I’ve submitted over 5,000 Upwork proposals.
Here are 4 core principles of every winning proposal:
- Social proof
- Personalization
- CTA
- 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:
- Mention the client’s first name
- 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