Send a Perfect Proposal for Projects on Truelancer

Freelancing is a tough course to take… there’s no denying that. If one thinks that he can just sign up for a freelancing website, apply for some jobs and get paid right away… he is wrong. With more and more freelancers entering the circuit, the prospects of success are getting thinner and thinner.

Truelancer has created a unified space where freelancers from across the globe can search for work. Here, as a registered user, one can browse for work in his/her area of expertise. When one finds something favourable, a proposal needs to be sent to the respective employer as shown below.

Once you click on “Send Proposal” the Project detail page opens

 

This page decides whether you will bag the job or not. Your proposal is your sales pitch, your temp resume and your only means of communication with the employer. A good proposal outlines your skills as well as tells the employer why you’re perfect for the job.Here is what your proposal page looks like.

To have the perfect pitch you need to keep a few things in mind when writing your proposal.

1.    Brevity is key

A very long proposal distracts the employer of all the good points mentioned in it. It creates boredom and loss of interest due to which the chances of the employer even remembering you become very thin.

Therefore, be concise and write your pitch within 100-150 words to avoid negligence.

2.    Be Specific

Most of the times, people tell about almost everything they know and can do whereas the moment calls for a specific reference to the kind of service required.

So trim up your paragraphs into brisk and specific sentences outlining that part of your skill-set which corresponds to the service. This creates a reassuring effect and increases your chances of success.

3.    Proportion your pitch

Don’t go on writing about your experience as a freelancer and then start with your job specifications. Create a balance between the two.

A good proposal should just outline your experience so that the employer is certain about the same and nothing should be written further. A slightly higher weight should be assigned to outlining your experience with the required kind of service.

This gives an immediate positive estimate to the employer about your capability to do the job.

4.    Build confidence

How can someone build confidence in the employer without physical communication?

The devil is in the details. Before beginning the proposal always give a thorough read to the requirements posted by the employer. If you analyse, you will find certain points he/she needs assurance on. For example, if the employer is very specific in his requirement, you should be very specific to it in your pitch, if he has prioritized deadlines, you should reaffirm by agreeing to it in your pitch.

Building confidence increases your chances of approval by vast margins.

5.    Avoid Informal Tone

Be professional in your approach. Always use a proper format for your proposal including greeting headers and salutations. Your professionalism sends an affirmative vibe to your employer.

Refrain from the use of abbreviations and SMSes like u for you or thr for there. Be professional.

 6.    Active voice & Passive voice

You should know when to change between the forms of tone in your writing.

For instance use ‘I led a team of designers on this project’ and not ‘A team of designers was led by me’.

The tone of your writing gives a brief description of how you handle work. A passive approach may indicate lack of enthusiasm or discipline.

7.    Don’t come out too loud

You must be wondering that how can someone come out as loud when writing something. See there is a difference between how one perceives or reads “I AM PERFECT FOR THIS JOB!” and “I am perfect for this job”. I am sure you get it by now.

Avoid using a lot of capital or bold text in your proposal. It gives an annoying vibe similar to loud noise. Be simple… simple is better.

8.    Exemplify

There is a section in the proposal where you can attach samples of your work. This is exceedingly helpful in pitching yourself. Employers are always looking for people with prior experience and this sends a clear message to them and most of times gets them hooked.

Be careful in what samples you provide. It is beneficial for you to provide those which resonate with the needs of the project you’re pitching on.

9.    Take your time to follow up

Once you have submitted your proposal, don’t go ahead and ask for a reply the very next day. You should realise that the employer receives many proposal and needs to thoroughly assess all of them before making the right decision. Give it time, at least a week and even after that, you should follow up in a professionally polite manner.

 

10.  Price yourself right

The prices mentioned by the employers are the maximum they are willing to pay. It’s always advisable to bid a little below the mentioned price. This creates a professional environment and also gives the employer an impression of your flexibility.

One must remember that in freelancing, patience has to be your strongest virtue. You need to keep focus and keep trying. Most people get tired or feel they don’t have it them in the first two or three weeks and then quit. You need be persistent and ready to struggle for long if you wish to succeed in this juncture. There are a lot of opportunities out there and the more you try and fail, the better you will get.

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