Lex DeVille's: How to Make $1,000 a Week with no Degree, no Feedback, & no Portfolio.

[masterneme]

I'm still only early in reading this thread, but just wanted to share my 2 major experiences from it already...

Firstly, I'm 3/4 of the way through 'How to win friends and influence people', that is an amazing book!! if you haven't read it stop everything you are doing and grab a copy.

Secondly, after reading the first page, I jumped on over to my freelancer account, and using the advice given by @SinisterLex I applied for a job using a servants attitude, it was all about what I could do for the client, and provided more value by asking questions about other aspects of the PPC campaign they were running and a few tips on how I set things up. The job was pretty low paying, and only covered a small part of a campaign.
I also included my skype id if the client wanted to hit me up and talk about it further.

Within an hour I had a request and we got talking, an hour later I had added his whole PPC campaign to my MCC to take a look at it, I gave suggestions of what could be done to improve it drastically, and pretty much told him how I would go about doing it. The conversation had started with the guy saying he could do with some input, and ended with him asking me to quote to fully manage the campaign.

Their Ad spend is 14K per week! so I quoted at 3k per month to optimise and increase his ROI, in my experience most big ad companies charge around 10% of ad spend, so a quote of $5k per month wouldn't have been unrealistic.

He is going to come back to me when he has talked it over with the company owner later this week, but he seems happy enough with the info I have given him, and very responsive.

It would be great if it bears fruit and I land this customer, if not it doesn't matter, the point is I now have the confidence using the info provided in this amazing thread to go out there and get these jobs. Fantastic post Lex, I know you are gonna do extremely well in the future, thank you!

Many people would say you were lucky, but we know that this is the result of process.

 

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[The-J]

Got my first 5-star feedback today.

Just want to thank @SinisterLex for putting this out there, and the guys in the Copywriting Skype Group for reminding me that every single word I say or write has an impact.

 

[The-J]

Double post. Sorry, but I just got another job! My first 2 job day!

Can't wait for my first $100 day and my first $1000 week! Stay tuned. Sorry to hijack the thread.

 

[Disciple]

Double post. Sorry, but I just got another job! My first 2 job day!

Can't wait for my first $100 day and my first $1000 week! Stay tuned. Sorry to hijack the thread.

I was actually considering turning my progress thread into including my progress for my freelancing as well. Maybe I'll have to move the thread, or just make a new one? I dunno yet.

In any case, congratulations!

 

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[The-J]

I was actually considering turning my progress thread into including my progress for my freelancing as well. Maybe I'll have to move the thread, or just make a new one? I dunno yet.

Yea, but I don't want to make a progress thread for this. Again, my goal isn't just to be working this. My goal is to use the things I learn here to build a Fastlane business, which will get its own progress thread.

Now, here comes my question, which is, I suppose a very personal one. When do you move away from freelancing and start putting more effort into a Fastlane business? I think we should ask this question of ourselves, too.

 

[Disciple]

Yea, but I don't want to make a progress thread for this. Again, my goal isn't just to be working this. My goal is to use the things I learn here to build a Fastlane business, which will get its own progress thread.

Now, here comes my question, which is, I suppose a very personal one. When do you move away from freelancing and start putting more effort into a Fastlane business? I think we should ask this question of ourselves, too.

If it helps, I can tell mine.

Freelancing is a fallback for me. My end game is writing fiction. If something goes sour, or maybe I don't make enough sales one month, I'm not going to end up homeless while pursuing freedom.

A significant amount of the money I make from freelancing will be spent in my fastlane pursuits. I would, in all honesty, be more than happy with $1000 a month, at this point. A portion of it would go to my health, another portion to my writing (likely to include purchases of images for covers, perhaps a website to act as a place to help promote? I'll figure it out.), and then a bit more to savings and taxes when I figure all of that out.

But, in the end, freelancing for me is more of a test. Proof that I'm not useless.

 

[MediocrityNoMore]

Many people would say you were lucky, but we know that this is the result of process.

I feel lucky , the company have just signed the contract and paid me $3200 in advance, happy days ...NEXT!

 

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[BigBrianC]

@SinisterLex , or anyone really, have you noticed a difference by having a video on your Upwork profile vs not having a video? I don't have one and i'm wondering whether or not I should.

 

[BigBrianC]

I feel lucky , the company have just signed the contract and paid me $3200 in advance, happy days ...NEXT!

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity" - Seneca

 

[Disciple]

So, a tip from me to the other newbies who are having some trouble being disciplined.

Find a way to block sites. I use StayFocusd for Chrome.

Figure out how to use it. Tell it to work on Incognito mode. Add all sites you waste time on, but aren't something you need for the client. Makes no sense blocking YouTube if you have to transcribe video for them.

I have mine set to only block sites when I use the Nuclear setting. I have it set for 2 hours at a time to block just the sites I want to avoid.

But here's one you should definitely have on the block list.

This site.

This forum is great, but it's a fantastic way to breed inaction. Next thing you know you spend an hour roaming through here, reading success stories while neglecting the beginnings of your own.

Take a look at @SinisterLex's current posting frequency compared to when he started this thread. You'll notice something interesting.

 

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[The-J]

This forum is great, but it's a fantastic way to breed inaction. Next thing you know you spend an hour roaming through here, reading success stories while neglecting the beginnings of your own.

It's a time waster for sure.

I'm relaxing today (well, looking through niches), waiting for a response from these 2 guys. One $20/hr, one $25/hr. Once I get these jobs I'm raising my rate again, to $30/hr (my old web design rate).

Imagine if I told most people that in 2 1/2 weeks they could make yourself a $30/hr job. They'd jump for joy at the prospect. I'm actually doing it.

The $25/hr guy noticed I only have 2 finished jobs under my belt and was like "your cover letter is amazing but... you only have 2 jobs?"

"I know, I just started. I have to prove myself, so I offer my services at a low rate and offer a satisfaction guarantee. My rates will go up as I do, though"

He's sold.

 

[Henry84]

These are high-demand skills on Odesk. I'm billing over a thousand the week after next for a Wordpress site... Could easily have charged way more, but wanted to cut the guy a deal.

All you have to do is go find jobs. Read the description, and tell them how your skills help them. Inform them. Even tell them what they should look for in a good video/website. Give them helpful info. It doesn't matter if they choose someone else. This is how you create value. If you do it, they'll pick you. If they don't pick you this time, they'll come back later. They'll remember you. But you have to give them a reason to remember.

Hello, have you had experience with www.elance.com? Or is odesk/upwork the best for copywriting? Thanks

 

[Lex DeVille]

Hello, have you had experience with www.elance.com? Or is odesk/upwork the best for copywriting? Thanks

Technically they're the same company, but I've only used elance as an employer. The concepts are the same. The only reason I don't use elance is because I started on UpWork and got enough work without needing their platform. I'm certain I could recreate my results over there using the same methods.

 

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[Henry84]

Technically they're the same company, but I've only used elance as an employer. The concepts are the same. The only reason I don't use elance is because I started on UpWork and got enough work without needing their platform. I'm certain I could recreate my results over there using the same methods.

Thanks for the quick reply. I am new to the forums and was originally thinking about learning to code, but read that copywriting makes far more sense in terms of time spent. I'm setting up my elance account now. Do you have any other suggestions for a beginner? Funny thing is I used elance in the past as an employer. Thank you

 

[Lex DeVille]

Thanks for the quick reply. I am new to the forums and was originally thinking about learning to code, but read that copywriting makes far more sense in terms of time spent. I'm setting up my elance account now. Do you have any other suggestions for a beginner? Funny thing is I used elance in the past as an employer. Thank you

https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/co...e-money-copywriting-in-15-days-or-less.59465/

 

[Lex DeVille]

A caution to all using UpWork.

I've been paying attention to my client satisfaction rating, because a couple of weeks ago it dropped to 95%.

Today I looked again and the rating shows 88%.

I maintain perfect feedback, respond within 24 hours, and have a full profile.

Unfortunately that's not enough.

I contacted UpWork about this and they explained that there are a number of reasons it can happen, for which the only one I can find that applies to my account is short contracts vs long-term. I suspect this is a measure to help them avoid freelancers and outsources moving away from their platform, and it definitely impacts the freelancer.

Last night I reviewed freelancer applications to one of my gigs. First I eliminated all non-US candidates. Then I narrowed my cuts by price. Then I looked at feedback. Since multiple clients had 5-stars I eliminated those with less than 90% client satisfaction. I didn't even know how client satisfaction was calculated at the time. All I knew was that less than 90% wasn't satisfying enough for me.

Something else to note. Apparently if a contract closes out without being successfully completed, then they dock you for this. The only unsuccessfully completed contracts I have are those where UpWork suspended the client for reasons completely beyond my control. However, they may factor this into client satisfaction ratings, though I wasn't able to get that info from their chat support.

You can raise your rating, but it's probably best just to not let it drop in the first place.

This is a good example of why you want to gain control by finding clients beyond UpWork through referrals. This simple drop to 88% may cause my ability to get gigs fast on UpWork to drop significantly.

Here's the link to review the client satisfaction rating & improvement policies:

https://support.upwork.com/entries/23103173

 

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[SlowlaneJay]

Great share, thanks @SinisterLex. Are you talking about Job Success rating? I can't find the Client Satisfaction metric.

 

[Lex DeVille]

Great share, thanks @SinisterLex. Are you talking about Job Success rating? I can't find the Client Satisfaction metric.

Ah, yes the success rating. I called it by the wrong name.

 

[SlowlaneJay]

Gotcha. Is there anyway to contact Upwork and have those jobs overturned (where the clients were suspended)? Seems like it destroys your chances of Top-Rated status and it's not even your fault.

Unfortunately, then you have to deal with Upwork's client services. Good luck with that one

 

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[Lex DeVille]

Gotcha. Is there anyway to contact Upwork and have those jobs overturned (where the clients were suspended)? Seems like it destroys your chances of Top-Rated status and it's not even your fault.

Unfortunately, then you have to deal with Upwork's client services. Good luck with that one

I haven't tried contacting them about it yet, but probably will soon, because I've had a lot of clients suspended for various reasons. Usually it's the new ones, but sometimes even those who have paid out $10,000 to $50,000 are suddenly suspended without warning or reason.

One of my clients is suspended right now, yet we're still working together outside of UpWork. They've been using UpWork for a long time and have paid out a lot. It seems silly because even if that client gets reinstated with UpWork I have no incentive to ever work with them through the UpWork platform again.

So, maybe the real lesson is that you should collect your client's email ASAP. That way if UpWork suspends them, you can still contact them. I haven't checked to see if this violates their terms, and it may, but if UpWork is going to limit my earning potential by lowering my success rating, and stopping revenue by blocking clients, then I'm not sure it matters because I'll avoid their platform completely in favor of local small businesses instead.

The biggest advantage of UpWork is simply that it puts you front and center when it comes to large companies. But, once you understand how to create value and solve problems, then there's no reason to continue using them when you can find your own clients and keep all of the money for yourself.

 

[SlowlaneJay]

there's no reason to continue using them when you can find your own clients

This. So much this.

Currently working out how to do that now. I'll stay on Upwork for the easy work, but I'm cold emailing companies right now to get off the platform.

What are your thoughts on getting those first few off-platform clients? Every time I sit down to write a cold email, I can't quite figure out what to write. Is this how you went about it?

 

[Lex DeVille]

This. So much this.

Currently working out how to do that now. I'll stay on Upwork for the easy work, but I'm cold emailing companies right now to get off the platform.

What are your thoughts on getting those first few off-platform clients? Every time I sit down to write a cold email, I can't quite figure out what to write. Is this how you went about it?

No, I haven't done much with cold emails.

My offline clients are all from referrals I got from my UpWork clients who liked my work enough that they recommended me without asking, or I asked them directly if they knew anyone who needed copywriting services.

Beyond that you could try paid advertising, emailing, finding a niche and contacting them through their website, cold-calling, or even just walking into a business and creating value. Any of these will work fine, especially if your copywriting is solid and you show them how much opportunity they're missing out on.

The only reason I'm not expanding in those directions is because I'm earning enough as it is to fund other new ventures. Copywriting isn't my fastlane and never was. It's just a means to an end, and it's currently achieving its intended goals.

 

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[SlowlaneJay]

Thanks mate. You're a prince. Rep+

 

[NormP]

Even when we aren't a fit I always let them down easy. Who knows who they are, or what their situation is.

Maybe they're very important, busy & responding from their phone.

There's no reason to tell them off.

Words are powerful. Their ripples spread far.

This is my very first post on this topic, as a matter of fact, it's my first post on the forum period. Despite enjoying everything I had read up to this point, I didn't feel there was anything I could ask or add that hadn't already been asked or added; but when I read this it caught my eye, especially the phrase "Who knows who they are, or what their situation is."

That's something I personally forget too often, which is probably why I have the reputation as a dick head.

 

[SlowlaneJay]

Hey @SinisterLex, curious about your take on long vs short copy when it applies to emails. The world seems to be divided.

I currently have a great contract for a cold sales email. My instinct wants to go long with the copy â la the traditional sales letter. But everything I read suggests to keep email short.

Thoughts?

 

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[Lex DeVille]

Hey @SinisterLex, curious about your take on long vs short copy when it applies to emails. The world seems to be divided.

I currently have a great contract for a cold sales email. My instinct wants to go long with the copy â la the traditional sales letter. But everything I read suggests to keep email short.

Thoughts?

Part of the reason the world is divided is because people try to simplify things too much sometimes. It's a slowlane mentality when you get right down to it. Anyone making money or connections by email knows that one type of email isn't best for all audiences.

So the question, 'which is best?' is kind of impossible to answer, because it isn't the whole question, nor is it the real question. Instead, the real question is, 'what is the easiest way to achieve my goal?'

To get the answer to that question you have to ask the whole version of the original question which is, 'which is best for my audience?'

But the first question you have to ask is, 'who is my audience?'

Usually my emails are for c-level executives. Executives are typically pressed for time and don't want to read something long and drawn out. So, for this audience I use short emails, 3 paragraphs or less, 3 sentences or less per paragraph, and always get straight to the point. If you're establishing the email's author as an authority, then you'll want to make this clear from the start. If an executive doesn't find the email worth their time in the first sentence, then it's trash.

For other audiences longer emails might be better. It also depends on the purpose of the email. Something going out as a newsletter is a lot different than cold emailing/lead gen.

In the end it comes down to the value you create, but content alone doesn't = value. So, who are you targeting, and what is their motivation? What do they want? Do they have time to read long emails? Do they have a reason to care or pay attention in the first place?

 

[SlowlaneJay]

Thanks. Rep+

So, who are you targeting, and what is their motivation? What do they want? Do they have time to read long emails? Do they have a reason to care or pay attention in the first place?

C-Level.
Growing their business and getting out of a plateau.
More revenue.
No, I'm a fool.
Yes, it's actually a ridiculously good proposition. Up to me to sell it.

Thanks for dropping in with more wisdom. Early in the morning too. You rock.

Btw, I bid on a job a couple days ago and saw you'd bid on it too. A battle of the cover letters begins!

 

[risingtomillions]

Warning. This Story Starts with Failure.


)

Bad = "I have 10 years experience designing webpages. I have a Masters degree in web design. Hire me."

Good = "Sounds like you need a design that increases site traffic. Cool, I can build an eye-popping site that makes customer navigation simple, and increases traffic 50% guaranteed. Oh, and I have 10 years of experience and a Masters to back it up.

Clients don't care about your degree, and they don't care about your experience. They care about what they care about, and if you don't show em' you care about the same, then you're not getting shit.

It's Not a Trick. It's a Lifestyle.

Focus on their problems. Focus on giving. Focus on solving. Forget about money. When they say "give first and money follows" they actually mean that shit. I know it seems hard to believe, but I swear to god it's true.

I get it... Freelance and jobs aren't exactly Fastlane, and I'm not rich either. But I'm willing to bet everything on the fact this same lesson applies no matter what business you're in. If you need money to start your real business, or if you're just starting out, or even if you've been grinding for a long time...check your focus.

It's changing everything for me.

I bet it will for you too.

As soon as I read this I decided to up the Ante and it paid off IMMEDIATELY. Is it necessary to take the tests that Elance and Odesk (now upwork) provide in order to get more work?

 

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[The-J]

Here's a simple Gary Halbert style attention getter e-mail that might help you:

Subject Line: A Few Simple Tricks To Increase Conversions by 75% (See Inside)

Message: "Hello, I don't mean to bother you and I don't want to waste your time.

However, I was on your website and saw that there are some very simple improvements that can be made on your copy.

My name is The J. I'm a copywriter who has worked with businesses similar to yours.

If you would just give me a call at (555)-555-5555, I could share with you, at NO COST to you, a few SIMPLE tips that will get you results immediately.

It's something to consider.

J"

Try it out and see how it works. Make edits how you see fit.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

I just read this yesterday. Why yesterday? Because I wasn't interested in earning $1000 when this thread started (I'm still not).

Anyway, great value added both here and there!

Yea, and what really makes me happy is I don't hear anyone saying crap like "That's not Fastlane!" or "Its violates CENTS/CENTS!"

This is a great thread about taking action, learning about the velocity of money, how to attract it, and how to see the real benefit of giving first, taking second. Forget about money. Focus on value. Gold of Gold. Rep @SinisterLex for the awesomeness.