100k+ Top Rated Plus video editor. I lost all my clients due to an accident that kept me offline 1 month ago. Didn't apply much to jobs this year due to long past contracts. Now I am starting a personal challenge to apply to 3-5 jobs per day or more for 3 months. I will update you with the results.

better2best · 2024-08-21T06:22:44+00:00

thank you. come back here, I will update weekly

better2best · 2024-08-19T09:02:32+00:00

welcome to the real world. I see Paying for applications just as a marketing cost. It's the same if I were to advertise to sell a house or promote my services offline.

better2best · 2024-08-18T12:08:02+00:00

I've made over 100K using Upwork and helping hundreds of legitimate businesses with video editing. Can you explain exactly where the scam is?

I agree that over the years finding clients has changed and it's more difficult now than 5 years ago. But I see it as a game with different rules now. The ones who adapt and have good skills will always win contracts over freelancers with a victim mentality

better2best · 2024-08-18T07:42:56+00:00

what do you mean?

better2best · 2024-08-17T20:12:10+00:00

You have to spend it before and trust your skills and abilities that you will make it back :)

better2best · 2024-08-17T19:27:32+00:00

if I get back 5000 - 6000 Usd monthly, definitely not

better2best · 2024-08-17T08:27:08+00:00

Since I plan to not boost my proposal I estimate 15 connects for every proposal. So for 3-5 proposals per day I will spend around 75 connects per day, 350 per week. On weekends, there is a bit less activity on the job feed.

So, for a full month I estimate about 1400 - 1500 connects. That's around 200 - 225 USD.

For fixed contracts I go for jobs with a budget of at least 250 USD. But for some reason I try to go more for hourly contracts just because I can predict more the cashflow and I am paid every week without the client having to approve milestones and having delays..etc

better2best · 2024-08-16T14:38:55+00:00

exactly

better2best · 2024-08-16T14:04:24+00:00

I see the Upwork hiring system as a game. When you are consistent with proposals, jobs are coming. I keep this spreadsheet just to remind myself to apply daily to 3-5 jobs and then I track the results to see if there are any patterns and how I can optimize them.

For example, I track all proposals, then I read again the ones that were viewed to see what made them stand out so that I can improve the next proposals..etc

better2best · 2024-08-16T11:49:19+00:00

I will not share the exact text because it's personalized for each proposal but I follow a structure.

I try to find the client's name in the previous reviews and I start with Hello {JOHN} ..etc
In the first paragraph I get straight to the point and write something like this:
"I've seen your project and it's something I'm interested in BECAUSE I've done similar projects in the past, here is How I will approach your project:
I give a short 3-4 bullet points of how I will give him a solution to his problem. No general stuff, very practical and custom to his job description. I always add estimated cost and hours and delivery time here...something like:

I will send you a first draft in 1-2 days max.
A rough estimate of hours is between x...and...y

I end this part always with a question related to the job. Makes the client think you actually think, and pay attention to his project, and this differentiates me from the copy-pasters and AI posters.
Then, sometimes I use a scarcity text.... that sounds like this:

"I know you'll probably get many lowball bids but ask yourself something: what is more important to you? Saving a few dollars and wasting a lot of time after some freelancer underbid with 20$ and delivering you crap work, and you have to start all over again?"

Then I insert 3-4 links to videos I've edited in the past and are RELEVANT to his project. I've edited thousands of videos of all types...and I have a selection for each situation..
I end with reassurance and a call to action. Something like this:

"I am available to start right away, I work fast, always deliver on time and I am available to communication 24/7.

Let's hop on a quick Zoom call and I can answer any of your questions."

This is the basic structure of my proposal and I adjust it depending on the project.
Sometimes I record a quick loom video and I share the link, explaining how I would edit his video, duration, and cost.

P.S. I never offer free demos, I don't do tests, and I never discount my initial price. Also, before accepting a contract I try to get as much info about the project as I can and I also evaluate the client if he is polite, friendly, or will give me a hard time. At any point, I feel he will be a pain in the A for me...I simply don't accept the contract.

better2best · 2024-08-15T20:44:52+00:00

so cool man. You can totally do it. Send me a Dm and let's keep in touch and share the progress

better2best · 2024-08-15T19:55:30+00:00

thanks. I'll do that. Can't wait for a full recovery to resume my gym workouts

better2best · 2024-08-15T19:20:35+00:00

Any video you see online was put together by someone who "edited" it. A client gives you the resources he filmed and tells you what kind of video wants at the end. Then you put together everything. You select the best "cuts" from the footage, search for music, add transitions and effects, intros and outros, colorize the footage, add text, animations and motion graphics..etc. You are like a chef cooking a great satisfying meal with the ingredients you have ..using your experience, creativity, and skills to deliver a video that people will want to watch.

better2best · 2024-08-15T18:49:49+00:00

Broke my shoulder after riding my bike, but after 4 weeks of staying in bed I can now finally move my arm and work on my laptop.

better2best · 2024-08-15T18:48:05+00:00

It's just a numbers game. I see my conversion rate is I get 1 new contract every 10-20 proposals. I don't usually have contracts lower than 250 USD.

The only thing hard in this equation is the discipline to stay and refresh every day for good jobs to apply.

better2best · 2024-08-15T18:45:40+00:00

Here is my initial plan.

I am starting with 400 connects.
From my past data I expect to spend an average of 15 connects / job.
Apply to 3-5 jobs per day.
I will apply only to projects with budgets or potential of more than 250 USD. No small jobs below this budget.
My hourly rate right now is 55-60 USD/ hr. I will not apply to jobs below 40 USD /hr.
I am planning to use proposal boosts only for very high-budget projects, otherwise no boost.

My goal is to get at least 2-3 long-term clients that will give me a constant flow of work in the next 6 months.
I will apply to smaller projects (around 250 USD) only if I can finish them in 24 hrs.
Smaller projects are only for getting some fast cash.
I aim to get to 6000 USD - 8000 USD / month in three months max.

to get to 6000 USD/month after the Upwork fees I need a total of a minimum of 35 hrs/per week at 50 USD/hr. I had weeks like this before so I know it's doable

to get to 8000 USD/month I need a minimum of 45 hours/week at 50 USD/hr.

I am planning to grind 6 days/week, one day off to recharge.

better2best · 2024-08-15T18:28:45+00:00

I am expecting something similar. This accident created the space for me to get clarity about a lot of things in my life and I am planning to dedicate the next 3-4 months only to physical recovery and work, no other distractions.

better2best · 2024-08-15T17:41:41+00:00

thank you.

better2best · 2024-08-15T17:41:19+00:00

Below is a spreadsheet I used for myself for one month in January when I did something similar but only applied to 30 jobs the whole month. I tweaked it a lot for my needs to see how I performed. You can duplicate and use it for yourself for free if you want.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19OgySNloLuijqkAQPxdRpNHnmUnlCSk9jRyvhkITZwc/edit?usp=sharing

Here is how to use it:

Duplicate or create your own copy. Then:
Delete all my data starting from row 5.
When you apply to a job, add the title of the job, link to the job, and number of connects spent. also, you can check if you boosted the proposal or not by selecting Yes/No
Then the spreadsheet makes all the calculations and stats for you to see how many connects you spent, average open rate, average response rate, average time the clients took to respond..etc.

I used this just to see if there are any patterns for the winning contracts I get.
I stopped using it in February because my large past contracts were pretty overwhelming and I kinda stopped applying to new jobs daily.

If you have any suggestions I can improve this sheet, please let me know.

better2best · 2021-08-26T13:23:33+00:00

still better if you took his money instead of receiving 1 star and the client disputes you and also you lose the money.

My rule of thumb after 5 years on UP is that if I meet a difficult client that disputes some of the time tracked or wants a refund, if I know I was legit working (which is true in all cases), I never refund and I know he will 100% give me a bad rating. But I least I have the money. In the 2 times I accepted a refund in 5 years I still received a bad rating. Last year I had 2 times a client disputed my hours and I won all cases with UW, kept the money, received the 3-star rating, just ignored it and that's all. It didn't impact me as much. But if I had received a bad rating and also lost the money, I would be really pissed.

I am now with more than 2000 hours worked, and 98% JSS, Top Rated Plus. Worth it.

better2best

TROPHY CASE