I’d been combing through the latest Upwork jobs for two hours, with zero luck.
I was ready to throw in the towel and call it a day.
Just before signing off, I noticed one last job listing. It stood out to me because it sounded like it’d be an interesting project to work on.
But when I saw that the client wanted monthly work done for an entire year, I told myself it was probably out of my league – there was no way I could get an interview. Since I was still pretty new to Upwork, I’d been sticking mainly to the small jobs, just trying to “get my feet wet.”
Still, I couldn’t help but read the full job description, if only to torture myself.
My suspicion was confirmed the moment I clicked to read more… The client wanted a freelancer with credentials and experience in Electrical Engineering. I sighed, realizing this was one of many Upwork jobs I simply wasn’t qualified for, at least technically.
Then I had a crazy thought.
What if I sent in a proposal anyway? It’d be good practice, and, more importantly, I didn’t want to quit for the day without at least applying to at least ONE job.
Then, an even crazier thought…
Since I wasn’t even expecting to hear back from the client — let alone win the job — why not be the highest bidder, too?
I had nothing to lose, so I decided to go for it.
Without a second thought, I fired off the following proposal to the client:
Hello <first name of client>,
I see you are looking for an author who can ghostwrite 2,000 word articles twice a month in the portable power field.
You want your content to generate interest, leads and opt-ins by writing actionable business oriented copy.
I write long form content. If we were to work together I could create multiple mock-ups of articles before writing them so your article will have the content you want in the voice you desire.
Content and voice are key to generating leads. If your content is geared towards electrical engineers you will generate leads by writing content that helps them solve their problems.
Here is just a few ideas I have for ‘problems’ portable power solves.
*Easy to move quickly in rough terrain. (which is great for both mining and entertainment.)
*The power source is reliable in any condition.
*Your power source is long lasting and effective no matter the energy demands.If you are interested in creating content that solves these problems and generates leads, I am available to talk.
Regards,
Jesse G.
I figured it was such a long-shot that I promptly forgot about the whole thing after clicking “submit.”
You can imagine my surprise when, two hours later, I received a message back from the client. He wanted to schedule a phone interview with me!
My fleeting pleasure was quickly replaced with self doubt. Was this for real? Didn’t the client see that I was the least experienced, most expensive choice?
I hadn’t exactly mastered the Upwork interview process yet…and to be honest, I felt a bit out of place. Rather than wasting my time (and the client’s), I decided right then and there to decline the interview.
Unfortunately, my fingers seemed to take on a mind of their own, and I found myself typing out a response to the client, confirming the interview for 2 hours later.
I hit the “send” button quickly, before I could change my mind.
Though it was nice to finally have SOMETHING to show for the two hours I’d spent sifting through the Upwork jobs that day, I was in over my head.
I’d jumped out of the frying pan…and into the fire.
The accidental Upworker
Like many people, I initially stumbled across Upwork pretty randomly.
It all started back when I was performing stage hypnosis shows.
Yeah you read that right. I am a comedy stage hypnotist.
As far back as I can remember, I’ve always wanted the freedom and income potential of being my own boss. Unfortunately, the rewards of stage hypnosis were pretty limited. I had to stick to a strict travel schedule, and there were only so many shows I could perform each year.
In other words, my progress had struck a plateau.
Eventually I traded in my hypnotist watch, and opened up a coin, jewelry and gold shop.
I opened up the doors right at the start of the precious metals boom. But even though business was rolling in, cash often left just as quickly as it came. Worse yet, after about a year of doing the books, I finally realized that unless I aggressively expanded my territory and opened new shops, my income couldn’t grow. I had hit another hurdle.
Nothing seemed to be working. It felt like the economy was rigged against me. I went through some pretty negative self-talk, which didn’t help.
Then I came across Ramit Sethi’s Zero To Launch course, which promised to teach me how to launch a successful online business. I’d been reading Ramit’s blog for years, and I liked the idea that I could grow an online business as big as I wanted to, without worrying about the physical limitations I’d run into in my previous ventures.
There was just one “problem”…it takes months or years to see results from an online business.
Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t in a rush. But I was looking for a way to support myself (and have control over my schedule) WHILE I built my online business.
And freelancing on Upwork seemed like a great way to do that.
Thanks to Danny’s Freelance To Win blog, I’d already learned quite a bit about how to make money on Upwork. And I’d landed a couple of small gigs, which was great.
But now I was in danger of wrecking my Upwork career before it even got off the ground.
I needed to figure out a way to ace this interview, and I needed to do it fast.
Of all the Upwork jobs I could have applied to…
Even right after agreeing to the interview, I thought about calling the whole thing off.
It seemed a little intimidating to jump on the phone with the client when I obviously lacked the credentials he was asking for. Especially since there were several competitors who DID appear qualified. And they were charging less than I was, too!
Then I remembered something Danny had said about the competition on Upwork not being as stiff as it often seemed. AND the fact that lots of clients were willing to pay for VALUE.
I went back and took a second glance at the client’s Upwork history:
And you know what? He seemed like a REALLY GOOD client.
Out of the 18 Upwork jobs he’d posted, he ended up hiring someone 78% of the time. And he’d spent almost $10,000 on Upwork this year alone.
This gave me a hunch that he might be exactly the type of client who IS willing to pay for value, rather than just going for the cheapest freelancer.
And while my competitors may TECHNICALLY have been more qualified, I figured I could offer more value by outworking them, outsmarting them, and…upworking them! (Bad joke, couldn’t resist.)
I started to go from feeling unsure, to bouncing up and down like Rocky right before the big fight. Okay so Eye of the Tiger wasn’t playing anywhere, but it was there in spirit.
I was determined. If the client wanted the cheapest freelancer, or the one with the most technical experience, then that was fine by me.
But either way, I was committed to doing everything I could to get the gig.
My interview with the project leader was in two hours.
Time to start training hard.
I brought the entire artillery to the gunfight
Without a moment to spare before the interview, it hit me: I could WOW the client by over-preparing to the point where I knew more about his needs needs than even HE did.
That would give me a big leg up compared to my competitors, who would probably be talking all about themselves during the interview (“Here’s MY experience…here’s why I’M qualified…here’s why you should hire ME…”)
So I went into Private Detective mode and started doing some serious homework. This is the “deep dive” research process I went through:
1. I looked for clues about the client’s business. You may have noticed that the job posting didn’t contain any specific information about the client. But their Upwork username did (it was their business name). If I didn’t have my detective hat on, this key piece of intel would probably have gone right over my head. But being under pressure forced me to be on the lookout for any helpful info I could find. Just as importantly, this was information my competitors would likely miss, not care about, etc.
2. I figured out who the END-CLIENT was. If you look back at the job post, you’ll see that the client who posted the job was looking for someone to ghostwrite for one of THEIR clients. This is a subtle but very important point. It meant that the person interviewing me (the “client”) would be very concerned with making HIS client (the end-client) happy. That would be his #1 goal. My competitors probably didn’t realize this. If you asked them, they would likely say that the client’s goal would be to “hire the best writer” or “hire the most experienced freelancer.” WRONG. The client would want to hire someone who makes him look like a genius to HIS client! Everything else would be secondary. So the more I knew about the client’s client, the better I’d look in the interview.
3. I read through the end-client’s entire website. Not just their home page, but every page, top to bottom. I checked out their team, their customers, their products and services, their company’s history, etc. I wanted to make sure I went into the conversation knowing EXACTLY who they were, what they do, and who they do it for. Remember that the interviewer’s top priority would be to take care of this client. “Writing” was just a small piece of the overall puzzle. If I wanted to win this job (especially as the most expensive freelancer applying) I needed to become an expert on the end-client, quickly.
4. For good measure, I went through their COMPETITORS’ websites, too. Business doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Every company has competitors who threaten to eat their lunch. If you really want to help a client, you need to understand who they are competing against, and how they measure up to what those competitors are doing. Keep in mind that clients want to work with freelancers who have their back. Knowing this extra bit of info would give the client confidence that I am the type of freelancer who offers lots of value and is willing to go the extra mile to help them succeed.
5. I researched their products and services. I wanted to get a thorough understanding of the client’s business. Not just their industry, but the real reasons WHY their customers buy their products and services. I even went to Amazon and read dozens of customer reviews on many of the products they sold. I focused mainly on the 5 star reviews, since those customers were the most satisfied (though I also looked for negative reviews, since those represented potential opportunities for improvement — remember, being an awesome freelancer is all about helping the client as much as possible.)
6. I called their actual customers on the phone. Yes. I am crazy. But if you want extraordinary results then you have to be willing to step out on a limb. So I called real companies that have purchased the products being sold by the end-client, and I asked them questions about their experiences. Some of the reps I reached weren’t so friendly. A few even hung up on me. But there were a handful who were happy to give me a few minutes of their time. The information they gave me was pure GOLD, and I got some amazing insights about their purchasing behavior that even the client would likely not be aware of.
Do you think this would affect how much the client valued me as a collaborator? Damn right it would.
HOW MANY OF MY COMPETITORS WOULD EVEN DO 1/10TH OF THE AMOUNT OF PREPARATION I DID FOR THIS INTERVIEW?
The answer is almost certainly…none of them.
I was choosing to put myself into a Category Of One.
By the way, you if doubt whether or not it was worth the extra time and effort, I want you to keep 3 things in mind:
- This client needed two articles every month for at least a year. In other words, this was a LONG TERM job, so it was undoubtedly worth going the extra mile to snap it up.
- Remember that the client had paid out almost $10,000 for various Upwork jobs so far. So there is every reason to believe that this initial research would pay off at least 100x, especially since it was likely to make a lasting impression on the client (one thing I learned from Danny is that clients like to find a freelancer and stick with them).
- All of my preparation for the interview took me just two hours TOTAL. So at the end of the day it’s a small price to pay in order to win the job.
By the time the interview rolled around, I had some huge advantages over my competitors.
I knew exactly what the end-client did, who their competition was, how their customers made their purchasing decisions, and even the exact type of words their customers used to communicate their wants and needs. And I’d used that info to create a list of ideas for different pieces of content that I thought would benefit their company.
I was 110% prepared.
The only thing left to do was nail the interview itself.
The interview
The client called me at 4pm sharp. I looked at the number on my screen, brushed away all lingering feelings of doubt, and swiped to answer the phone.
The moment the client started talking I knew exactly what I needed to do.
Instead of letting him ask the questions while I played the “good interviewee,” I decided to LEAD the conversation. A bold move, but remember, my goal was to stand out, not fit in.
I told him I’d like to start by asking him some questions. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence that made me wonder if I went too far.
When he finally answered, he sounded very surprised, but agreeable: “Oh, uh…okay.
(YES!)
Without wasting a second, I immediately asked him for more details about his goals for the project, what he was trying to accomplish, and what would have to happen in order for him to consider the project a success. Like the information I’d gathered previously, this was extremely important intel, but more importantly it would show the client that I CARED about helping him (and his client) produce RESULTS.
Next, I gave him a rundown of what I’d learned while researching his client’s company, their competitors, the products they sell, the reviews they have gotten, and even the insights I was able to dig up on their customers’ psychology and preferences.
Then I threw out a few suggestions for the type of articles I thought would work best for what they were trying to accomplish.
I even capped the whole thing off by telling him I talked with his client’s customers! I told him about what they said and how the language they used would be great to include in their copy for maximum effectiveness.
There was another dead silence as the client appeared to be in utter shock.
When he finally spoke, he told me, “I was only calling you because it was a matter of company policy. I had no interest in hiring you.”
Then, after another pause, he continued: “But you are the ONLY person we’ve talked to that did this kind of research. I’ll have to clear it with my boss, but…I think we are going to hire you.”
They did.
As you can see, I’ve earned $250 writing for them so far. But remember that this is an ongoing MONTHLY contract. By my calculation, it’ll be worth $6,000 to me over time. (And that doesn’t even include potential work the client may hire me for after this contract is up.)
YOU can make money on Upwork, too
Let’s go over some of the key takeaways from this story.
When I first looked at some of the bigger Upwork jobs that get posted everyday, I was worried I wasn’t ready.
My mind was telling me a story that I didn’t have the credentials, the portfolio, or the experience I thought I needed.
But the reality was that I was keeping myself from getting some of the bigger, better Upwork jobs that were available.
Yes, I was technically less qualified than some of the bigger guys. And they charged less than me. But I was able to overcome that by focusing on what the client wanted.
Qualifications, credentials, and experience may be hurdles, but they aren’t roadblocks.
Just because you don’t have “X years of experience” or specific industry knowledge, doesn’t mean you can’t make up for that in other ways.
The only question is, will you?
Jesse Gernigin is a freelancer, entrepreneur and expert on a mission. He trains freelancers and writers so they can get more gigs, higher rates and the best clients.
I’m awed, is there a better adjective?
Thank you, this is really awe-inspiring
I am prepraring for an internview and bumped into this. What a read, wow!
Thanks!
Wow! Tbh I’ve been trying to get Upwork proposals for two years. When I first started, I was in a deep depression and looking for some extra cash. But now after dabbling around and trying to see what I want to do for the rest of my life, I’m back to writing. It would be a nice little side gig while I get back on my feet. But anyway, so inspiring! I too have been following Ramit Sethi on and off for the past 6 months. I have a blog and I guest post still, but I’m just not motivated.… Read more »
Jesse, That was amazing.
But I want to know that is this useful and good to use above technique or crystal ball technique to get job, while we don’t have any previous work to show and experience to share.
Or is there some other way we can go.
If you don’t have previous jobs to share at all then you should use the crystal ball technique.
The heart of my article was about how I prepared for the conversation. Entering into the interview with questions ready and my responses already thought out tipped the interview in my favor.
Your concern is more relevant to the issues the Crystal Ball Technique covers.
Jesse, That was amazing.
But I want to that is this useful and good to use above technique or crystal ball technique to get job, while we don’t have any previous work to show and experience to share.
Or is there some other way we can go.
Hi Jessie
I want to know that had you sent any sample similar to their job posting with your proposal while applying.
I did post a project that was similar in nature. It didn’t match what they wanted. To make up for that I drew laterals between the project I posted and the project they had. I made it a point to explain that the skills I used in this project transferred to theirs and gave examples how. This is a great way to spring board into booking gigs that you don’t have previous experience in doing. For example. I am a copywriter. When I started I hadn’t worked on email nurture sequences. However I had written a series of blog posts… Read more »
Hi Jesse,
Thanks a lot for your reply and the resource you indicated. I’ll apply them and see how it will turn out. I’ll keep you updated..
Keep the great works out here Jesse, it’s so inspiring for us.
Cheers
Hey Jesse, It’s so remarkable what you did. You really deserved the project and I must say I am so much impressed. I can say I am new to upwork even though I’ve been registered there for over a year.. I sent proposals for two months without success, then I was hired by a writing agency for about 10 months. The thing is, I felt undervalued considering the quality of the work I delivered and the rate they paid me. So I stopped working with them. I thought success on upwork was just a myth but then stumbling on this… Read more »
Great to hear from you! I’ll respond in order of the questions asked. 1)Adding value: The easiest way to add value is anticipate results the clients want but didn’t mention in the proposal. Feed back the results they want in language that shows you know how to make it happen. 2)Client Calls: If talking with a client is to high a cost for you due to location or income level just tell a client you aren’t in a position to talk. Suggest communicating through Upwork, Google Hangout, or email. Extra Tip:Google and watch Ramit Sethi’s Chase Jarvis live interview (the… Read more »
Hey Jesse.
I’m about to give up now after months of looking for an online job particularly on Upwork and you just lifted my spirit. I feel alive again after reading your blog. Keep inspiring us.
Thank you!
Joyce don’t give up. It took me two months to get a response at first! Instead of seeing your lack of getting work as a sign to give up see it as an interesting puzzle to figure out. -What is keeping you from getting work? Do your proposals need more work, is your price to low, are you not speaking to the clients in a manner that signifies the value you bring? -What value are you communicating to clients when you write to them? Remember clients are interested in the future. If you can communicate future value for a present… Read more »
Hey Jesse,
Impressive! The level of your research and your goal to learn the client’s needs as thoroughly as possible is inspiring, and right on track with what Ramit teaches in Zero to Launch. I’m especially interested that you didn’t have a large amount of expertise in this field, but you knew technical writing and knew that you could learn. Thanks for sharing!
I am a member of ZTL! I love the course. The great thing about landing the gig was that it forced me to learn how to write in an entirely new way. I might not use this way in the future but I believe that learning is creating options and the more options you have the better chance you will have at succeeding long term.
Freaking brilliant, Jesse! 🙂 Thanks for sharing step-by-step how you did it.
Thank you! I really worked hard with Danny to make sure this post had everything needed to duplicate my results!
Awesome job, Jesse!
Don’t know it crossed your mind at that moment, but your preparation is textbook “Briefcase Technique” that Ramit Sethi teaches. 🙂
To be honest, you would have had a higher chance of being hired from the get-go if you’d done some of that preparation before even posting your proposal. But everything turned out really well anyway. 🙂
Oleg anytime anyone wants to compare me to Ramit Sethi I’ll take that as a positive! Are you on Upwork? If you aren’t then what you know about a client is very limited when you post a cover letter. I couldn’t have done all the research going in because I didn’t know what they wanted to talk about specifically. Once I had the companies name I was able to go forward and do a ton of work. If there was a way to know the name of the company and what they wanted specifically trust me I would have done… Read more »
Jesse, Danny,
This is a brilliant approach I’m going to start using right away. The thing that scares me, though, is when the client wants to see X number of written samples (or even just one) that demonstrate the freelancer’s experience with whatever specialized thing they’re looking for. The Crystal Ball Technique works for fairly short examples I can whip up quickly, but for more complex sample requests from the client, what are the options?
If your client requires complex samples you have a couple of options. One you could work up a larger sample. In my case i’ll offer to submit a project outline for the client. I ask them to fund a tiny milestone. I tell them that if they like the milestone to fund it and we will go forward from there. If the client can’t bring themselves to find what they need in my sample I refund the milestone completely. Some freelancers are against this because they see this as working for free. I don’t see this as working for free.… Read more »
I like your idea, Jesse, especially the part about offering to submit a project outline in exchange for a modest funded milestone. My policy too is to refund unhappy clients though so far no one’s called me on it. Your comment about knowing the difference between a good client and an overbearing one is interesting to me, because in Upwork it’s much harder to find client info than it was in Elance, making decisions about which clients might be good to work with much more difficult.
Yeah you don’t want to go forward with clients that are difficult. Sometimes it is easier to wait for the big wins then struggle through small jobs.
I really appreciate the detail and insight you provide here. I admire your preparation and especially your tip of focusing on what your potential customer might need – even needs they might not know about. what a great mindset to have. thank you. If I’m reading this correctly, you really have no experience in their field, is that correct? If so, I’m just amazed. But its something I’ve found in real interviews, I’ve started telling people – I’m not an idiot, I can learn your field, but my other skills are what make me the best candidate. In the last… Read more »
Nina to be clear I have no experience in the technical nature of their field. I have done technical writing and knew how to do research from previous academic training. As for your interviews I find the best practice is to control the relationship during the talk. In negotiating, which is what an interview really is, you should always be building positive bridges back to your strong suits. For instance if you aren’t experienced in accounting displays you wouldn’t say ‘I can learn’ you’d be better off positioning yourself through accommodating the skill set inside existing skills you already have.… Read more »
Hello Jesse,
A truly inspiring story, indeed! It was really nice of you that you shared the whole process in depth.
Thanks for sharing and inspiring 🙂
Krina i’m glad that you appreciated the depth that was put into this article. I wanted people to see the process so they understood it is something everyone can do!
Hey Jesse,
Congrats!!
This article is soooooo inspiring for me being new to Danny’s course and starting on Upwork.
Thank you so much for sharing.
All the best!!! 🙂
Cheers,
Yen
Yen Danny’s course has everything you need to get started right away! I’m glad your inspired by it. Be sure to take your time going through the course, take notes and use the checklists you’ll be busier than you expect right away!
This was outstanding. Great Job. I feel inspired.
Thank you! I’m glad you feel inspired. More than the inspiration though I hope you find my article helps you understand you are worth the work you are willing to put in!
Hi Jesse,
Congratulations on winning the gig!
Thanks for sharing your experience. That was pure gold and very inspiring.
You put in the hard work for the interview and it paid off.
Just goes to show that we should never doubt our abilities or set limits on our earning capabilities. This was a great example.
Honestly, your success story’s given me a great motivational boost today.
Thanks again.
Mustafa i’m glad you found strength in my post. The only thing that should limit your earning is how much you are willing to work. I am always looking for options. I know that to go forward I need to see hurdles and prepare to overcome them. If I let every hurdle hold me back I would have never moved beyond stage hypnosis. Anticipate where you need to go, understand the set backs and then take action!
This is amazing. Yet another reminder on the importance of keeping the client’s interests as top priority.
And taking the lead in the conversation definitely helped. I learned of this exact tip a while back when I attended a sales training. It’s good to be reminded on how this can give you the edge in an interview.
Congrats on your win, thanks for sharing your story!
Caren you hit the nail on the head. Keeping your client’s needs ahead of your own will keep you flush with work. Most freelancers fail to understand that and end up not getting work.
What in inspiring story Jesse!
You had the vision to recognize the value of investing extra time and energy to hurtle yourself way beyond anyone out there and eclipse your competition.
I can only imagine the stunned look on the face of the interviewer, who was merely going through the motions, and following company policy, with zero intent to hire you–when you made it a total no-brainer.
I’m sure we’ll be hearing more from you in the weeks and months to come.
Hey Josh it is great to hear from you. It was amazing to go through the process and feel the work I did take effect. Investing time is the key to succeeding. I just had another client consider canceling a contract mid way through the work. I could have folded up shop but instead I spent twenty minutes writing a very transparent and humble email back. She has decided to forestall cancelling the contract and consider my view point. Sure I could have wasted my time. But in my mind investing a little extra time for a large return is… Read more »
Holy Schmoly!! Even I would have hired you and I don’t even need a writer!!
Thanks Colin! Coming prepared is the best way to set yourself apart. If you’ve done any freelancing in the past you’ll quickly come into contact with the glut of people who copy and paste proposals and move on. Taking time to know what a client wants and then showing them you not only know what they want but also how to deliver it to them in a timely manner will set you miles apart from everyone else.
I second that, Colin!
Jesse, belated congrats! I got here from Side Hustle Nation 🙂 Inspiring story and you definitely deserve to get the job for the detailed pre-interview work you put in.
Hey Sharon welcome to the club! I hope you enjoyed my podcast and yes there is a lot that can be done with a little work!