Writing contract winning proposals is more of an art than science

While writing a bid or proposal for winning a contract on Fiverr or Upwork, its always important to consider what kind of audience you are writing to. Competition has increased tremendously on all freelance platforms these days but it is still possible to win contracts if you make the effort to reach out your client and convey your honesty and determination to fulfill her requirements.

The first thing to bear in mind is that its not about you, its about the client's requirement. As a rule, never start your proposal with statements like "I am an expert developer with X years of experience" or "I am a writer with X published works". Not only is it reminiscent of salesman like annoyance, it also reeks of pride and arrogance in today's standards. Maybe, this kind of marketing worked once upon a time, but it no longer works today!

Instead, let your portfolio, blog or github tell the story of your competence and you focus on the client's immediate problem instead. Read the job description thoroughly and carefully multiple times, then determine what are the pain points. See how you can provide a solution to the client and start the proposal in that context.

If its about developing a web app, explain how you can use your skills in Flask or Laravel to build the same, add any relevant links to portfolio assets, demos, open source projects, blog posts, etc. you may have related to that. Also remember to mention your USP - why should they select you for this contract? Maybe you have a reputation of sticking to the deadline, you have a knack to quickly learn any new feature requirements (such as a new API request implementation), or maybe you can provide value for money spent by charging reasonably compared to your peers.

If you aren't skilled for the requirement, then you have no business applying for the contract in the first place. And if you don't have any USP, why should the client hire you at all? Try and convince the dude in the mirror about your abilities first, before deciding to bid on a freelance proposal. It'll help your self-esteem tremendously, trust me!

And don't forget the ultimate success mantra in all fields: perfect practice makes you perfect. When I had applied for the first time for a freelance job on what was then called Elance.com, I had zero knowledge about how to write a proposal. All I had was my average skills in computer programming and my command over the English language. But I kept writing proposals, one after another. I started sending them indiscriminately without fearing about judgment or rejection. And thus, I kept winning proposals and my freelancing career took off. I wish you too the best in this endeavor, nothing can stop you from being successful, all you've to do is just stick with it!