I recently ran a test on my Upwork account to see if Proposals that were hand written performed better or worse than proposals written by ChatGPT. Next week I'll be releasing the YouTube video that I filmed after this experiment. But I need your help... Vote below, which thumbnail you would click on for a video like this??

I’ve submitted over 5,000 Upwork proposals. Here are 4 core principles of every winning proposal: 1. Social proof  2. Personalization  3. CTA  4. Portfolio (depends)   1. Social proof Social proof is defined as “a psychological and social phenomenon wherein people copy the actions of others in choosing how to behave in a given situation." And since we want these clients to message us and hire us, we want to give examples of other people who have hired us! Social proof could include: - Testimonials - Your years of experience  - # of projects you've completed - Any awards, or recognitions you've received - Big clients you work for (If Google is your client, mention it!!)  2. Personalization Every proposal you submit NEEDS to be personalized. Do this in 2 ways: 1. Mention the client’s first name 2. Write 1 - 5 personalized sentences at the beginning of the proposal referencing details in their job description.  3. CTA If you get on calls with clients before they hire you, this CTA should ask the client if they are free for a call. If you offer services such as graphic design, many clients won’t want to get on a call with you. So instead, ask them to message you. 4. Portfolio If you offer a visually stimulating service like Graphic design, Video editing, or Web design, you NEED to have examples of your work in your proposals. It’s absolutely crucial. Just make sure not to break any of Upwork’s TOS (don't include any of your contact info). If you implement these proposal principles you'll enjoy the results that follow. Cheers, Nico P.S. If you want access to our Done-For-You, proven proposal templates, join our premium community here: https://www.skool.com/upwork-outbound/about

Most freelancers ruin their first impression. Their Upwork profile videos? Cringeworthy at best. But a great video intro can change everything. Your video introduction is the first chance to build a human connection. It shows clients you’re real—not a scammer or a bot. And If done right, it builds massive amounts of trust. Here are two strategies that work wonders: Strategy 1: The direct-to-camera approach. Introduce yourself: your name, location, and services. Explain how you got started (clients love a good story). Share what separates you from your competition. Strategy 2: Social Proof approach. Film a short introduction mentioning your name, location, and services. Then show off video testimonials, case studies, and high-quality examples of your work. Both strategies work. Choose based on your resources and style. A few tips: - Don’t read off a screen—speak naturally. - Use clean lighting and a distraction-free background. - If setup feels overwhelming, hire a video editor on Upwork for advice. Your video intro sets the tone for your profile. Take it seriously, and watch the invitations come in. P.S. Want the full guide to creating a compelling video intro? Check out my newest YouTube video: https://youtu.be/nra3rPF87vw?si=Pp2vXaRYUJVH0Kel

When we analyzed our Upwork communities, we found that it's much harder to sign clients if you’ve earned less than $1,000 and don't have any reviews. Once you earn $1,000 and have 2 or 3 good reviews, you get significantly more attention. The hardest part of Upwork is getting to this point. The quickest way to overcome these early challenges is to have an existing client hire you 3 - 4 times (separate contracts) for a total of $1,000 and leave you an honest review on each contract (hopefully 5-star). Choose a client you’re confident will leave you a 5-star review. You’ll have to stomach Upwork’s fees, but this strategy will save you significant time and money. If you don’t have any clients who can send you this money, that's totally fine - neither did I when I first started. Instead, you'll simply apply to fixed-price jobs under $300, which only allow residents of your country to apply to them. These jobs are significantly less competitive, and if you submit hyper-personalized proposals to them, it won't be long until you sign a few clients. If you enjoyed this post, drop a comment below. Cheers, Nico P.S. If you want the full story of how I got my first client, check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw1HSw8yNak

Welcome to our free Upwork community! This community is built for freelancers and agencies who are looking for help signing clients on Upwork. This is not a community full of clients. Do Not make a post asking for work -- We don't allow any self promotion. Instead, start by making a post to introduce yourself using the framework below (a post, not a comment on this post). Then, you can go to the classroom section, to start watching our training videos. Step 1: Make your intro post using this template Step 2: Dive into the classroom material See you there! P.S. Watch this 5-minute video tutorial if you've never been on the Skool Platform before.