I learned the hard way
Few weeks ago I decided to try my hand at using freelance platforms.
I’ve never been a fan. I source my customers on social media and through my network.
Of course, that doesn’t make me less of a freelancer. If anything, it makes me more because I don’t depend on traditional platforms to sell my skills.
However, I decided a few weeks ago that I needed to do more. In order to scale up my earnings, I needed to put my feelings aside and try other ways of making money through freelancing.
I already had an account on Upwork, so I logged in and revived it.
I was thrilled when I saw job offers that matched my skill set.
I immediately started applying.
I wanted to apply to as many job offers as possible. At least, if I do that, I’ll have more chances of getting a reply.
Funny me!
Anyway, I started applying.
For my cover letters, I leveraged ChatGPT to draft the letters, polish them and send them out.
I didn’t bother to include my portfolio unless they specifically asked for it, and even when they did, I didn’t edit or tailor it to the job.
My “connects” was almost cleared out. Connect is the currency you use to apply for gigs on upwork. When you exhaust your allocation which is like 80, you can no longer apply for gigs.
After applying to as many as possible, I started checking my work email.
I did this multiple times daily, hoping that someone will reach out.
I got a lot of unopened proposals, and a few rejections.
What I didn’t get was any acceptance message or interview invite.
I felt a little bit frustrated and disappointed.
I needed to know what went wrong and how to do better, but even if I know how, I now have fewer “Connects” to use.
I learned the hard way.
I went back to the drawing board, bought a freelance course and I’ve been taking it ever since.
I’ve seen a lot of mistakes I made earlier, but the major one is focusing on quantity instead of quality.
I believe that business is a game of numbers, the more proposals you send out, the higher your chances of being called.
This belief hasn’t changed, but it doesn’t excuse mediocrity.
It’s always important to put your best foot forward.
When possible, research more about your customers and what they want. Tailor your message specifically to them.
It’s easier to have one template to use for everyone, but you’ll get more replies if you treat your customer as one entity, not just part of the ecosystem.
When you treat them as an entity, you pay more attention to them. Find out their problems, and include part of the solution in your proposal. That is how you get discovered and replied to.
Quality demands more work and attention. It might be a slow way to reach as many people as possible, but it gives you more chances.
So whatever you do, at your workplace or elsewhere, make sure you put your best foot forward.
SHINE!!!
I’m Bridget