Many people struggle with Upwork.
When they start Upwork, they are very motivated and energetic.
Because they have heard so good things about it.
A guy got 5 clients in 2 weeks.
A girl scaled her Upwork to $10k MRR.
An agency has billed $800k on Upwork.
Now, such claims sound very good.
This inspires people like you and me to start Upwork.
With the same expectations.
And when we don’t achieve the same results, we blame them.
Instead of critically analyzing the situation, which we should have done earlier.
If XYZ girl started making $10k on Upwork, didn’t we think about her past? What factors were in play when she started to do this?
We are not interested in learning the whole thing, we need a magic wand to wave and make everything all right.
Another reason is that most people are very poor at writing.
They have no idea how to write a proposal that will get opened, read and then lead to a call.
Some people have poor writing skills.
Some people have poor English skills.
Some have poor communication skills.
You are a lost cause to me if you have poor English skills.
I recommend you learn English first because I do not teach that in this newsletter.
However, if you have poor writing and communication skills, I can help.
I wrote a simple framework to help you write proposals leading to a call on Upwork.
It’s called The Pitch Framework.
Framework – PITCH for Winning Proposals
Pitch Framework
P – Personalize Your Proposal
I – Identify Client Needs
T – Tailor Your Experience
C – Communicate Value
H – Highlight a Strong Call to Action
Step 1: Personalize Your Proposal
Think of your client as a person that you want to become friends with.
Keep your tone neutral. Not too formal, not too friendly.
Be careful when spitting out every word.
Try to get their attention but don’t overdo it.
Attract them without sitting in their feed.
Start your proposal with the client’s name to create a personal connection.
Find it in the review freelancers have left on the client’s profile.
Example: “Hi [Client’s Name],”
And now, you don’t want to miss anything.
Remember small details about clients, like:
- What were his previous projects,
- How long ago did he publish them, and
- What things does he like about freelancer and
- What freelancers like him
- What tone of voice he use in reviews (he will use the same with you)
Read the job description twice and mention details from the job description to show that you understand their needs.
Example: “I see you need help with SEO for your e-commerce store. I have experience in this area and have helped similar businesses increase their organic traffic.”
Step 2: Identify Client Needs
If you have read the description, this shouldn’t be a problem for you.
Your job here is to identify key requirements and expectations.
What business objective does he want to achieve through that:
Example: If the client needs SEO and content marketing, make sure to address these needs specifically.
You can also ask questions in the proposal, this shows that you know something, plus people are designed to answer if someone asks them a question or even reply.
Example: “Can you provide more details on your target audience and current marketing strategies?”
Step 3: Tailor Your Experience
Mention similar projects or better yet show them.
If you do not have previous projects, create a custom solution or roadmap about how you would solve their problem.
Example: “I recently worked on an SEO project for another e-commerce business and increased their organic traffic by 50%.”
Adding numbers increases your credibility.
Example: “My work led to a 20% increase in conversion rates and a 30% boost in sales.”
Nothing sells like social proof.
Step 4: Communicate Value
Now, this is the most important section.
Here you will convince the client to:
- Get on a call with you
- Move on to the next freelancer
Briefly explain how your skills and experience will help them achieve their goals.
Example: “My approach to SEO involves a comprehensive audit and targeted strategies to boost your search rankings and drive more organic traffic.”
I usually share my USP in the first line, above the Hi thing. And I treat it as a hook.
You can do it here as well. Explain what makes you different.
Answer the following question here, why should the client hire me?
And don’t fool yourself here. Be realistic about things that you can do or you cannot.
Example: “I combine deep SEO expertise with advanced content marketing tactics to deliver measurable results.”
Step 5: Highlight a Strong Call to Action
Always try to get the client on a call.
Because it makes the whole process a lot easier.
This also develops trust and deepens your relationship with the client.
Share your calendar and ask the client to schedule a call with you.
Example: “I’d love to discuss your project further. Can we schedule a call this week to go over the details?”
Add a P.S. below the fold. And provide additional insights or value.
Example: “P.S. I can also send over some case studies or examples of my past work if you’d like.”
I have used the same principles to write proposals, and yes I have generated 5 clients in the span of 2 weeks.
I only sent proposals for 1 week. And then took 8 clients in 2 weeks.
And to make things easier, I created a checklist to help you follow this process in a structure.
Notion Template: Proposal Builder Checklist
A lot of people reached out to me to inquire about Upwork.
Yes. You can get leads from Upwork.
No. I have not experienced any scams on Upwork.
You need to learn how to navigate Upwork.
And you are good.
Getting leads from Upwork is much easier than it is on LinkedIn.
I will share simple Upwork tutorials daily.
Stay tuned.
See you tomorrow.
Talha X
Dreamer & Founder @ The Notion Millionaire.
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