Happy Thanksgiving!

Perseverance Pays Off!

Hi!

I've been missing in action for a bit longer than anticipated – but it's been for a good reason. Work has been flowing in and flowing nicely! So I thought I'd check in and at least report how the past few weeks have been going and list a few essentials that, in my humble experience, seem to be working wonders so far.

First, some stats: In the almost exactly two months since joining Elance, I've picked up 17 jobs (and one that has been verbally approved but the guy is in the Maldives somewhere and will click the "Award to World_of_Words" button as soon as he comes back. Of course, I'm not doing anything on that job till it's final but still – it's safe to say I have 18 jobs on my belt so far. As far as the number of clients that have come back for more, I think of those seventeen something like seven are repeat jobs. Now working in two categories (Writing & Translation plus Sales & Marketing) things are getting fun and more than just two-dimensional. I'm still at a "5-star" rating, too. ;)

WHAT AN EGO BOOSTER to be doing so well and openly be recognized for it – both in the form of being invited for more work or long-term collaboration, and also in the form of awesome feedback. I lovvvvve that feeling of first opening a client's feedback link as soon as it's been posted. It's like a kid opening Christmas (Eid?) presents first thing in the morning. BLISS!

Now, for those essentials I promised above: (those bullets were supposed to be music notes – because I'm singing my suggestions - but blogger wouldn't let them post for some reason):D

• Build up your profile! Don't do anything else at first. Other than your written proposal, this is the FIRST thing a potential client will go to, peruse in detail and rely on for a glimpse of your professional offerings. I can't tell you how essential it is to stand out and shine in this regard.
• Choose wisely. At first, I was tempted to bid on anything and everything that I knew I could do, but then that wouldn't be a very smart idea, so I didn't. I did, however, controversially strategize a bit by accepting a low-ball offer. As my friend Salma points out in her website, there is a way to deal with low-balling clients.

The controversy is whether or not accepting lowball bids throws off the whole work/pay ratio – and yes it does. The controversy for me, though, ends there. Here's why: I agreed to do the work at that rate. I did it expressly to get my foot in the door. AND my client knew it would be a one-off job at that rate. Now, I'm not at all suggesting you go and work for unethically low rates, but that was how I chose to do it for that first and only job and I was able to quickly demonstrate my abilities – it's my story, and I'm stickin' to it!

• Don't be afraid to spend a few bucks to earn a lot more. If you try to win a lot of jobs (or even just a few) without becoming a paid member of the site, you may have to really exercise your skills in patience. Yes, it can be used for free. Yes, you don't have to pay to gain access to jobs. But the truth is that by becoming a paid member, you gain access to a higher number of opportunities.

So, after beefing up my profile and using up the freebies on my account, I upgraded to a 'Business' membership. It totally cleared the way for LOTS of opportunities – yes, more than before, and it paid for itself in less than 24 hours.

• Carefully balance pre-award communications. You can communicate to death and stand to lose a client or you can manage how often and with what relevance that you do end up contacting a potential client. Once you've sent your proposal, as long as you don't need to get in touch with them, wait for them to get in touch with you. Simple as that. Anything more than that and it can be misconstrued as you being 'desperate', 'overly eager' and of course will be very off-putting.
• Aim high and always deliver on time. Always. Once you DO get that first project (and every subsequent one thereafter), make it your absolute TOP priority to deliver 100% high-quality and complete work. NO EXCUSES. I don't care if you have to hang upside down from a tree as your kids scream noises in the background, type up ideas from your BlackBerry (or iPhone) while on the road (someone else driving, of course) or show up late to every single event you've been invited to – just MAKE IT HAPPEN. Even better is if you set a deadline for yourself that is at least a few days before the final due date. A little extra breathing space never hurts, does it?
• Solicit a long-term working relationship. From the get-go, as long as it's not a one-off assignment, make it known that you are interested in working with this client for the long haul. They love nothing more than to have people on their outsource team who know how they operate, work to their standards, understand their business and are top-notch all the same. Letting them know is always a great idea. I have seven repeat jobs as a result of being straight with my clients from the beginning.
• Communicate regularly. While you're working on a project that may have longer gaps between deliverables, keeping in touch is very important. This is also true with any questions or concerns and viable suggestions that come about before the next scheduled communication. Clients love a proactive stance – especially from someone they can't see in person. In fact, if possible, I try to call my clients at least once so they can put a voice to my name.
• Double check, no - triple check your work. I cannot even begin to stress this enough. Please, please, please, please, please for the love of God, do NOT not proofread before sending off work. I remember a very funny example relayed in one of my journalism classes during college of a botched up printing job for a recreation center. The teacher wrote on the board: "THIS IS A PUBLIC AREA". We didn't know what she was getting at, until when she dramatically erased the letter "L" and informed us that THAT was how the actual sign was printed! Some doofus MISSED it! Can you imagine?? I'm sorry. I don't ever want to be responsible for clients' potential embarrassment because I didn't take the time to check, double check and even triple check my work.
• Remain professional. Yeah, you might come across some clients who seem like they are your best friend. Simply put, they are not. So no matter how much may be tempted to get too cheeky with them, don't. It's just not professional and you always want to be remembered as a true professional.

Ok folks, well that's it for this time. I hope you find some value from this post. I look forward to hearing from you as your thoughts and feedback always inspire me to do better.

~Fareen