How to Write the Best Proposal for Elance.com

Here are a few tips on writing the best proposals on Elance.com so that you can secure more projects.

Don't forget to check out our site howtech.tv/ for more free how-to videos!
youtube.com/ithowtovids - our feed
facebook.com/howtechtv - join us on facebook
plus.google.com/103440382717658277879 - our group in Google+

Looking for work on Elance.com can be a very exhausting task. No matter what Digital profession you are in, there is a lot of competition out there. Especially because you are bidding against contractors globally. As such, here are a few tips on writing the best proposals on Elance.com so that you can secure more projects.

Tip number 1 - Always keep your proposals brief - Clients on Elance will usually have to sift through tons of proposals for their projects. In doing so, they don't have time to hear your entire life story. Keep your proposal as
short as possible as a whole. In fact, as a general rule of thumb, the less you say with more words, the more powerful you will come off to a client who doesn't have time to waste.

Tip number 2 - Always make your proposals personal - A lot of times, contractors on Elance will attempt to bid on every project that is in their field by copying and pasting a proposal with their name, a brief introduction about themselves, and a long list of portfolio work.

In order to stick out with potential clients, always start off the proposal by stating a fact or something relevant to their project. Also, proposing a question about the project's details will instantly catch the client's attention and may even get you a faster response time.

Tip number 3 - Keep It About The Client - In order to catch the attention of the client, make sure to keep the proposal about how they will benefit from choosing you as the contractor for their project. Avoid boasting so much
about yourself and your experience, instead, mention briefly what it is that you do, then add a few links to the proposal in order to give them something to compare your work to. As a side note, never give too many sample links, as this tends to be counterintuitive and can overwhelm the client looking at your work. Instead, list links to your work that best reflect the type of job that the client is looking for. Tip number 4- Never Sell Yourself Short - A lot of times, contractors will try to sell themsevles short by underbidding their services in order to get work on Elance.com. However, doing this on a constant basis will eventually leave you burnt out.

Instead, try taking a look at the "lowest bid" "highest bid" and "average bid" located under the "total proposals" on the project page. Gauging from this range, place your amount accordingly. If the highest bid is still below your standards for working on a particular project, consider stepping away and looking for another project instead.

You can also give a solid proposal and chose to "submit amount later" and discuss a rates once you have the clients attention.