9 Most Common Mistakes made by Newbie Freelancers
Posted on 02. Apr, 2009 by Amod in Freelance Sites
If you are just starting out on online freelance marketspaces (Guru.com, Elance.com etc), then this is a must-read as it may mean the difference between earning top dollar or getting no job at all.
1. Not portraying yourself as a business person. If you are interested only in pocket money, this attitude may be fine. But, if you want higher income and better ratings, then you must play the role of a businessman or businesswoman as the case may be. This will instill confidence in the hirer as s/he understands that the stakes for you in the project are high as well and you are serious about your reputation. You will thus stand a higher chance of winning projects.
2. Incomplete Profile. Ask all hirers and they will tell you that given all things equal, they will most likely award a project to a person whose profile is updated. Profiles not only contain a brief about yourself / your company, but also your experience, skillsets, portfolio, payment terms etc.
3. Unrealistic Profile. Some freelancers give an impression that they are experts in everything from logo design to HTML and dozens of programming languages to internet marketing and SEO. “Stuffing” keywords might land a prospective client during search results, but will certainly put them off. Its logical that one person can’t possibly be doing all thats written. So just tell the truth and you will stand a better chance.
4. Low Bid. When one begins freelancing, a low bid amount may be alright for one or two projects in order to win the project and thus obtain a rating. But once you have completed some projects, ask for what your work is worth. And its certainly not rude if you need to ask for more if the project scope changes in between.
5. Sketchy Bid / Proposal. Don’t just say, “I can do it in 3 days.” Instead, take time to read the project description, view the links / references if any, and then present a proposal which gives an understanding of the project / requirements as also your plan in achieving the objective. Moreover, specifying payment terms, estimated timeline and deliverables will remove any ambiguity and will also be useful in case the project runs into arbitration.
6. Communication Gap. If you have any questions before bidding on a project, it is good to ask. Even during the course of the project, don’t shy away from, say seeking clarifications and recommending a better alternative. Keep the employer informed regularly on the status of the project. Always thank your clients for the project and the rating. This will go a long way in forging a business relationship. This is also a good opportunity to let them know about other services that you provide as also your contact details.
7. Shy about asking for review / rating. After the project is completed, go ahead and ask the client to rate your services as it will land you future projects. If required, go to the “Help” section of the website, copy the URL to the relevant entry and send it clients who don’t know how to go about rating. This will help them do it faster and will also leave a positive impression on them.
8. Missed Deadlines. Procrastination, low energy or just plain bored with the project? You should consider the “don’t feel like getting out of the bed” factor in the schedule when you bid. Eat the right foods that don’t leave you tired, drink lots of water (a cup or two of coffee is okay), listen to your favorite music (my personal best practise), walk / exercise, and take 10 minute breaks after every 2 hours. This way you won’t dread going back to work on that project.
9. Wrong Project Choice. The Pareto principle (or the 80-20 rule) in business states that 80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients. So don’t say yes to every project that comes your way. Decline low paying but effort intensive projects politely – better if you can refer them to some of your friends who will be happy to do it. Treat valuable clients – those who hire you again and again at the right price – like VIPs. In the same note, avoid clients that cause you stress. Those extra dollars are not worth it if they will be used to buy Aspirin.
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