How to Hook High-Paying Freelancing Clients
My step-by-step process recently landed me a $15,000 ghostwriting gig and can help you do the same.
I joined Upwork for the first time in November 2020 to test the waters of freelancing.
I heard a lot about how toxic it could be and clients who are a nightmare but reading about a few freelancers who have regularly earned a good income from Upwork intrigued me to give it a shot.
What started with a casual CV and Statement of Purpose gig for university admissions got in more opportunities such as writing eBooks, social media posts, and blog articles.
I’ve also come across plenty of rejections for my above-average rates ($50/hour) and clients asking me to write 1500 words for $25.
One thing I quickly learned as a freelancer was that 80% of your revenue comes from 20% of your clients — you need to find those few big clients.
I found my golden client and he was worth $15k. Here is how I hooked the big fish and how you can too
Basics Count
I got in touch with this client to help their brother with college applications.
This client was an ivy league graduate executive working as a director in a major tech company in silicon valley.
At that time, I made sure that I deliver everything before our set deadlines and keep communicating.
When he added more universities to the list, I made it clear to charge more. If the work requires extra money, charge for it.
Pro tip: Over-deliver and beat your deadlines.
Humanity Makes a Difference
After this contract was over, I had a casual conversation on the Upwork call (calling option provided by Upwork).
There, he mentioned his dream is to publish a book in his niche so more people can learn from him.
I remembered this and got in touch with him a few weeks later to discuss this. In that call, we didn’t discuss the commercials but the entire agenda and purpose.
Pro tip: Build a deeper relationship that can last. Help solve their problem and make them believe you can.
Create a detailed proposal
Pro tips:
- It will be difficult to charge what you’re worth, but don’t be afraid to charge for your work.
- List freebies like no extra cost for extra words, revisions, etc. Everybody loves freebies!
- Set all expectations around deadlines, response times, responsibilities, etc.
Stick By It
The client may not agree to the amount you listed, but at least a comprehensive proposal like a previous one has enough meat in to stand by the amount with the many services that you’ll offer.
As expected, the response to this proposal was:
Pro tip: Stick by your price. It's natural to think that you might as well reduce the price by half or a few thousand dollars because something is better than nothing. Also, $10k isn’t a small number.
When You Take a Stand, the Middle Ground Comes Eventually
Now, the above proposal fits my amount. It’s also beneficial for the client to add a bonus to keep me motivated. Because what if I take my monthly retainer and don’t finish the book? This would motivate me to do so.
The red flag here is the Amazon reviews. Why? Because it’s not in my control.
As a writer, you can help somebody write a book. But you cannot ensure it gets 5-star reviews because that's simply not your job. Your job is related to writing, not selling the product.
With that, I sent in questions I had regarding the contract along with the below line:
Pro tip: Read the contract thoroughly and review each and every point.
Takeaways
Here are the quick takeaways from my experience of scoring a $15k book deal in my second month of freelancing:
- Over-deliver and hand over before deadlines.
- Build a lasting relationship; remember the details your client shares.
- Treat your potential client as a human and not a transaction, figure out the intention behind their ask.
- Create a detailed contract.
- Stick by your price, but also have your armour which will make it worth it.
- Carefully read the contract multiple times to point out any red flags.
Best of luck!
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