Dumbest Things Freelancers Have Sent Me When Quoting On A Project

The freelance economy is a thriving world of sellers and buyers, full of honest folk who are trying to make a living doing what they love. But unfortunately, there are also some bad apples out there who aren’t willing to play by the rules. 

These freelancers think that by showing me their hip-hop videos or their vacation photos, I’ll be so impressed by their “portfolio” that I’ll just have to hire them. But instead, all it does is show me the opposite: that they don’t understand the freelance market at all. 

So for other potential freelancers out there in the market for clients and for those looking to hire freelancers, here are some tips on how not to behave when reaching out with a quote!

Takeaways
1. Professionalism matters: Avoid sending unprofessional or inappropriate communication when quoting on a project. Maintain a high level of professionalism throughout the client interaction.
2. Clear and concise communication: Ensure your quotes are clear, concise, and effectively convey your skills, expertise, and the value you bring to the project. Avoid using jargon or confusing language that may confuse or mislead the client.
3. Double-check your attachments: Before sending a quote, double-check that all the attachments are accurate, relevant, and properly labeled. Mistakes in attachments can create a negative impression and harm your chances of securing the project.
4. Avoid overpromising: Be realistic about what you can deliver within the given timeframe and budget. Overpromising and underdelivering can damage your professional reputation and lead to unsatisfied clients.
5. Proofread before sending: Always proofread your quotes for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. Sloppy mistakes can make you appear careless and unprofessional. Take the time to review your quotes before hitting the send button.

A 5-Step Formula For Writing The Perfect Freelance Proposal

When you quote on a project, it’s not just about the price. It’s also about how you communicate your value proposition and team.

If you want to get hired as a freelancer, here are five essential things:

• Explain why your service is valuable and how it will improve the client’s business (value proposition)
• Explain what exactly you’re doing for them (scope of work)
• Tell them when they can expect to receive their deliverables (timeline), when payment is due (payment terms), who needs to sign off on each stage of the process before proceeding with the next one (sign-off steps), and so forth
• If there are any guarantees associated with this project, list those here as well

When quoting on a project, it’s essential to showcase your expertise and value. Explore our guide on top freelance skills to charge more and gain a competitive edge in the freelancing market.

I Am Ready To Take This Project Now

If you want to be taken seriously, you can’t rush the job. Every job has a brief. If it doesn’t, send me an email and I’ll send over mine. In this brief, I will tell you exactly what I need from you for us to do business together. Most importantly: don’t take a project without reading the full brief!

It’s also important that you ask questions about any element of my request that isn’t clear or up-front. 

Don’t try to assume anything; if there is something about which we’ve never talked before and might affect my rate (like needing an extra hundred words per day), get it out on the table as soon as possible so we can discuss how much work needs doing and how much money needs paying.

Don’t forget: if a client wants more pages than were originally quoted for, they should pay more money you should never take projects that aren’t budgeted properly at all times throughout their entirety!

I Would Love To Take This Project, Do You Want It?

We’ve all had a moment when we want to say, “I would love to take this project, do you want it?” But some of us don’t say the words out loud and press send.

Me: I am looking for someone who can write about X. You seem like the right person for this job. 

Your writing style is very good and I think you’ll be able to complete this job in 2 days as long as no major changes occur (like if we need more research done). Do you have any questions before I send your quote?

Client: yes I will take it to let me know how much you charge so I can give him a call later today thanks

Writing a compelling freelance proposal can significantly impact your success rate. Learn valuable tips and techniques in our article on writing a freelance proposal that ensures you stand out from the competition and increases your chances of getting hired.

I Have Everything Ready

• Have you got the skills and experience to do the job?
• Do you have the time to complete it?
• Do you have the tools and resources required for this project? If not, can I borrow them from someone else (and who would that be)? 

You may want to consider hiring me as your assistant on this project instead of doing it yourself because I can get things done a lot faster than most people. 

For example, if we were working together on this one project and I was managing it while we were both working separately, there would be no need for either of us to go out shopping for items or equipment. 

We could just buy everything online or order things directly from local stores so there wouldn’t be any delays caused by logistics issues related to transportation either which means less room for error too! 

Plus since we’re already familiar with each other’s work styles there won’t be any miscommunications between us when communicating about specific tasks needing to be done during each phase of development which helps ensure quality control throughout the development process without having unnecessary communication overhead.”

Let’s Discuss This Over Skype Or Whatsapp Tonight And I Can Start Work Right Away

This is a huge red flag. Don’t do it, don’t respond to it, and don’t send it. I have no idea what this person thinks they’re saying, but it sounds like they’re asking to be invited on a date. Even if your potential client was interested in that kind of thing (which they won’t be unless you’ve got an amazing profile), this is not the way to go about asking them out.

You need to make sure that every message you send during your business relationship makes complete sense without any ambiguity or confusion no matter how brief or seemingly insignificant the subject line of an email may seem at first glance.

Can You Share More Details About The Project?

This is a common mistake that many freelancers make when quoting on a project. The more details you have, the better. You can’t provide a quote without knowing what you are selling. If they don’t ask for it, they probably don’t want it!

It’s also important to note that there are two kinds of knowledge: general and specific. General knowledge includes things like “I know this,” or “I’ve done some work like this before.” Specific knowledge includes things like “I know exactly how long it will take me to do this,” or “I’ve done exactly this kind of work before.”

Effectively marketing your Upwork portfolio is crucial for attracting clients and securing projects. Discover actionable strategies and insights in our comprehensive guide on marketing your Upwork portfolio to enhance your online presence and boost your freelancing career.

What Is The Budget?

A lot of freelancers don’t know how to place a budget on a project. They’ll give you an hourly rate, or they might tell you that they want to charge “market value” for the work. This is all good information to have, but I need more than that to figure out whether or not I can hire them for my project.

So what does this mean when we say “budget”? At its most basic level, a budget is just an amount of money that’s available for spending on something whether it’s your rent money, or what you spend on groceries each month. 

When we talk about budgets here at GoJane (and elsewhere), we’re talking about the amount of money that you have set aside specifically for your project with us your freelance designer costs plus any other expenses associated with completing the work before sending it off into the world (we live in an expensive world!).

Budgets come in different forms: fixed versus variable; subjective versus objective; and so on. The important thing to remember is that while there are many different ways to approach budgets within our industry as a whole (and within any particular company), every one of those approaches has one thing in common: they’re all based on cash flows!

Will There Be A Payment Schedule? If So, How Long Do You Payout Over

Payment is a major concern for freelancers. For example, if you’re paid on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, this is often seen as the norm in the industry and people are generally happy with it. 

If you pay once every two months and take three months to pay each time (after three stages of work), then you could find yourself at loggerheads with your freelancer who feels like they need their money now!

Your payment schedule must be clear, detailed, and reasonable. The longer the period between each stage of work and the payment date, the less likely your freelancer will be able to keep working on your project without feeling frustrated by waiting too long for their income. 

Plus they may not have enough funds available when they go off on holiday during one of those periods where no payments come through!

Do You Want Me To Set Up A Server To Host Your Website Or Use An Existing Digital Environment (WordPress)?

When freelancers quote on a project, they often leave out the necessary details that tell me what they will do and how much work it will be.

Some of these things are obvious, but others aren’t. For example: Do you want me to set up a server or host your website or use an existing digital environment (WordPress)? Just because you know the difference between Linux and Windows doesn’t mean I do! 

Work isn’t free. What is a GIT repository? How many hours will this take? I need more information about what you are asking for before we can move forward with any sort of contract or agreement. Ask questions about what you don’t understand instead of bluffing and hoping for the best.

What About The Git Repository For Your Team?

Git is a distributed version control system that allows you to track changes to your code over time, collaborate with others on projects, and roll back changes if necessary. Version control helps ensure that everyone has the same files at all times (otherwise it would be very hard to keep track of what’s going on).

If you’re not familiar with Git, I recommend reading this primer on the basics of using Git. In short:

• It’s great for tracking changes in large codebases
• You can use it alone or alongside other tools

Freelancing goes beyond financial rewards; it also offers unique opportunities for personal growth. Dive into our article on how freelancing benefits personal growth to explore the transformative experiences and valuable skills you can gain through your freelance journey.

Do You Want A Cms? (What Cms?)

A CMS is a content management system. It’s a platform that allows you to manage your website’s content, and it usually includes some kind of back-end interface or dashboard.

You might be using WordPress as your CMS or Drupal, or Joomla, Squarespace, or maybe even Google Sites? (Seriously.)

What I wish I could say is “This doesn’t matter,” and then explain why it doesn’t matter. But here’s the thing: it does matter!

Your CMS will affect every single aspect of the site you build for me from how many pages we’ll need to get started with to what kinds of features are available on those pages so it affects price and timeline alike. 

To quote my friend Chris Inumanu, who has built websites for years: “If someone asks me what their favorite sandwich is without knowing what ingredients they like first…well…no.”

On An Hourly Rate Or Per Project?

I prefer to quote at an hourly rate because it’s easier for me to predict how much work I’ll be doing, and therefore more fair for the client.

I can narrow down what resources I need to complete a project and then estimate how long it will take me. 

For example, if someone is looking for a website with five pages and a blog that needs to be written, I know that it will probably take about 20 hours. If you are using a per-project pricing scheme then it might look more like this: “I charge $50 per hour plus expenses.”

It may seem like there isn’t much difference between these two methods but if you aren’t careful then you could end up losing money on some projects while making more than needed off others!

Maximizing your earnings as a freelancer requires a deep understanding of the intricacies of freelance work. Discover valuable insights and hidden pitfalls in our article on what you don’t know about freelance work that could potentially be costing you money. Stay informed and make informed decisions when quoting on projects.

Conclusion

I do hope that you won’t take this article as a diss on freelancers. We all make mistakes, and we all have those days when it feels like everything we touch turns to crap. Just remember that when you’re in the middle of one of those days, it’s not time to send out any emails. 

Take a break and come back tomorrow with fresh eyes and a fresh outlook. You never know who might be reading your email and what they might think of it.

Further Reading

Here are some additional resources that can provide valuable insights and information related to freelancing:

Common Freelance Mistakes to Avoid: Learn about the common pitfalls and mistakes freelancers should steer clear of to ensure a successful freelance career.

Stop Doing Freelancer and Start Being a Business: Discover actionable tips and strategies to transition from a freelancer mindset to a business mindset, enabling you to achieve long-term success.

Freelancing the Smart Way: Dive into the smart and efficient approaches to freelancing that can help you optimize your workflow, improve productivity, and achieve your professional goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s The Dumbest Thing You’ve Ever Seen A Freelancer Send You When Quoting On A Project?

This is a tie!

One guy sent me his resume, which was just one page long. It had three bullet points under each category and they were all the same: “I have been doing this thing for years.”

Another guy sent me some screenshots of his portfolio and said “this is my work.” I asked him to send me the link to it so I could see what he would be working on if we hired him, and he said that he didn’t have one because he doesn’t have any work samples. 

He said that he just wanted to get some experience doing this kind of work.

I’m A Freelancer, And I’m Trying To Get More Clients. What’s The Best Way To Do That?

The best way to get more clients is to make sure you’re always quoting on projects using the same format and language so that your potential clients can easily compare you with other freelancers in the same space.

If you’ve been working as an illustrator for 10 years, for example, you might have a “standard” quote template with all of your most important information already filled out: Your rates, your preferred payment method (cash or PayPal), the number of revisions included in your quote (3), etc.

Q: How do I determine the right rate to charge for my freelance services?

A: Setting the right rate involves considering factors such as your experience, skill level, market demand, and desired income. Research industry standards, evaluate your unique value proposition, and consider your financial goals to determine a competitive and fair rate.

Q: How can I effectively manage my time and stay organized as a freelancer?

A: Time management and organization are key to freelance success. Establish a routine, set priorities, use productivity tools, and break down tasks into manageable chunks. Additionally, consider implementing project management systems to streamline workflows and stay on top of deadlines.

Q: What strategies can I use to find and attract clients as a freelancer?

A: Building a strong client base involves various strategies. Networking, leveraging online platforms and marketplaces, creating a compelling portfolio, and utilizing social media and content marketing are effective ways to find and attract potential clients.

Q: How do I handle difficult clients or conflicts as a freelancer?

A: Dealing with difficult clients or conflicts is part of freelancing. It’s important to communicate openly, set clear expectations, and establish boundaries from the beginning. When conflicts arise, approach them professionally, seek common ground, and aim for mutually beneficial resolutions.

Q: What steps can I take to ensure a smooth transition from freelancing to full-time entrepreneurship?

A: Transitioning from freelancing to entrepreneurship requires careful planning. Start by defining your business vision and goals, creating a comprehensive business plan, identifying target markets, and developing marketing and growth strategies. Seek guidance from mentors and explore resources that can support your transition.