I love my work.
I am willing to sacrifice everything for my work.
I want people to know me as a marketer.
I want to make a lot of money.
I want to bill $1k to a single client weekly.
But it doesn’t matter, what matters is what my audience wants, and what my clients want from me.
Meeting their wants and expectations is the surest way to grow.
For example, I may want to write long proposals to show clients how good I am.
But they might be expecting a shorter, to-the-point proposal.
I may want to close the client on chat, but he is looking forward to a call.
So, in the B2B space, it doesn’t matter what you want, what really matters is what your clients want.
If you can fulfil their wants, your wants will be fulfilled automatically.
There’s no doubt about that.
When it comes to Upwork, the client has some expectations as well.
He is looking for:
- The right resource for the job (hard skills)
- Delegate workload
- Good communication skills
Most of the time, these are the three things that he is looking for.
Now, after reading your hook (your first line), the client will decide whether to work with you or not.
It is important that you grab the attention through your hook and get the client to open your proposal.
Mind you, writing good hooks is no easy feat.
I have seen copywriters failing at writing good hooks.
It took me a long time to understand the hook game.
And honestly, I think most clients are sold at the hook.
Here’s my framework which I use to write good hooks for Upwork proposals and LinkedIn posts.
Featured Framework: BULLS (Bold, Unique, Linked, Lucid, Story)
I don’t know about you but I like to do everything in a structured approach.
I have SOPs for everything.
Maybe I should start a series on that.
OR just talk about whatever I want in The Freelance Magazine.
Everything that I ever wanted to talk about.
I will write about it there.
Stay tuned for it, it comes out every Friday.
This Friday will be its first issue. So, excited about it.
BULLS framework has 5 elements.
We will go through each one by one.
Bold Statement
Being bold and being stupid are two different things.
When trying to capture your client’s attention, don’t fall for stupidity.
Instead:
- Use a surprising fact
- Make a bold claim that you can back
- Ask a thought-provoking question
For example,
- Born and bred B2B marketer
- Marketing Manager – Jordan Peterson of my F&F. Passionate Psychology Reader. Notion Advocate.
- Web Design PM Extraordinaire
- Creative Marketer (Top Marketing Voice on LinkedIn)
Don’t copy these hooks if you are in a marketing space. Because they were used in specific circumstances where they performed well.
You should always come up with your own unique hooks to hook your client.
Unique Selling Proposition
Standing out on Upwork is very important.
And I do this in a lot of ways.
Hooks are my favourite way to do that.
Because once you learn the art of writing hooks, you will become invaluable.
If you want to learn to write amazing hooks, connect with magazine copywriters.
They are the best of the best copywriters out there.
And their sole job is to hook people.
Clients pay for something that is unique.
It could be your specific skill, your unique experience, or the results you have achieved.
Highlighting these seems just plain honest. But trust me, they get the job done.
“Born and Bred B2B marketer” is a good example of such a hook.
Linked to Client’s Needs
Clients are selfish, and you must be selfless.
They don’t care about you, they care about their cares only.
And you should too.
Show a deep understanding of what the client needs.
For this, research the client’s job posting and profile to identify their primary pain points and goals.
For example,
“Content Marketer with a knack for management.”
Lucid and Visually Appealing
I don’t like to add in visuals, because it sounds too Chatgpt.
But sometimes they do work wonders.
I do add a lot of visual elements to my Notion pages. They look cool and visually aesthetic.
See my Notion templates for more details on this.
If you want to add visuals, use bullet points, emojis, or bold text to stand out.
For example,
- ✅ “Expert in SEO optimization”
- 📈 “Proven track record in boosting online sales”
Story Inclusion
Stories are how we make sense of complex ideas.
And what better way to hook someone than a one-liner story?
Share a brief, relevant personal story to create a connection.
For example,
“When I first started freelancing, I struggled with time management until I developed a custom productivity system that I now use to help my clients.”
Note: Not all of these can be applied at once, and not each of these is suited for every scenario.
You must make the call, about which type of hook will perform best in which scenario.
And this comes from testing. Keep sending out proposals and keep testing hooks.
Store the best-performing ones and discard the others.
Unique Ways to Improve Hooks
Here are some creative ways to write better hooks:
- Use questions or challenges to engage the client.
- If appropriate, use a light-hearted comment to catch your attention.
- Use a surprising statistic or statement to provoke interest.
- Ask a question that makes the client think deeply about their problem.
- Use contrasts to highlight potential gains. For example, “What if you could cut your marketing costs in half and double your leads?”
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The first thing, I teach my coaching students is, what not to do.
When it comes to marketing, there are gazillion ideas that you want to pursue.
What you don’t realize is that there are also a gazillion mistakes.
Here are a few common mistakes that you can avoid when writing hooks:
- Avoid starting with phrases like “Dear Sir/Madam” or “I am writing to.”
- Keep the language accessible and straightforward.
- Keep it concise; aim for 1-2 sentences.
- Avoid overused phrases that don’t add value, like “best in the industry.”
- Make sure the hook directly relates to the client’s needs and job posting.
Featured Resource: Hook Writing Workbook
When creating today’s resource, I first thought that I should write a checklist.
But checklists are boring.
So, I decided to create something that will be useful to you.
Hook Writing Workbook.
An interactive workbook designed to help you write compelling hooks for your Upwork proposals using the BULLS framework (Bold, Unique, Linked, Lucid, Story).
This workbook will guide you through the process of creating attention-grabbing hooks.
I am starting The Freelance Magazine.
This Friday will be its first issue.
What would you like to read about?
Let me know and I will add that.
I reply to every email.
Waiting,
Talha X
Dreamer & Founder @ The Notion Millionaire.
