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his is what I chose to write about. It was the expertise my client was looking for, but it has since led to over $100K worth of work with this single client, both in my niche and on projects completely unrelated.</p><p id="17ad">Finding a niche is a good idea, but it doesn’t need to define what you do forever. You can use it as a foot in and a way of building your profile.</p><h1 id="ca76">2. I solved my client's problem</h1><p id="3bda">My client was originally looking for writers who had worked in the careers space to write content about changing careers. They had a specific brief they wanted to fill.</p><p id="fc29">Although they contacted me, I didn’t take that they wanted me as a given, and I still wrote a proposal detailing how I could help them achieve their goal. I focused on what I could do <i>FOR </i>them, solving their problem, and outlining clearly how I would approach the task. I told them my credentials, but I made my proposal about them and what they needed.</p><p id="ec1a">It is a common freelancer mistake to launch into what they have achieved, who they’ve worked for, and what qualifications they have without linking this to how it will help the client. Above anything else, they want to know how <i>YOU</i> are going to help <i>THEM</i>.</p><h1 id="fcc5">3. I provided proof</h1><p id="33db">We already know that Upwork has got itself known for having some poor-quality clients and freelancers. To stand above the 18 million, it’s important to show that you are not a wannabe with no experience. You are an expert at what you do.</p><p id="c5fb">To do this, you need proof. I have a writing portfolio I link to when pitching for work, I have testimonials on my Upwork profile, and I have recommendations on LinkedIn that I can also share.</p><p id="2eb3">It’s important that you can back up your talk with hard evidence showing what you can do. Especially for clients paying the biggest sums. They want to be sure they are getting the quality they are willing to pay for.</p><h2 id="799c">What have I learnt?</h2><p id="d224">The fact that people think you can’t get good clients on Upwork can be an advantage. If you have the right mindset and approach, it’s easier than you think to stand above the 18 million freelancers, many of whom aren’t expecting to strike it big. Many are aiming low, pricing low, and putting in the effort that the low expectation equates to.</p><p id="d52e">If you really have expertise to offer, and you put in the effort to pitch yourself in the right way, there are top clients to be had on Upwork.</p><h2 id="08d1">There’s more…</h2><p id="98a5">If you like my work, I have a series of articles about how to make money on Upwork in the pipeline.</p><p id="9fed">Here is my latest:</p><div id="af67" cla

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ss="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/how-i-made-100k-on-upwork-and-became-top-rated-with-a-100-success-score-a305ef7d8e01"> <div> <div> <h2>How I Made £100K on Upwork and Became Top Rated With a 100% Success Score</h2> <div><h3>If I can do it, so can you</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*talqtG9SwMex4wuI)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="d650">You can follow me or subscribe to my list here on Medium, or you can join my Substack community, <a href="https://redefiningsuccess.substack.com/">Redefining Success</a>, for even more. I’m looking forward to connecting.</p><p id="e0a8">Check out some of my latest posts:</p><div id="ed1c" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/how-you-define-success-could-be-the-key-to-your-happiness-7e87f5a5b9f2"> <div> <div> <h2>How You Define Success Could Be the Key to Your Happiness</h2> <div><h3>And also your unhappiness…</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*y6XeGW7HiHo0F9_o)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="071c" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/how-a-train-hopper-made-me-see-how-messed-up-our-working-system-is-8f5dc3b6dd3c"> <div> <div> <h2>How a Train Hopper Made Me See How Messed Up Our Working System Is</h2> <div><h3>We’ve got it so backwards</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*S1pUr2HzkJKbUSZB)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="1424" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/when-i-called-myself-a-writer-the-money-came-in-fc77468e0627"> <div> <div> <h2>When I Called Myself a Writer, the Money Came In</h2> <div><h3>What you tell yourself matters</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*AYK0DtsukpP2-1cF)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

How I Landed a 6-Figure Client Through Upwork

And I’m still working with them 2 years later

Upwork frequently gets a bad rap. It’s often slated as a content mill with low pay, crook clients, and poor opportunities, and that might be true…but only if you don’t know how to use it.

I’ve done well out of Upwork.

I started my freelance career there and felt all the above at first, but once I figured out what I was doing, I started making real money and have been able to get repeat business as well as new clients.

Meeting a 6-figure client

Upwork was where I was lucky enough to bag my best client to date. I say ‘lucky,’ but actually, luck alone isn’t enough. I was very fortunate to be contacted by this client, but the reason it happened was because of how I sold myself on the platform and how I pitched myself as the person to solve their problem in subsequent interactions.

This client turned out to be a media agency, working with some major companies including retail giants, financial institutions, and leading online education platforms, and most of them paid me 3–4 times what I was making with my average client. I’d struck gold. Literally! Meeting this client changed my business for the better, and I have had various work with them as a consistent income ever since.

So, how did I find the holy grail of clients on Upwork?

As I said, I felt lucky, but I would be putting myself down to say it was simply luck that got me this client. There are 18 million freelancers using Upwork. 18 million! Can you believe that? (I couldn’t, so trust me, I did some research, and it’s true). Out of 18 million freelancers, this client chose little old me. Why?

I’ll tell you why, and hopefully, this will help you find your own top clients.

What did I do differently?

1. I had a niche

I’m not a fan of all this ‘find a niche’ talk, so maybe niche isn’t the right word here, but I differentiated myself by highlighting my expertise in a certain field. I’m a writer, and to enter a site like Upwork and simply bill myself as a content writer will never help me stand out, so I was more specific.

I had a background in careers, with a considerable amount of experience, so this is what I chose to write about. It was the expertise my client was looking for, but it has since led to over $100K worth of work with this single client, both in my niche and on projects completely unrelated.

Finding a niche is a good idea, but it doesn’t need to define what you do forever. You can use it as a foot in and a way of building your profile.

2. I solved my client's problem

My client was originally looking for writers who had worked in the careers space to write content about changing careers. They had a specific brief they wanted to fill.

Although they contacted me, I didn’t take that they wanted me as a given, and I still wrote a proposal detailing how I could help them achieve their goal. I focused on what I could do FOR them, solving their problem, and outlining clearly how I would approach the task. I told them my credentials, but I made my proposal about them and what they needed.

It is a common freelancer mistake to launch into what they have achieved, who they’ve worked for, and what qualifications they have without linking this to how it will help the client. Above anything else, they want to know how YOU are going to help THEM.

3. I provided proof

We already know that Upwork has got itself known for having some poor-quality clients and freelancers. To stand above the 18 million, it’s important to show that you are not a wannabe with no experience. You are an expert at what you do.

To do this, you need proof. I have a writing portfolio I link to when pitching for work, I have testimonials on my Upwork profile, and I have recommendations on LinkedIn that I can also share.

It’s important that you can back up your talk with hard evidence showing what you can do. Especially for clients paying the biggest sums. They want to be sure they are getting the quality they are willing to pay for.

What have I learnt?

The fact that people think you can’t get good clients on Upwork can be an advantage. If you have the right mindset and approach, it’s easier than you think to stand above the 18 million freelancers, many of whom aren’t expecting to strike it big. Many are aiming low, pricing low, and putting in the effort that the low expectation equates to.

If you really have expertise to offer, and you put in the effort to pitch yourself in the right way, there are top clients to be had on Upwork.

There’s more…

If you like my work, I have a series of articles about how to make money on Upwork in the pipeline.

Here is my latest:

How I Made £100K on Upwork and Became Top Rated With a 100% Success Score

If I can do it, so can you

medium.com

You can follow me or subscribe to my list here on Medium, or you can join my Substack community, Redefining Success, for even more. I’m looking forward to connecting.