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

[Lex DeVille]

@SinisterLex Are any of your mentees budding email copywriters? I'm in need of some assistance.

@SYK I'll check and see who's doing email marketing. At least one or two of them are. I'll have them send you a PM once they're online if that works for you.

 

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

[SYK]

@SYK I'll check and see who's doing email marketing. At least one or two of them are. I'll have them send you a PM once they're online if that works for you.

Perfect. Send 'em my way!

Oh... and nice work on hitting Entrepreur. Smacked it out of the park with your first PR at bat!

 

[GuestUser4aMPs1]

After a brief setback, decided to pick up Upwork again. Had tried before in the past, but my mindset was not fixated on providing value to others.
This was the biggest shift I knew that needed to be made to generate results.

With that said:
-Studied @SinisterLex 's 15 Days to Freedom copywriting thread religiously.
-Created and Tested new Bio using lessons from above.
-Studied pages 1 through ~10 to the "T" in this thread.
-Sent 22 Individualized Proposals. Testing different methods per 5 proposals.
Very "You" Focused
Utilizing Influential Techniques
Explicitly Stating How I Will Solve their Problem, with portfolio work to back it up.


This is within a span of ~2 Weeks.

Not sure where I'm going wrong, but
I REALLY don't want to give up yet.
Just need ONE sale to prove Upwork can be useful.

After all, other people are making it. Why can't I?

Looking back, this thread was created in Spring 2015.
Haven't looked through the recent pages, but is
Upwork still a viable platform in 2017?

As a side note:
If you're currently successful on Upwork,
I would be hugely grateful for some guidance.

Otherwise a change of strategy may be needed.

 

[Lex DeVille]

After a brief setback, decided to pick up Upwork again. Had tried before in the past, but my mindset was not fixated on providing value to others.
This was the biggest shift I knew that needed to be made to generate results.

With that said:
-Studied @SinisterLex 's 15 Days to Freedom copywriting thread religiously.
-Created and Tested new Bio using lessons from above.
-Studied pages 1 through ~10 to the "T" in this thread.
-Sent 22 Individualized Proposals. Testing different methods per 5 proposals.
Very "You" Focused
Utilizing Influential Techniques
Explicitly Stating How I Will Solve their Problem, with portfolio work to back it up.


This is within a span of ~2 Weeks.

Not sure where I'm going wrong, but
I REALLY don't want to give up yet.
Just need ONE sale to prove Upwork can be useful.

After all, other people are making it. Why can't I?

Looking back, this thread was created in Spring 2015.
Haven't looked through the recent pages, but is
Upwork still a viable platform in 2017?

As a side note:
If you're currently successful on Upwork,
I would be hugely grateful for some guidance.

Otherwise a change of strategy may be needed.

Upwork is still a viable option for making money. The mentees who joined me over the last few months went from earning nothing to thousands. That said, there's more to it than the question "is Upwork still a viable platform in 2017."

Upwork is a crutch. It's where you go to get your first clients and build outward from there. Your end goal should not be to make millions on Upwork. Instead you should be looking for that first client who will give you a chance and then give you referrals.

To be honest, you could just as easily email people in your local area and probably have as much success as you can with Upwork in about the same amount of time. At least one of my mentees sent out a bunch of emails to local real-estate agents, and though it took roughly a month, one eventually followed up to learn more and that was before doing any cold calls.

A couple of questions for you to consider:

1. Who specifically are you trying to write for?
2. How is your service different from others?
3. Do you even need Upwork for your market?

 

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

[G-Man]

NLP copywriting

Confused. This an actual thing?

 

[GuestUser4aMPs1]

Confused. This an actual thing?

@SinisterLex Invented It

 

[Shamrox]

Then I get the job with my 2 weeks of experience and a few notes on Cashvertising...

I want to say your post, attitude, mindset and sense of drive have completely blown me away!!!

Where did you get your notes on Cashvertising?

Did you read Drew Eric Whitman's book? I'm considering getting it.

 

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

[LTH]

Threads like this have made me realise that it's not as much about the product or service you deliver (although that is important), but it's the intention behind it and your attitude towards others that is the crucial factor in success. Thank you.

 

[Lex DeVille]

I want to say your post, attitude, mindset and sense of drive have completely blown me away!!!

Where did you get your notes on Cashvertising?

Did you read Drew Eric Whitman's book? I'm considering getting it.

Ca$hvertising is worth owning a hard copy regardless of the industry you're in.

 

[GuestUser4aMPs1]

Upwork is still a viable option for making money. The mentees who joined me over the last few months went from earning nothing to thousands. That said, there's more to it than the question "is Upwork still a viable platform in 2017."

A couple of questions for you to consider:

1. Who specifically are you trying to write for?
2. How is your service different from others?
3. Do you even need Upwork for your market?

Apologies, The premise of my question was flawed.
Should have specified: "Is Upwork still a way to access buyers without as much competition as 2015?"

The trade-off seems to be:

You get immediate access to people who NEED services,
but...
It's harder to penetrate the market due to the amount of competition on the platform.

There's something I've noticed over the last few months though, relating to another service...

The best people to talk to are the ones not ready to buy from you yet, but will in the future because of the connection created.
When people are actively looking for a solution, it seems like buyers are looking for a much higher standard (and differentiation, as you said).
But people who are cold contacted originally think, "Well, I don't have this, but maybe I do. Let me think about it."

Keep on top of contacts.
Check in every once in a while.
Be their friend.
Rinse, Repeat.

I'll reach out by other means and report the outcome here.
Thanks, Lex. Sorry if this is sort of a rambling post!

 

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

[startinup]

I've applied to my 4th job on Upwork today. So far I have not gotten any offers (even though I only started applying 3 days ago) but not letting that discourage me. So today I found a job I can definitely do and did everything I can to get what will be my first job.

The client is a writer and posted a link to his book's sales page. So I just spent the last 1.5-2 hours working on improving the copy all to show him the value I can provide and land my first Upwork job. If it works out, I think this is a great way to go about getting your first job on Upwork. Here is the basic process:

1. I worked hard to improve his copy and attached it to my application.
2. Told him in my cover letter. "You need an exceptional copywriter who is willing to go the extra mile. That is why I am giving you my carefully crafted revisions for free. Keep them whether you hire me or not."

This technique is straight from one of @SinisterLex's 15 Days to Freedom thread.

I'll post a follow up in this thread if it works out for me. If it does, I'll talk about more of the steps that I used to get this first job.

But until then, back to grinding away.

 

[Lex DeVille]

How to Ensure a Good Client Experience on Upwork

Hey ya'll, got a question about what happens after you get hired and how to deliver a good client experience. Thought it worth sharing here. If you've got freelance questions for me, send a PM so I can address 'em in video. >)

 

[GuestUser4aMPs1]

I'll reach out by other means and report the outcome here.

Reporting Back.

Reached out to my target market via reddit post offering free services (implying that we could work long-term if they like the end product, a la cross sell) for the people who need it the most. Top post of the week, a few dozen people interested. All it took was 30 minutes to write the post.

In the Spirit of @SinisterLex 's new "I Deleted My Upwork" and the massive amount of documentation that comes with it - I Will give Upwork another shot and follow closely while working these other leads. The lessons in empathy are enormous.

 

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

[startinup]

I'll post a follow up in this thread if it works out for me. If it does, I'll talk about more of the steps that I used to get this first job.

Follow up time...

I didn't get that job, but I am currently working on 2 and in active candidacy for 1. Things are going pretty well, focussing on providing value to clients.

---

One thing I'm wondering is:

How do you filter out clients that are slow to respond? And if you have a slow client already, how do you end it with them in the best possible way without it negatively affecting your feedback?

I know that you want to get the client to say no to you, instead of you saying no to them.

Is something like the below good?

ex.
"Hey I have been swamped with work and am raising my rates to (insert #) to keep up with demand, are you still interested in working together?"

Or is something else better?

 

[Lex DeVille]

Follow up time...

I didn't get that job, but I am currently working on 2 and in active candidacy for 1. Things are going pretty well, focussing on providing value to clients.

---

One thing I'm wondering is:

How do you filter out clients that are slow to respond? And if you have a slow client already, how do you end it with them in the best possible way without it negatively affecting your feedback?

I know that you want to get the client to say no to you, instead of you saying no to them.

Is something like the below good?

ex.
"Hey I have been swamped with work and am raising my rates to (insert #) to keep up with demand, are you still interested in working together?"

Or is something else better?

I just withdraw applications from clients who don't respond soon enough. Having a slow client doesn't really matter to me as long as the timeframe on Upwork is set for a longer period. If they're giving you money for work, why does a slow response from a paying client matter?

Raising your rates isn't the best option in my opinion since they might just pay you that rate. So unless you want to risk getting stuck with that client even longer, then I don't think it's the best route. I would just be honest with them. What is it that bothers you about the job? How can you express that in a way that doesn't come off as you being a douche?

Either way if you're ditching a client early you risk getting less than perfect feedback.

 

[daru]

Very valuable information about tailoring everything around what the client or customer needs or wants instead of me me me me. And then over deliver.

Already helped me a land a gig and opened up a few new opportunities (not on Upwork).

Thank you SinisterLex but also all contributors.

 

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

[Curtis Randolph]

Man, anyone on this forum should thank god they found it.

Hallelujah brother!!! ;-)

 

[Drew D]

Wow I make 1k a MONTH at my job and come home everyday depressed and miserable because of my work.

As soon as I get home I'm creating an upwork account, and dropping some applications.

Thanks Lex.

 

[thehighlander]

I just checked out Upwork.com for some technical consulting work. The budgets that people propose are ridiculously low. Do they have any clue about the real time required or going rates for developers? Is the site based off of the idea of leveraging people in countries where $2/hr is a good programming wage?

I don't get how this site could benefit workers in the US.

 

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

[Lex DeVille]

I just checked out Upwork.com for some technical consulting work. The budgets that people propose are ridiculously low. Do they have any clue about the real time required or going rates for developers? Is the site based off of the idea of leveraging people in countries where $2/hr is a good programming wage?

I don't get how this site could benefit workers in the US.

Most clients don't have a clue about what goes into the work they're asking for.

If you accept the rates as they are, you won't make much. But that's true of any business.

That's why negotiation was invented.

I think freelance sites were invented to connect people all across the world.

That said, they do draw a lot of cheap labor, and also a lot of startup entrepreneurs.

 

[thehighlander]

Most clients don't have a clue about what goes into the work they're asking for.

If you accept the rates as they are, you won't make much. But that's true of any business.

That's why negotiation was invented.

I think freelance sites were invented to connect people all across the world.

That said, they do draw a lot of cheap labor, and also a lot of startup entrepreneurs.

I'm skeptical of how good a client will be if they have no idea how much they're asking for costs. I mean, do car dealerships pay attention to anyone who walks on to the lot and says "do you have any new cars for $10?" I suppose they could be educated or perhaps they're just dreamers with no budget. I'll put some realistic budgets (with explanations) in my bids and see how it goes.

 

[Lex DeVille]

I'm skeptical of how good a client will be if they have no idea how much they're asking for costs. I mean, do car dealerships pay attention to anyone who walks on to the lot and says "do you have any new cars for $10?" I suppose they could be educated or perhaps they're just dreamers with no budget. I'll put some realistic budgets (with explanations) in my bids and see how it goes.

You should read through my threads on freelancing before jumping in if you haven't already (including this one). You'll get more out of your time.

Some clients are low ballers, but not all of them. Most I work with aren't bottom dollar clients. You gotta peek behind the veil to find them. Opportunity doesn't always come to you. Sometimes you have to seek it out. I can tell you people on this site have picked up $15k/mo clients through Upwork.

 

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

[OneOnTherise01]

Warning. This Story Starts with Failure.

A few weeks ago I pulled back from publishing (progress on the Inside.). It was eating days, draining funds and not really progressing. That’s not the focus of this post, so I’ll just say I scaled back to unplug and regroup.

I kind of felt it coming, but it wasn’t until @tafy asked me where I wanted to be in 5 years that I had to face a harsh reality. A publishing company isn’t in my plan. It sucks because I already dumped thousands of hours & dollars into it. But it is what it is. (It's not dead. Just not moving.)

Now What? Guess I’ll Freelance.

I’ll spare you the details, and cut to the chase. Tafy suggested writing copy to build funds so I can try again. So I headed out on my next great adventure and signed up on Odesk. No profile, no feedback, no hours billed. That was exactly 3 weeks ago.

Here’s my earnings this week.

View attachment 9213

That's around $1,000 and I've pre-sold for another $2,000ish before 1 month is over.

Wondering How? I'll Show You.

It starts with a mindset. A mindset you can read all about in @IceCreamKid 's thread here. It's funny, but I actually didn't stumble on his thread until after I started writing copy.

The mindset (for me) goes like this:

1. I will never give up, no matter how F*cking stupid I think I look every time I fail.
2. I will acknowledge my failure, learn from it, and move on.
3. I may hate the feedback others give, but I'll consider it no matter what.
4. I will strive my hardest every damn day to solve problems and create value.
5. I will learn to accept others for who they are, even when I think I hate their guts. (Still working on this one.)

How This Translates to Money on Odesk (or anywhere).

If you Google, "How long does it take to get hired on Odesk?" you'll hit pages of people whining about how it's been months and they haven't had a job.

You'll see stuff like this:

- "Why won't anyone hire me?"
- "I have all the skills the job asks for, wtf?"
- "I've done this for 20 years, have a Masters degree, but clients won't even reply..."
- "I've filled out my profile, taken tons of tests, and sent out 50 applications. Nothing."
- "I've listed every skill under the sun. I can do them all. Why can't I get work?"

The thing is, all the skills and experience in the world don't matter if the client reads me me me me me me.

My guess is 99% of freelancers send me focused applications. So, for those who send a you focused application the opportunities are limitless.

How to Send a You Focused Application when You don't Know Anything About the Client.

This part is super easy, but you can't be lazy. All you have to do is read their job listing. Everything you need to know is right there on the screen. Look for the company name. If it's there, look them up. Find out what they do. Find out who their customer is. Don't just solve the company's problem. Solve the company's customer's problems.

Show how your skills (AKA product features) benefit them first.

Example: (client wants a new web site to increase traffic.)

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.

This is really good advice! It's exactly what I'm looking for. I can't Thank YOU enough. Now, I'm going to put this good advice into action, I'll let you know what happens. Thanks again.

Francine

 

[The Merry Mystic]

When I'm ready to boost my rates, I'll ask my current clients if we can bill at the new rate, but for the same amount of work. As in:

Let's say it takes you two hours to write an article. At $6/hour that means $12/article.

Ask your client if you can write 5 articles for $60. But instead of billing 10HR@$6, bill 1HR@$60.

This way you'll have a public track record of your new rate.​

If you're having trouble getting your client to agree to this, offer a discount. In the above example, that would mean you do 6 articles for $60 (12HR@$5).

I've done this several times, the clients don't seem to mind.

You can also do this with a fixed price gig. If you're hired for a fixed rate, ask them if you can do an hourly gig but for a fixed number of hours. So if they want to pay you a $120 flat fee, ask if you can split it into two hours at $60 each.

Again, clients usually have no issue with this.

Great idea

 

[GeoffP]

Excellent advice and explains why our conversion rate on Upwork is relatively low. I will have staff implement this ASAP. Thanks!

 

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

[GuestUser241z]

Love this post...im getting some really useful insights..

 

[GoodluckChuck]

Haha don't get me started on online courses. That's a whole nother realm of passive income people are missing out on.

Costs like $500 to get a 1080p cam, good mic, and lighting. Add a sprinkle of knowledge, a dash of personality and you're in business.

A bit of marketing combined with problem solving and the result is a course that sells.

But you gotta be willing to risk $500. I did.

I found the seed...

 

[Five Star]

I can tell you people on this site have picked up $15k/mo clients through Upwork.

Really? That's impressive.

Personally in the 'famine' stage of the cycle so to hear this is motivating. I've managed to win some $1000 projects, and a few $125/ hr jobs with limited hours. Having problems finding recurring work, even though my clients are all very happy.

Any specific advice for finding and wining 'top dollar clients'?

 

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

[Lex DeVille]

Really? That's impressive.

Personally in the 'famine' stage of the cycle so to hear this is motivating. I've managed to win some $1000 projects, and a few $125/ hr jobs with limited hours. Having problems finding recurring work, even though my clients are all very happy.

Any specific advice for finding and wining 'top dollar clients'?

The key isn't so much finding and winning top dollar clients. It's only searching for your ideal client (who you can create huge value for by solving one specific problem they have).

You figure out the client: industry / niche / who they are
Figure out the problem they need solved: emails / blogs / FB Ads / whatever
Then match your profile & proposals with that need to prove your worth.
And only apply to clients who are a match.

It takes a little research and you may only find one client per month, but if they're the kind of person who invests in their business and they're someone who's problem you can clearly solve, you won't have to win the gig. They'll just give it to you.

Like if you wanted to buy a Superman statue but wanted your face on it. Nobody has that on the shelf, so you couldn't just search for it. But if someone knew you wanted it, had the money for it, and were ready to buy .. and they offered to make it for you .. they wouldn't have any competition.

Make sense?

It's the difference between shotgun blast marketing and being a sniper. That one client can be worth more than all of the others.

 

[freelancedev]

Thank you so much for this thread and your other threads on this topic Lex, you've provided a lot of value to this forum over the past could of years. Your threads have provided great inspiration to me personally, and I know I likely speak for a lot of people in saying thank you for all you have done.

I am wondering how you would start if you had learned about upwork today and were willing to do anything to make it work?

I know that you have had excellent success with copywriting, not just when you started in 2015 but recently also when you deleted your profile and then created a new one, so there is no doubt that you can still be successful as a copywriter on the platform, but would you be more inclined to look at the upwork skills index for skills that would be learnable and in great demand at the moment?

I've seen mentions of niching down into something more specific if going the copywriting route, is this necessary now?

I'm also wondering whether one would gain from watching your youtube video series on how to get hired in addition to following your 15 day challenge thread? I'm trying to find the all important balance between learning and doing.