How to Bid Successfully as a New Freelancer?

It is easy to say that freelancing is like sitting in your comfortable pajamas and working for as long as you want. In reality, freelancing is a tough choice to make. It can become very stressful when you are trying to get clients or bid successfully, and nothing works. Getting a client is the base of anyone’s freelance career as a freelancer would be just an unemployed job seeker without a fair share of clients. New freelancer’s usually don’t get clients on their first bid. To bid successfully, it is important to be thorough with the thinking process that goes into the bidding. You cannot just present a price in front of the client. The bid amount should correspond to your work. Too less of a price might get you the job, but it would be unfair to you and your hard work. An amount that is too high will lead to loss of potential clients. If you are not getting clients even after applying various strategies, you should also think about if freelancing is working for you or not? There is no shame in it. You should always check if you are doing a task in a way it should be done or you are not made for it? These are few questions which we all can ask ourselves and more importantly, these questions are profession independent. Two primary factors that to make a bid successful are:

1. You get the client.
2. You get paid the right amount at the end of the project.

Now if you have gone through these two steps with your project, then you can say that your bid was successful.

Getting a Client or Bid Successfully

‘Getting a client’ is the very first step as far as freelancing is concerned. You must have a client so that you can work and earn. Many freelancers work on a lot of projects simultaneously.

Pitch

The pitch you deliver is the most important aspect of freelancing. It is like your first impression. The pitch defines whether you will be able to impress the client with your fluent words or not. Most freelancers make mistakes in pitching or either doesn’t know how to pitch. Some take a lot of time in learning how to pitch. If you are losing project bids and new clients consistently, you must observe the winning bid and see what criteria was your pitch missing. There are a few points that need to be taken in mind when you start writing your pitch:

1. Be professional
2. No long emails
3. Avoid grammatical and spelling errors
4. Use proper formatting
5. Add relevant samples
6. Sound believable and trustworthy
7. Personalize all pitches
8. Send the pitch on time

Neither Too High Nor Too Low

There are platforms where the lowest bidding freelancer gets the job. It might seem like a great way to get work by keeping your prices low but you should avoid that situation. Keeping the prices for the work you deliver lower than what you deserve is unfair. You can start with a few lower bids but you should always know the worth of the work you are doing. If you bid too high, you are not going to get many clients, and that’s why competitive bidding is necessary.

Successful Payment

It often happens that even after completing and delivering the allotted project, you end up not getting paid properly. You should avoid such situations and take a few measures. These will not only help to prevent future dysfunction but also make you look very professional.

Certifications

Some freelancing sites that connect clients with freelancers are very strict when it comes to certification and verification. Not only the freelancers but the clients have to be certified as well. Make sure you have a proper conversation with the client before confirming that you’ll be working for them.

Paperwork

Keep all your paperwork sorted. It can be very confusing in the starting, and you might have some setbacks. Keeping a proper set of paperwork helps in avoiding any future problems when it comes to the work you deliver. As time passes, you’ll be more experienced, and you will get better at managing the paperwork. A mismanaged set of paperwork can delay your payments as well.

Payment

Payment is the final step before you can finalize a project’s deal. You should be very clear about the amount you are asking for, before you get the project. Don’t set your price in accordance to your electricity bills. You should know the worth of your work and your skills. If the client asks you, you should be able to explain on what basis you are demanding that amount. You should consider the time as well as the work you put in when you think about the price. In conclusion, you should be specific about the payment method and amount. Don’t leave any room for confusion.