How to Write Winning Upwork Proposals?

Are you having trouble getting Upwork clients to respond? Is it seems impossible to get an interview?

Do you know you’re completely qualified for the job, but you’re still getting ignored? If that’s the case, this article might be beneficial for you.

It takes a lot of effort to work as a freelancer. Especially when it comes to attracting Upwork clients who pay well. You’re up against 20 to 30 proposals just as soon as you uncover a decent one. So, how can you move ahead, and how do you stand out from the crowd?

1. You’re sending proposals every day, but your clients aren’t interested?
2. Have relevant experience, even a bachelor’s degree, but no one seems to care?
3. Are you tired of being passed over in favor of less-qualified freelancers?

Many freelancers have given up or quit because of these issues. They submit templates quicker – to try to get their proposal in first – but they still don’t receive a reply.

What is the actual issue?

This means you are not putting in your efforts. It’s just your common process because your customers expect something very specific from you.

It would help if you used a range of psychological strategies and techniques to increase your employment chances.

On the other hand, clients want to know that you are someone who can genuinely assist them. They want to know that you can complete the job well and done right.

So, I need to show that I’m the best, but how do I do it?

Said, you must change your procedure. It would help if you approached proposals differently than the rest of the group. You must show that you care about the client and are knowledgeable and trustworthy.

In a nutshell, you must:

Show that you can complete a task fast, accurately, and without a lot of guidance.

Assist your clients in seeing that you can be confident in hiring you.

Show clients that you are a reputable authority without mentioning your experience or degrees.

So let’s unlock some essential tips.

Length of the Proposals

It is unnecessary for your proposal to be extensive as long as it proves that you understand the problem and that you can solve it. Always strive to write in a clear, simple, and brief manner. Everything you require may usually be communicated in three quick paragraphs.

Clients don’t have time to read lengthy proposals filled with material unrelated to their problems. Long suggestions are unlikely to impress anyone because nearly no one will read them.

Get the Pricing Right

One of the most challenging aspects of sending a proposal is determining the offer price. You may sell yourself short if you bid too low, and you may repel the client if you bid too high. You should, however, make sure you negotiate for a price that is reasonable for you. If you believe you are entitled to a higher price than the client is willing to provide, ask for it.

Apply Important Filters 

First, to get the correct type of job, you need to apply filters.

Go to Find Work or Job Search

Write a keyword that you want to search for your related Upwork job. For example, I am best at copywriting, so I type a word of “copywriting” to get the associated jobs for applying.

You can also use the side filters to narrow down with more relevant jobs on the search results page.

Some filter options include:

• Category
• Job Type
• Client History
• Hourly Rate
• Project Length
• Number of Proposals

Use RSS Feed Reader Extension

Perform a search and filter as desired.

Click the Save Search button at the top of your search results.

After applying your desired filters, you may use the “RSS Feed Reader” extension to receive automatic updates in the third-party feed reader extension.

You can use the feed reader to apply instantly on the job. Save the following feed from the Find Work main page:

On the Find Work page, select the three-dot menu. Every feed — “My Feed,” “Best Matches,” and so on — has it.

From the menu, select the RSS or Atom link.

Right Time to Submit Proposals

Most freelancers have gone to sleep at the time from 2am to 7am, leaving you with 90% less competition. At this time, you could expect to see only 10 to 20 offers on average. The same copy-paste template will be used 80 percent of the time.

Your competition now consists of only 2 to 5 people.

Simply write whatever comes to mind. Make a conversational angle with the clients. You will see proposals with numbers exceeding 50, and your chances of winning will be reduced if you compete with other bidders.

Make an Attractive Proposal

Typically, you’ll be competing with more than a dozen other freelancers for the same project offer. Your proposal will most likely have a few seconds to make an impression before the customer moves on to the next. This means that a catchy initial few phrases are critical to ensuring that your proposal is not overlooked.

Your proposal aims to discover the freelancer who can best assist the client’s standpoint. When you get right to the issues that matter to the client, you have a far better chance of landing that job.

Make a Hook

The goal of a hook isn’t to sell, influence, or convert your client. It’s just utilized to grab people’s interest.

A hook instantly draws your client into your proposal.

Your hook grabs the reader’s attention and entices them to read the rest of your proposal.

Your proposal conversion rate will be 10x higher if you have an attention-getting hook.

The initial few phrases should show that you thoroughly understand the client’s requirements. On Upwork, potential clients want to know you’ll be on their side.

They want to know you have the necessary abilities and are willing to assist them in achieving their goals. Always begin by stating the primary issues or making a statement about the task.

This demonstrates that you have studied the project description thoroughly and possess the requisite expertise.

Start Proposal With Client’s Name

When applying, one tip is to look at the client’s Upwork profile; other freelancers will refer to them by their first name.

As a result, the client is left wondering how I know their name, prompting them to look at my profile to see whether they recognize me.

It also demonstrates that I am highly interested in the position and working with them; I read their job description carefully and looked into it further.

Attach your Portfolio

Attaching previous work samples helps to establish confidence and reliability. Clients care a lot about a freelancer’s previous work, which can be the most critical aspect of their decision. If you have particular case studies, testimonials, or proven results to offer, you should put them in the second paragraph, where they will be immediately visible.

It’s also worth noting that a well-written Upwork profile can help here. After seeing an impressive bid, clients typically glance through the profile to obtain more helpful information.

Linking your portfolio to successful project reviews is a good technique after ensuring your profile backs up what you’re stating.

Ask Related Questions

Some job postings include pre-programmed proposal questions that ask whether you have any queries about the project. This is another chance to demonstrate that you’re qualified to assist.

Make sure you only ask questions that demonstrate how well you grasp the situation and what must be done to address it. You can also ask questions in your proposal, but don’t overburden the client to the point where responding becomes more difficult.

Questions about the timetable, product or business details, or what you may expect on a day-to-day basis while working on the project are all good ones to ask.

Pro Tip: invisible questions” your proposal must answer to improve your success rate

Upwork Proposals Samples

1st Sample:

Hi Ash,

I read your post, and it sounds like you are looking for a website content writer for your project. I assure you that I provide high-quality SEO content, free from plagiarism and grammatical errors with on-time delivery.

I am an expert SEO writer with experience of over 10+ years, which makes me a perfect fit for the project. I have written multiple SEO articles/blogs, product descriptions, product reviews, website content, social media posts, etc.

I will write SEO optimized content by adding SEO-friendly Blog titles, headings (targeted keywords in H1, H2, H3), and content. I will add bullet points, design relevant images, alt tags, and a table of contents to optimize your web page speed. This is how you can cater to the needs of your target audience and the search engine algorithms in a single article.

I use premium tools like Yoast SEO, Grammarly, Copyscape, and other tools that help to make the content SEO optimized.

You can review my previous work here:

• Link of your portfolio———————-
• 2nd link of your work———————-

Please come over to chat and discuss your requirements in a detailed way.

Thanks!

Ayesha

———————–

2nd Sample

Jane Doe, Hey! Your job posting caught my ATTENTION. CONGRATULATIONS on starting your online store.

Hope it will be a great success.

I saw that you are looking for a Shopify developer & designer to help you through with the nitty-gritty stuff.

Couldn’t be any happier to work on your stores’ design and development to increase the revenue.

Here’s the similar work I did which you’d love to see: “link.”

I had a great look at your store, and I’d advise you to:

• Change the brand colors
• Add more visuals
• The copy and fonts are a little away.

Well, don’t worry. I’ll help you fix it one by one.

The turnaround for this task shouldn’t be more than 3 days.

What would you say about a quick call to discuss more about the project?

I’m free this evening and tomorrow morning.

What does your calendar look like?

Best,

Ayesha!

Wrapping Up

So I hope you’ve got some techniques to craft a best proposal. You can pick these above both proposals for taking an idea.

Also don’t forget to share your thoughts about what is the great thing you picked in this article.

Best of luck freelancer!