Hisham Sarwar
Ever since humans came on planet earth, they have been wondering how to survive. The post barter system era has been a real struggle for survival because of financial units introduced worldwide. If you have money, you survive and live and if you do not, well, you’ve got to figure out how to get to the money.
Why Freelancing?
Luckily, we are living in an ERA where the internet has made life easier. If you are passionate about using the internet to your best advantage and willing to learn ‘how to make money online’, not only you have a chance of survival but you can actually leverage the advantage from the blooming gig economy and make a good living
Freelancing is the most popular way of making money in the modern era. It is estimated that in the future, 1 out of 3 people will be self-employed. Freelancing gives you freedom, the freedom to be your own boss and work at your own pace and chose your own working hours.
If you are a night owl, you can work using a computer and the internet, offer your service and make money. Freelancing has opened great earning avenues for females too, especially in Asia where in some parts, it is still taboo to work alongside men or step outside the four boundaries of the house.
Who am I?
As a freelancer who has been self-employed for almost two decades and has made a name for myself and got a fair bit of recognition too in the world, I am a big advocate of self-employment, especially online. By learning a skill, mastering it, and offering that service as a freelancer on different freelance marketplaces, you have a great probability of earning a good and making a decent living.
Is Freelancing Legit?
Many people are confused about what actually is freelancing. Is it legit? They ask this because they have been scammed on the internet by many Ponzi schemes, ripping them off their hard-earned money.
Let me clarify, Freelancing is not even close to that. It is a legit way of providing your services and making money. For providing a service, you have to know a skill first.
Many skills such as content writing, web development, graphic designing, software development, mobile app development, financial services are high in demand on freelance websites. Following are the most popular skills on Upwork in the 1st quarter of 2019.
How to get started as a Freelancer?
The process is very simple if you want to make money as a freelancer.
- Signup (Free) on freelance marketplaces like Upwork, Guru, Freelancer.com, Peopleperhour, or Fiverr.
- Create your profile and tell about the service you want to offer.
- Present your experience and portfolio. If you do not have a portfolio as a beginner, I would suggest offering your services FREE to the people around you and create your portfolio. You will be doing a great favor to yourself by investing your time towards a goal. A goal is to be presentable on a marketplace with a portfolio to showcase.
- Create an introductory video about yourself and your skill. A good one and half minute video could do wonders. In an online world, the only way your potential client can see you is by watching you and your services on a video. You do not get a chance to see your client in person and convince them over a coffee table to hire you. Video is the only way to convince them and If the video is nicely-created, you are in for a big chance to win a good contract.
Once you have created your profile, you need to focus on your communication skill because, in the freelance marketplace, you have to convince the client about why you are the right choice for their business.
Freelancing Profile
The process is called ‘bidding’. The client posts their project requirement. If you have the skill to get that job done, you put your bid on the project and that does not only include the price only but also a nice proposal explaining who you are and what you can do to get this job done.
Remember in the proposal, the focus should be ‘you’ not ‘me’. It means, don’t brag too much about your qualities and experience, instead, focus on the ‘you’ part which is your client. You need to talk about the client and their requirement, what you can do to get their work done.
Your words in the proposal matter a lot. As Tony Robbins says, 80% of your success is psychology, I actually agree with him, Your success online is hidden in your selection of words. A strong proposal is key to win the client’s confidence and convincing them to award you their project.
The 7 Rangi Bidding Formula that works 1 out of 4 times
Here is one cookie-cutter proposal that could help you win your next job as a freelancer. Mind you, this needs to be modified for every project. A good proposal typically has 7 parts to it and here is the breakdown. I call it ‘7 rangi formula‘. It has done some amazing tricks for me over the years and has helped me winning projects as big as $10k.
Imagine there is a project posted on Guru or Upwork needing a graphic designer to create a logo. Since I am a graphic designer and I have the skill to create an eye-catchy logo, My proposal will include the following.
1- Greetings (Hello, Client Name)
2- Restating Employer Project
———————
I understand you are looking for supplements/dietary/vitamins logo design. You like black color with gold touch and need a vintage look.
———————
3- Introduce yourself
———————
I am a graphic designer with 10 years of designing logos, brochures, and different artwork. I take a lot of pride in my design work. I create a sketch on paper first and then produce it on Adobe Illustrator and do the final touchup on Photoshop.
———————-
4- What ‘I’ can do for an employer?
———————-
I can create a state of art, eye catchy logo design within 3 business days. To give you options, I will offer 3 different logos to chose from based on your requirement and preference. Once the work is completed, you will get all source code that will be completely editable. Your satisfaction is my priority and if selected, I will not disappoint you.
———————
5- Portfolio
——————-
You can watch my diversified portfolio at http://infomist.com/portfolio.
——————-
6- Free mockup/Question
Now, this is a magic trick I often use to attract the client’s interest. Usually, they are inclined to take up this offer.
A typical offer goes like, I would like to offer you a FREE mockup design of your logo so you can see my design ability. Are you interested?
——————-
7- Closing (With a solid statement) and providing your contact information.
Looking forward to your response and doing business with you.
Thanks,
Hisham
Infomist Services
www.infomist.com
The guaranteed and only way of survival as a freelancer
If you look after your clients, they will keep coming back to you. This is the only way of making regular money every month, all throughout the year.
70% of my success is attributed to client retention.
Customer service is the key, you have to go the extra mile to facilitate your client and make them comfortable so they do not have to look elsewhere. In my case, I make sure, I talk to them personally on skype or even phone to give them comfort that I am 100% real, I am accessible and I care for them and under no condition, I will leave them high and dry. As a successful freelancer, building trust with your client is the key to success.
Do not take your client as a one-off opportunity, instead, see how you can leverage this opportunity and convince them to keep coming back at you with more business.
