have. What limiting beliefs do they have that would stop them from contacting you? Try to answer those in your FAQ.

Alright...

That pretty much wraps it up for your bio.

There's a free template you can download here if you want something to fill in the blank, or to see another example bio I wrote.

HOMEWORK
Your homework today is to research your audience and then craft your bio using a YOU Focus. Remember to target their problems early on. Bridge them over to your solution. Offer them the outcomes they want, and finally...call them to action. Get on it. Do this now!
Really enjoyed this is authentic and makes me feel great about how I am showing up on upwork. Thank you Lex
 

tgioia

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Just really good stuff. I am not sure about how many proposals to submit at first. Should I buy more connects?
 

Itzemp3

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Hey @Lex DeVille

Thank you so much for this treasure trove of info. Initially read this a month or so ago, and applied to upwork 2 times before.

Both times I was rejected with the standard template answer. They did not have a space for the work I listed myself for.

Then, I decided to apply just once more today whilst re-reading this thread for tips. This time I used the info you shared around skills they are looking for. Specifically, I targeted the education and training type of skills. I am currently a teacher so that fit. Then, I went to the courses suggested and registered for free.

I re-did my profile and made sure that every skill I listed and all of my education zoned in on the educational aspect of the skill. And I was approved within minutes.

So definitely your tip on finding the skills Upwork is looking for and seeing how your skills can fit ito this category works like a charm.

I'm super excited to be accepted after the third try!!! Could not have done it without this thread :)
 

Here

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I wanted to spend today spiffying up my profile, but the site keeps going down! Tell me it's not just me?
 

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