How to respond to projects. Copywriting lab. Lost at the last moment

People want jobs... No, people want well-paid jobs. Everybody wants!

Except for a bunch of gouges who want nothing... except money and their ass on the couch.

And it is right! A decent job with a good pay is interesting, attractive and responds positively to the budget.

Since my blog is geared towards writers, let's take a peek into the writing behind the scenes at one of the freelance exchanges, with a flurry of activity and recent turmoil of change - freelance.ru.

Not all offers, of course, are tempting. Some - in general tin. But they are, and everyone can find to their liking. From a beginner taking their first steps to a pro who has already worked with big firms. Everyone chooses their own price category of projects and "spins" in their own mess.

We won't go into the details of pricing policies, dumping, and low-price savagery for now. I will only add - if there were no performers ready to work for such money, then there would be no offers. Here, I think you will agree.

We are more interested in the competitive component of the process - "project publication --> contractor selection".

For a worthwhile order, people bring down like ... I don’t even know what to compare with ... Ah! Like penguins during migration. Everyone cackles in their own way, but everyone is trying to grab a good place. And the most correct cackler finds a parking lot that meets his requirements, but with warm conditions. And what does he do for this?

Everyone's strategy is different. Knowing them is a problem. Most act wisely and check the appropriate checkbox, hiding their messages from prying eyes. But even from those answers that are available in the public domain, it is already possible to draw conclusions.

Ma-a-small digression: I have always told everyone that you need to learn based on what is available to you. Do not stupidly copy, but look closely and think about how to use the situation to your advantage. And this time I will not change my rules. Watch and learn, and do not wait until a good uncle tells you how to do it.

As I wrote in a recent post, not much has changed since I started working in writing. What answers were written in the projects, such are still being written. What keeps these people afloat? Who knows, but somehow they flounder.

And I was like that. Except: "Ready to cooperate." Didn't write anything. In those days, it was still surprising to me - for 1000 characters they pay HALF DOLLAR! Therefore, I worked for a penny, full of happiness and joy for myself. After some time, I "ate" this goodness and wanted something more. And I decided to spend money on my education. More precisely - a webinar on increasing income. That's where I learned the terrible truth - I'm a burdock! You have to act differently.

Rule number 1. Customers are people, ordinary people. They have their fears, they have their problems. And they came to solve them on the stock exchange. They are afraid for the result, they are afraid for their money and in general ...

Customers have heard that performers are terrible lazy people who do not want to work without an advance payment, after receiving which they are immediately washed off into hibernation. The performers have heard that customers are terrible stingers and scammers who do not want to pay correctly, on time, or pay at all.

Well... but there is no smoke without fire. Think, where did this crap come from?

So, let's forget the scammers, let's forget the scammers and mean people. Let's talk about a normal customer and a normal performer. If anyone wants about scammers, then you are in the wrong place. You have to think: Why do you come across such? This is serious and you need to go deep ...

An ordinary person who has a problem (lack of texts on the resource) turns to the stock exchange to strangers to solve an urgent problem. What's in his head - see above. He is afraid (do not confuse with panic fear, I think the meaning should be clear), but there is nothing to do, and he publishes the project. Let it be average. (In order not to create an unhealthy hype).

And what does he get in return? Note that from those people whom he not only had not heard of, he did not even imagine the existence of a certain Vasya Pupkin, who answered: "Ready to work, send the assignment!".

Rule number 2. The client wants specifics.

Let's cut it on our noses - we send short answers away, where long poems are (something I don’t remember, mostly short pearls).

The customer may have many directions, but in this moment he is interested in solving a specific problem. This also needs to be kept in mind.

We write only specific offers and information about ourselves. If we don't get through now, we're very likely to be taken note of.

Rule number 3. The customer wants guarantees.

He's not a fool to give his money right and left. He wants to have more or less guaranteed performance of his tasks.

What can serve as your guarantee:

• Personal passport in the payment system
• A completed portfolio in an account on the stock exchange
• Long term of work on the stock exchange
• Your personal resource (blog, website)
• Reviews from other employers.

Almost complete list. Now we will not apply it to all price categories. Now he has another task. How many items from this list can be attributed to your person?

Or maybe three?

Or zero?

Yes, I partially agree that at the moment the "no-risk deal" somehow smooths out the situation with the guarantee. But for some customers, the loss of time is a much greater loss than 1000 rubles for texts. Customers simple people- as the rooster pecked at the 5th point, they stretched. Therefore, work is needed even "yesterday". :) But this is a separate conversation.

Well, well ... It's time to put everything together:

1. Customers people
2. The customer wants specifics
3. The customer wants guarantees

Does the phrase: "Ready to work, send texts" meet these criteria?

I don't think.... And you?

In order not to be unfounded, I will give an example of the text that I sent to the customer immediately after the webinar on increasing income. This allowed me to “recoup” the cost of the webinar within one day and get a good employer for many years to come. In this case, I won a fight with another writer and he asked for 20% less than me. Draw your own conclusions. :)

Hello. Please consider my candidacy as a worker. doing deep rewriting and copywriter. Recent works have been related to tourism (SEO), mobile phones (description) and description of auto parts for Hyundai. Technical education. I have basic knowledge of related specialties and construction. I have knowledge of computers and WEB .. I have a personal certificate in the WebMoney system. I hope for mutually beneficial cooperation. Sincerely, Pavel Shut.

The work of a copywriter consists not only of writing texts. It is also negotiating with clients. And the most crucial moment in the negotiations is the first letter.

Imagine a simple situation. Did you see interesting project or an attractive vacancy, and you want to answer, try your hand and offer services, but something does not give you. You are afraid, you do not know what to write, you are not sure that you can handle it.

There is a desire, but there is no self-confidence, and you do not write. Or you still write, but something goes wrong and for some reason they don’t even answer you.

A similar situation may be when a client found you on his own - according to your data or someone recommended you, and you also need to respond.

Let's figure out how to write the first letter to a potential client without being excruciatingly painful. What to write so that the first communication turns into an order.

The main thing to understand is that the first communication lays the foundation

Do not approach the first letter formally, as an unsubscribe, do not think that it does not matter, that you can write something about yourself and that is enough.

Why is it important? Because this is the first impression, this is a trial balloon, especially when we talk about the work of a copywriter. The first letter of a copywriter is always evaluated critically, because the way you write indirectly shows how you will work on the text. Clients think so, and it will be impossible to explain to them that the text that you write to order will be much better and completely different than your first letter written somehow.

To avoid “somehow”, start with these 5 steps.

Step 1. Literacy

When you write your first letter, everything matters. You will be evaluated literally on every point, on every comma. Therefore, the first thing you must remember is that your letter must be literate.

No matter how much they say that a copywriter is not someone who writes competently, but someone who knows how to work with meanings and marketing information (and this is true), you will not have a second chance to prove that these are random errors and that “Actually, my texts to order are always proofread by a proofreader.” And if representatives of other Internet specialties (designers, programmers) will still be forgiven for mistakes in the first letter, then the letter of a copywriter will be sent to the trash with almost a 100% guarantee.

Step 2. Design and structure

When I talk and write about any texts, I always emphasize: you can write something cool, but if there is no structure, if it is a brick or a sheet, your text will not be read. Even when we write a small message in response to a project, this is also important. Your potential client will evaluate how you work with the structure and logic of the presentation.

If you divide the text into paragraphs, use subheadings and lists in texts for the client, show that you can do this in the first letter.

Even if this is a small text, even if it is 5 sentences, divide them into two paragraphs, separate these paragraphs with an empty line and immediately your text will become more readable and it will immediately show that you respect the reader. Don't write huge emails when it's the first stage of a negotiation - no one is willing to read a long text about you to get a first impression. It can be 2-3 paragraphs of 3-4 sentences, no more.

Step 3. The right attitude

The next one is self-motivation. Before writing an answer, you need to sit down, breathe in, breathe out and say to yourself: “This person is looking for a copywriter, he NEEDs a copywriter. He's already posted the job posting himself. And I am the copywriter who is perfect. Yes, I know I can handle it. Yes, these are my favorite topics. Yes, I have already written about this many times, I already had such articles or selling texts. You sat down and gave yourself a mindset that you could handle it. We need to take and respond.

And one more secret that you can try. I call it "find yourself a PR person." This is my husband. It can be a friend, a colleague, a person with whom you communicate, who knows what you are doing, what you are developing in. A PR specialist is needed when a project appears where it seems to you that you are a little short of it. You read, everything is tempting and interesting, but such a thought appears: “No, I won’t write, I probably won’t pull it, probably, this is still a little bit beyond my level.” And you are already on the verge of closing the project and never returning to it. In such a situation, seek the help of a PR specialist.

How do I do it? I show the vacancy to “my PR manager” and say: “Listen, I really want to, but it seems to me that I won’t pull it off, I don’t know how to do any of the above, I haven’t tried it yet, I haven’t worked with it yet.” And I hear in response: “What are you, yes you are the best, how can you not pull it? Do you remember when you had such a project? Did you do it there? What do you not know? So we will find the instructions, you will learn, and you will succeed. This is the moment when for the start you need someone to push us a little in the back.

Step 4. Not writing yet... Attention - traps

And so, remembering that you need the right structure and logic, that you are ideally suited for this vacancy, and therefore you can offer yourself with a pure heart, re-read the vacancy again.

Here again - inhale, exhale - we need attentively read the job posting. Why? Because one of the qualities that is expected from a copywriter is attentiveness. And very often, I even know that sometimes on purpose, vacancies are compiled in such a way that this moment of attentiveness is checked at the entrance.

For example, when a vacancy describes the requirements and offers a response to the vacancy, write to the mail. There is no “write me in a private message” option, there are no communication options to choose from, but only one mailbox and a specific subject of the letter, for example, “review for a vacancy”. This is a sanity check. After all, if you see a project in in social networks, your first desire is to reply to the messenger.

And when you have done all this work, tuned in, found all the traps, only now you can start writing.

Step 5. What to write

I consider the response to a project or vacancy to be a mini-selling text, which means that all the blocks of persuasion are important to us.

What should be in your letter:

• The correct subject of the letter is the one that the author of the project asked to write, or just the title of the vacancy and your last name.
• Don't forget to say hello and do it in style business communication. I think it's illiterate to write "good day" in a letter. Write: "Good afternoon" - this is suitable for any time of the day. Write: "Greetings", "Hello" - these are neutral addresses. Contact by name. This is not a formality, it is not superfluous, it must be done without fail.
• Write the reason why you are writing this letter. When we respond to a project, we want to go right off the bat and write about ourselves right away. But write at least one introductory sentence: "In the group ... I saw that you were looking for a copywriter, and therefore I decided to write to you." It will be easier for you to start the letter this way, besides, this is an adjustment to the reader, and in this case you don’t even need to think about what to write there, everything is written in the draft.

And one more reason - a person can look for several specialists on various vacancies, several copywriters for different projects. It is important to make it clear which project you are applying for and where you obtained this information.

• And after that, offer a solution - your services. Write how you can help, what you specialize in. If the project specified requirements for a copywriter 1,2,3,4,5, be sure to indicate in your answer that you meet them.
• Let's move on to the benefits. Even if it seems banal to you, but still write that you are doing the work on time. This is important because it's a common objection that freelancers miss deadlines. Write that you process large amounts of information. Think about what other advantages you have, what other benefits you can show in this small letter. Benefits should fit in 1-2 more sentences.
• Then you can tell a little more about yourself to build trust. The easiest way is to share your experience. For example, “I have been writing texts for so many years, I have worked with this topic, here is my portfolio and give a link.” Talk about a recent study. Literally 1-2 sentences. Capacious, short, without superfluous words.
• To write or not how much do your services cost? If the project initially indicates how much you are willing to pay a copywriter, with your letter you simply agree to these conditions. If you see the phrase "indicate your rates" - do not forget to write how you evaluate your work.
• Now in the selling text we need a call to action. In a letter it might be open question about the project. But your question should not be banal, should not show that you did not carefully read the vacancy, it should be to the point and show interest in the project.

Your task is to give the opportunity to continue the dialogue with you. Even if everything is clear and understandable in the vacancy, still leave a call to action, write this sentence: "If you have questions, write" so that it is clear that you are ready for dialogue.

And so that this text does not seem boring and mentoring to you, I will show a few examples. One is a simulated response to a vacancy, the second is a real example from a copywriting course group, after which a collaboration turned out.

This is a simulated version.

Remember: the competition continues. The response to the project is the first step in which the customer makes the first choice and screening. And if he has questions at this level, he will simply move on to other candidates.

As you can see, "there is no secret here." Try and everything will work out.

P.S. This article was written based on the live broadcast on the official Facebook page of the Copywriter's Lab. If you like video format more,

The mistakes that beginner freelancers make are endless. This is the wrong communication with customers, and the failure of the deadline, and even banal laziness. We will talk about all this in a series of our articles about the mistakes of beginners, as well as experienced "spearmen". And this time we decided to opt for one of the most important aspects of remote work - feedback on projects.

It is with them that the work begins and it depends whether you receive the project or not? Someone thinks that you need to be noted in all projects and you will be happy, others, on the contrary, carefully look through each ad, after which they also carefully compose their response. At the same time, both one and the other have a chance to get a turn from the gate. Let's look at the main mistakes freelancers make when submitting responses to projects.

inattention

I recently talked with one of the regular clients of freelance exchanges and he told me a lot of interesting things. So, for example, a couple of years ago, when he just started looking for freelance performers, he had to deal with a rather curious phenomenon. Having published a project with a good, let's say, budget, he indicated Skype at the end of his announcement and asked interested parties to contact him. Two days passed, and at most 5-6 people turned to him. Assuming that perhaps the price he was offering was not good enough, or that the description of the project was not very clear, he decided to revise his ad. Imagine his surprise when on the stock exchange he found about a hundred abandoned applications in the project and about a dozen personal messages. As a result, he chose the performer from those who wrote to him on Skype.

In order not to harm yourself and not get into an awkward situation, you must carefully read the project. If it says that to write only to the mail, then write to the mail. If the customer asks you to answer several questions, then answer. How many times have I seen ads where the client asks for a price, terms, experience, and under the project there are two dozen responses with the typical phrase “Ready to cooperate”. Since a freelancer cannot fulfill a banal request of a client, then what kind of cooperation can we talk about.

Wrong declarations

Choosing the wrong ads can also do you a disservice, worse than inattention. If in the first case you simply do not get the project, then in the second case, you are threatened with a negative review and ruin your reputation. I have been sorting all the projects for a long time, and if I see that my qualifications do not fit or I do not have the relevant experience in this, I skip such announcements. Meanwhile, there are heroes who calmly leave feedback on such projects, and the most assertive ones also write that they have never done anything like this before, but they have experience in something else and are ready to get to work. What can be obtained as a result? In the optimal scenario - a refusal, if you still get the project to work, problems and difficulties may arise, which, in the end, will lead to a negative review on the exchange.

You should not respond to a project that requires experience and skills that you do not have.

"Empty" response

I have already talked about “ready to do” responses above. Some freelancers are sure that this is enough to get a project, because the customer can easily go to your profile and find out everything you need, as well as see examples of work. These people probably think that the client has a lot of free time in order to study the profiles of all 50-60 applicants, then ask everyone questions. Everything is just the opposite. The customer will pay attention first of all to large responses, which contain all the necessary information about the performer: his experience, skills, links to "live" examples similar in subject matter to the ad, estimated prices and terms. In addition, 1-2 questions to the customer in the response will demonstrate your professionalism and interest.

If the customer did not ask to show examples of work in the ad, this does not mean that he does not need it. He will still ask for them, so your goal is to shorten this path a little. The one who provides the customer with the best service wins!

Dumping

Well, where, without him, dear! I have repeatedly seen simply masterpiece responses in projects with an already assigned budget. I'm talking about smart people who manage to dump even where it is not necessary to do so. Well, when you see a price struggle in projects where the customer does not indicate the budget and asks freelancers to offer a cost, or directly says that they will give the project to the one who offers the best price, this is something understandable. But if the customer has already named the budget and by this declared that he is ready to part with such and such an amount, why write “I will do it for half the cost”. Yes Yes! There are also freelancers.

If the client named the price, then he roughly understands how much the project will cost him and realizes that a normal specialist will not perform work for less than this amount. Therefore, you can dump as much as you like - you will not receive the project. Moreover, by this you belittle yourself and your work.

Marina Lysyanaya, web designer, comments:

- There are cases when a question is formulated in the project, then it is necessary to answer it. And sometimes the client attaches the TOR and asks to read it, then questions arise on it and it is better to ask them right away so that the customer can see - his project has been read. Well, when they write: “I need to make a website, I don’t read template answers!” what can be said here. If there are 3 phrases in the project and not a single question, how will he understand that my answer is not a template?

In general, the response should consist of four components:

3) approximate cost (if the information in the project is sufficient for its formation);

4) contacts.

No one makes the final decision regarding the choice of contractor by reading the responses to the project. To make such a decision, you need to communicate and discuss. But here the fact how you taught yourself can play an important role. And you can show your professionalism only in the response.

From the author

The response to the project is your first acquaintance with the client and a lot depends on him. How you present yourself will affect the further decision making. In one small response, you need to show that you are a professional, but not an upstart. The project budget can be discussed, but you are not going to work for a minuscule either. And most importantly, you know your job well, but you also respect the opinion of the client.

Write the right responses and get the desired projects!

You write to clients but don't get a response. What is the reason? Let's figure out what answers will interest the customer and ensure that they get the job.

General Approach

In your response, you need to show that you are able to solve the client's problem, have sufficient experience and are suitable for the price. You are adequate, you can communicate and negotiate. You are polite and there will be no problems with you in the process of doing the work.

In the response to the project, you need to show that you have carefully studied the client's task. So, the answer should not be templated.

Let's look at examples

Let's see what kind of responses freelancers send to projects, and what clients think when they receive them.

"Hello! I'll get the job done, please contact me. My portfolio is here.

Client's thoughts: template answer, I didn't read the problem. You can't assign work.

"Hello! How much do you pay?

Thoughts of the client: schoolboy, ignore.

"Good afternoon! I will do my best, you will be 100% satisfied with the results. I have a wide experience of work, sensitively I react to all wishes of clients. Check out my portfolio here."

Client's thoughts: many words, but no specifics. Didn't read the issue. Promises a lot, does little, will have to redo everything with another freelancer.

"Good afternoon! I will do it in 3 days, 2000 rubles.

Client's thoughts: no clarifying questions, immediately gives a fixed budget. Either he did not read the problem, or he is too confident in his abilities. Most likely, in the process of work there will be many problems, improvements, changes in the budget.

"Hello! I did a similar project for the ABS company, here is a link to the project. Estimated time for the implementation of your project - 30 days, estimated budget - 50,000 rubles. To estimate the exact budget, please answer the following questions (hereinafter the list of questions, from 3 to 5 questions).”

Client's thoughts: I did a similar project, which means there will be fewer jambs on my project. The price tag is high, but the price can be negotiated. He asks questions about the case, delved into the project. I'll probably contact him.

"Good afternoon! In your case, it’s wrong to do so, who advised you to do this? Do it like this (description of how to do it)

Client's thoughts: who is he to give me advice in such a tone?! You need to write better!

"Good afternoon! Yes, no one will work for such a budget! At least think before suggesting this to people!”

Client's thoughts: I put in a budget "out of the blue" to add a project to the feed, and this freelancer puts on a show, is rude and brawls. I will remember it, and I will never refer to it.

"Hello! I would be happy to complete the project. I'm new, so I don't have any reviews, but I do have a small portfolio. Ready to work on your terms to a victorious result. Thank you in advance if you choose me for the project.”

Client's thoughts: Newbie, but seems to be adequate. Communicates politely, ready for concessions. I will contact you when there is a simple project. Well done!

"Good afternoon! I'm new, ready to make your project for free, for feedback. I understand that it is dangerous to take a newbie on a project, so I attached an example of a sketch with the design of your site in the attachment. I hope you enjoy it and choose me for the project. Thank you in advance!"

Client's thoughts: don't give a damn, I've already made a sketch! And it seems nothing like that, a normal sketch. Let's work, especially for the review!

"Good afternoon! Experience - 15 years. In your field, he worked with the companies ABS, ABV, VGD, DTV. Review from DTV here. According to your project, I propose to do the following (a couple of sensible ideas). To estimate the cost of the project, you need to talk in person to find out all the details and fix the TOR. When will it be convenient for you to call on Skype?

Thoughts of the client: seasoned wolf. I will become an oligarch - I will apply.

"Good afternoon! I propose to make a website on the ABC engine. The site on this engine will work quickly, you can easily manage the project, many programmers work with the engine (not just me). My development experience is 5 years. An example of stores I have developed: 1, 2, 3. I will do your project in 20 days, the cost will be XX rubles. I can also accompany the project in the future, make any changes and improvements on contractual terms. Get in touch!"

Client's thoughts: man, how long have I been looking for you!

conclusions

1. Do not write formulaic answers.
2. Show the client that you are interested in their project and want the job.
3. If you have works in this topic, be sure to write about it to the client. For example, you have already made a website for a company of a similar profile - give a link to this site.
4. If you have low or medium prices, give the client a rough estimate of the project budget. Write that you will be able to name the exact cost after fixing the TOR. If the prices are high - bring it to a personal contact (Skype call).
5. Don't criticize the client. Do not write that what he wants to do is impossible. If this is really not possible, then bring the client to a personal contact and, in the course of the conversation, gently push to the right decision.
6. Offer valuable ideas for the project. For example, how you can make the site conceived by the client even better. People appreciate those who “cheer” for their work and strive to do it well.
7. Be polite.

Anton Bordakovskiy,
head of web studio Gray-Fox

If you're new to freelancing, or just planning to start freelancing, it's a good idea to take a deep dive into other people's industry and experience. Finding articles written by freelancers is not difficult, but how do employers themselves see such cooperation? Anton, the head of the Gray-Fox studio, shared his view on freelancers and gave a couple useful tips about what you should pay attention to and what chips to use to please the customer.

To date, the concept of "freelance" is familiar to most people. There are excellent conditions for earning on this system. Naturally, this is convenient not only for the remote specialists themselves, the so-called “free” specialists (although for many the concepts of “freedom” and “freelance” are incompatible), but also for companies that seriously save on wages, renting an office and a thousand other little things.

It turns out quite mutually beneficial, meeting modern requirements and capabilities (which is perhaps even more important) interaction. By the way, despite the modernity of this approach, the concept of "freelancer" appeared and was used since early XIX century. The work was built on the same principle, but, of course, without the participation of the Internet. The most famous of the early references to the term is found in the novel Ivanhoe. This is how a hired warrior is described, or more precisely, a “free spearman” (free lancer, free - “free”, lancer - “spearman”).

Working with freelancers. Why is it for customers?

The most popular reason for choosing freelancing is, first of all, the desire for freedom and independence, the so-called model of earning "with a laptop on the ocean."

The next most popular model is the beginning of a career. Many novice specialists work out their skills, gain experience and increase their professionalism precisely due to the tasks performed on freelance.
The third role model for coming to freelancing is a part-time job. Often, strong and experienced professionals find additional ways to earn money by completing tasks in their free (or even working) hours.

The motives of the performers are quite understandable, but in order to receive projects, it is important to understand the motives of the customers. Most often, customers are divided into 3 types, which differ in terms of requests and value for the contractor.

Private individuals

With this category, everything is clear: basically it includes ordinary people who need to perform a task in which they are incompetent. Basically, this type of customer has the most vague TK in the universe and a small budget. It is possible to work with them, but usually it does not bring pleasure and earnings either in the short term, let alone in the long term. In this segment, you can find puzzles that are paid for by a positive review or an increase in the rating of the artist's account.

Companies not related to development

The second type are companies that, in their core business, have nothing to do with web development or other freelance services. Basically, they hire specialists for personal purposes - site administration, development of promotional layouts, blogging, etc. This option is more tempting for the performer, since the reward is higher, and there is a great chance to establish permanent cooperation.

Developer companies (agencies, web studios, etc.)

In working with this type, the highest chance of regularly receiving projects and high rewards. Such customers, in fact, resell the services they buy from you, and with proper quality, there is a very high chance of gaining trust and receiving projects on a regular basis.

Since the work you do is the main activity of the customer or part of it, such companies apply to the freelance exchange in three cases:

1. The company is at the first stages of development and cannot afford an offline staff of permanent employees. In this situation, the probability of regularly receiving orders is less, since the customer himself may have problems with them at first. Also, if they can't afford a full-fledged staff, they may not be able to pay you the amount you want.
2. The company currently has a high volume of tasks and cannot cope on its own.In this case, the chance to get a high reward is higher, but there is a danger that the peak of the company's load will pass and will not happen again. If the peak repeats, the company moves to the 3rd type of interaction with freelancers.
3. The company hires a classic outsourcing employee.In cases where the company has a higher demand production capacity, they expand the staff either at the expense of employees in the office, or by hiring outsourcing specialists. This is the most favorable option that will allow you to receive a stable flow of orders and a decent reward.

If you are aiming for regular cooperation, try to determine the type of customer at the negotiation stage in order to understand what you can count on and correctly prioritize.

How to get the customer interested

After we have decided on the types of customers, their subtypes and the reasons for turning to freelancing, it is necessary to contribute to their decision in your favor. I won't go into detail about banal and standard criteria, such as a high level of technical skills in your field, a competent portfolio and affordable prices. Let's talk about more minor things that make you stand out from the background of the same professional with a good portfolio and reasonable prices.

Evidence of your professionalism

The most difficult thing is to convince of the optimality of your candidacy at the initial stage, when there is no way to prove your words with deeds. It is necessary not only to present the portfolio attractively, but also to give an opportunity to verify its authenticity. For example, provide contacts of clients who can positively recommend you (do not be afraid of this, you do not need to give your home address and code from the intercom, just email, name and company name).

In addition to contacts, you can ask clients for feedback on the work and place them either in your portfolio or in cover letter. Even real reviews often look fake, so don't try to make them up yourself. If there are no reviews, select a pool of at least five and only then publish.

Compilation of cases will become aerobatics. In the sale of almost any service on the Internet, one of the key factors is examples of work, cases, portfolios, and so on. The task of cases is not only to prove that successful work there really is (which is also important), not only to acquaint a person with how things are done and projects are implemented by you, but also to try to get into the client's need. That is, display a case that is similar to his situation, and how to say: “I know how to solve your problem, and I have already solved it before.” To do this, you need to place the most diverse projects in your resume so that as many potential employers as possible can find their problem and an example of its solution in them.
Don't forget to submit your resume and portfolio. Make it, do not be afraid to spend a lot of time on it - it will pay off. Use services to generate a resume, or develop a website dedicated to your professional activity. Learn how to present yourself large companies who provide similar services - you can learn a lot from them and learn a lot.

Communication

Register in all possible instant messengers and social networks so that during communication with the customer, he can choose the system that is convenient for him. This will greatly speed up and optimize the communication process and, as a result, make you a more pleasant contractor. Install all communication applications on mobile phone and turn on notifications. One of the main problems that studios face is long responses. This is the hallmark of working with freelancers, don't be like that.

Payment Methods

The same principles work with payment methods. Give the customer the opportunity to pay for services in a convenient way.

Be an expert in your field

Follow new trends and be on the wave. This inspires confidence. Remember that you are first and foremost an expert in your field, and not just hands that can do what they say.

What are the conditions for a freelancer to work?

After passing through all the negotiations and agreements on the issues described above, there comes a moment that is often a stumbling block. I will try to describe the conditions favorable to both parties. This is how we work with all new contractors. Consider interaction with technical specialists- coders and programmers.

The first issue to be discussed is prepayment. The employer, at the first contact with a freelancer, is usually afraid to send an advance payment (unfortunately, everyone has a story in which the contractor disappeared after receiving the advance payment). In this case, there are 2 options - send an advance payment through a "secure deal" on any freelance platform, or develop on a personal server. After the presentation of a part of the project, employers willingly send an advance payment, after which the performer transfers the data to the customer's server, or simply provides a backup.

Basically, the work is carried out according to the 50% by 50% scheme. The first 50% is paid to the contractor after the presentation of half of the ordered work, and the second - after the full approval of the work performed. Most importantly, transfer files only after receiving payment. This is quite a logical requirement, since after the work is done, it does not make any sense for you to hold onto the project files. If such a simple and very conditional division of the project into 2 parts is impossible, set the payment procedure based on the work plan. Set payment after the completion of each development stage, but you should not do more than 5 such stages.

Among other things, during the first projects with a new specialist, daily monitoring by the customer will be quite appropriate. Basically, what has been done in the last 1-2 days is checked to exclude that the project will be done in haste on the last night.

TOP Freelancer Mistakes

In conclusion, let's go through the TOP 5 mistakes that freelancers make when working with companies.

Auto-replies

If you use freelance exchanges to get clients, don't be lazy to read on your own. technical task and write an answer. Template auto-replies scare away potential customers.

Long wait for a response

The topic we covered earlier. It's a real pain when working with freelancers
. Be sociable and do not delay with the answer.

Deadlines with an imaginary reason

Often in the work you hear incredible reasons for which the deadlines of projects are missed. It is important to understand that the customer is only interested in the result, and the result - the project is not ready. Instead of making excuses, say when the project is ready and do your best to turn it in early. If the question of the reason for the delay still arises, just tell the truth. The truth always works best.

Only webmoney

An error under the conditional name "Only WebMoney" is the lack of flexibility of performers in matters of communication, payment, and in other aspects. You must not only perform your direct duties well, but also provide a pleasant interaction. It is only at your fingertips.

Lost at the last moment

The most burning pain in working with freelancers is the loss of the artist. I think it is not necessary to explain how bad and unpleasant it is. Even if you understand that you will not be able to implement the project, let us know as soon as possible so that the customer has time to find a new contractor. This outcome leaves you a chance to continue cooperation in other projects. The worst thing you can do (and that very often happens) is to ask for a delay on the day of the project, then another one, and when the deadline comes, just do not get in touch. If you do not want to allow such a development of events, do not shelve projects.

Conclusion

To get freelancing jobs, think through and study every aspect of the interaction. Determine the types of your potential customers. Understand what type of customer is yours target audience. Learn their needs and adapt to them. Find out their concerns and develop them.
Make a decent presentation. Do not forget about the many little things that tip the scales in one direction or another. There are too many similar offers in a highly competitive market, and it's all about the details. Make the process of interaction with you comfortable and optimized. And, of course, be a professional, because no tricks will help you get regular customers if the quality of your services is low.