What to keep and what to remove from a proposal

Ravi

I have been scouring the web for suggestions to improve my chances of getting interviewed.

The Upwork links that showed up in the search are of course zombies.

I picked up this from my search and from Mark’s reply to a post of mine:

1) The first 200 or so characters of the proposal show up in the preview of the proposal, so the opening statements need to have the hook, or at least be effective.

2) The experience and ratings show, so the proposal can do without them.

3) One post says that suggesting a call is a red flag.

“I don't want to get on a call with you. If you can't handle written conversation that is a red flag.” (I have the link.)

Who the devil would like to talk to a complete stranger?

I wouldn’t.

But some (or many) freelancers pretend to have a good command of the language, be it English or any other. Also, it appears that some freelancers misrepresent their location.

If the RFP has a condition: “I need a quick Zoom call on Upwork,” most scammers would refrain (unless they have a dumb bot applying).

I think a call would be a great way to dispel any doubts.

4) More than one person says to not talk about us but about the client and their requirements. Some people say the use of “I”—at least the start of a proposal—is a well nigh a cardinal sin.

Here is an excerpt from actual RFP at Upwork:

“We are seeking a meticulous proofreader to review a 95,000-word fiction manuscript. The ideal candidate should have a passion for storytelling and a keen eye for detail. Your task will be to correct grammar, punctuation, spelling errors, and any format issues. The manuscript does not need creative editing or development.”

Before diving in, I do believe correction of grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors falls under copyediting. And proofreading is an often misused term.

Okay.

Let’s have some example of proposals (or at least the first two or three paras).

Kelly_E

Here's what I do:

First, I read their reviews. If anybody has mentioned the job-poster's name, I use it.

"Dear David,"

Bots, as far as I know, can't do this. And the object of the game is to demo quickly that you aren't a bot. Some folks say bots/AI are up to 90% of the sludge employers get right now.

Then I mention the extras they can't see unless they click. Is this the very best way to do this? I don't know, but I've only got 100 characters, or whatever the official limit is, and I'm trying to get that click.

"I hope I've answered all your questions below. Please see attached goodies for even more info!"

After that, I used to get right to personalizing, showing I've read what they're asking for: "Yes—I would love to work with you on the brand focus and identity for your rising home furnishings business." But now I save that for after the 100 characters, and instead jump to bragging up front:

"Recent projects: developed a name and logo for a legendary Silicon Valley venture capitalist forming his own firm; produced brand focus and naming/ tagline work for..." (etc.)

I've tested both—although Upwork click-through rates are dismal no matter what in the last two years, at least for me, bragging up front seems to work better.

Then the "Yes" part above, and specifics of how their particular project will go:

"For this project:
—Once we agree on the project parameters
—You XYZ...
—I'll ABC...
—Last 123..."

... along with how many hours the project will take (so they are clear on the price from the start), a final thank you, signoff, and a P.S. (Long-form copywriting wisdom used to say that most people read the P.S. first... who knows if that's still true, but if it's a good P.S., it doesn't hurt!)

————

Having said all that: I am not a million-dollar Upworker. Just someone with many years of experience working for myself off-platform, and several years on the site, testing like heck to figure out what clients and the algorithm want from me. I've had many prospective clients write back to say "this is the best proposal I've ever gotten on Upwork," and to thank me for answering all their questions so we can get right to solving their problems. But that hasn't made me a million-dollar Upworker, or kept me from experiencing the horrible slide lots of other people have seen on the site. These days, I hover between frustrated and disgusted with the site and my ability to break through, most of the time.

So take what I say with a grain of salt, except this:

Keep your own stats. Upwork's stats are opaque, misleading, and not as detailed as you can keep yourself.
Test, test, test. If your own click-through rates, contact rates, or hire rates are better with X approach or Y approach, and you don't realize it, you may keep doing Z when you should be doing X or Y!