Have you been on the platform for a while and not been hired for as many projects as you had hoped for? Don’t worry! This is completely normal. Don’t despair; use this as motivation to improve your proposal and make the adjustments necessary to become a high value professional. And if you’re new to the platform, I’d like to invite you to read the article: I Joined Workana. Now What?

I’m Jose Salvador, and just like you, I went through times where getting hired for new projects was a challenge, but today I’m going to let you in on a few secrets that helped me get hired to work on over 100 projects and log over 1200 hours of work on the platform. 

What is your role on the platform?

The first order of business is to understand your role as a professional on the Workana platform. It can be tempting to try to cover multiple fields, but your best bet is to choose a single field and focus on it. But what do I mean by this?

If your portfolio consists of examples of graphic design with development, community management, and virtual assistance, now is the time to eliminate the fields that you’re not specialized in and focus on using and improving your main skill set.

A solid profile demonstrating your specialization in design or development will demonstrate to the client that you’re an expert and specialist in your profession. Remember, it’s better to be a master of one field than try to be a jack of all trades with lower quality results.

You’re one message away from your new project

The second rule to increasing the percentage of projects that you’re hired for is to carefully tailor the message that you send to the client when you apply for their project.

I know there are dozens of new projects being posted every day, and writing a personalized message to each client can get tedious, but think about it. There are hundreds of professionals looking to get hired for this project, so take the time to read over the client’s needs and respond to them accordingly. Tip: Start your message with the client or company’s name. This adds personalization and establishes trust.

Be brief and don’t force a proposal the first time. Start a conversation with the client and then establish your plan and determine the cost. Remember to always keep communication on the platform to prevent your account or the client’s account from being negatively affected.

Speaking of personalized messages, my next point is one of the most crucial points to help you increase the percentage of projects that you’re hired to do, and this point is knowing how to pick the projects you apply for.

You may find ten projects available in your field, but not all of them will be a good fit. It’s important to clearly define your ideal client and the industries that you work best in.

In order to obtain this information, analyze your ten most recent clients and identify which elements help you define these clients as the “Ideal Client.” This can be communication, their budget, the market, the way they provide instructions, country, etc.

Now that you have your list, go back to the available projects and after you’ve read each project’s requirements, look for those elements. After you identify your ideal client, you can provide a much more effective solution and with that you increase your likelihood of being hired.

Finally, be empathetic. Remember that we’re not just here to sell but to provide solutions, which is why I recommend that you take the time to understand the client’s problem to a T and then send a proposal that demonstrates that you’re the perfect candidate for the project.

Empathy is a fundamental skill to use throughout the interviewing and hiring process. If you want to reach the next level and sell more, check out our article You are the Product! A Persuasion Guide for Entrepreneurs, a book that I published on Amazon where I speak about the strategies that helped me become a Top Talent on the platform. Everything you need is there, I promise.

Finally, don’t compete by price; this is a huge mistake that many professionals make. Always talk about your experience, knowledge, and ability to complete the work on each project.

Don’t lose hope! Keep growing on a constant basis, and remember that an experienced freelancer is a professional who is constantly evolving. So get ready to transform into the best freelancer that you can possibly be. In this article, you’ll discover how to reach the level of the best freelancers. 

See you soon!

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• What Do Clients Expect from Freelancers’ Proposals?
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• Master your communication with clients and get hired to work on more projects
• How to price projects and why it’s important to value the work itself
• Freelancers Top 5 Well Kept Secrets to Getting More Clients
• Personal marketing and freelancing (part II): This is how you get your best clients and keep growing