This document provides tips for freelancers on how to successfully win their first project bids on freelancing platforms. Key recommendations include selecting smaller projects, crafting personalized bid messages, understanding project requirements, and learning from past failures. Freelancers are encouraged to maintain professionalism and continuously improve their profiles to increase their chances of winning bids.

1. How to win your first freelancer bid / project
On siteslike upwork.comfreelancer.comoDesk.comandothers,youwill findtoomanyfreelancers,but
theyare notable to grab a single project,despite thattheyare submittingtoomanyproposals.Mostof
themdon’thave lowskillsorlowpassionorlow luck.Most freelancerslackinunderstandinghow to
make a bidthat can effectemployer’sdecision;theydidn’tknow how tobideffectivelythathelpthem
to gethired.
WhenI started,I alsoface a lotof difficultiesinwinningmyfirstproject,of course,youcan’tbeat
experience andtoomanybidderswithgoodratings,butthisisnot the case all the time.Highrated
biddersdonotbid onall projects,butonlyon selectiveonesorwhentheyhave time fornew projects.
So it’san opportunityforthe newfreelancerstobidforeverysingle projectrelatedtotheirskills.
I knowthisas I am among toprankers,but I made myway to this,itwas noteasyto bidin start as
nowadaysbutonce you startedas a successful freelanceryouare notinbig competitionforothersas
nowyou rarelygotchance to bidon anyfreelance project,becauseonce youhave builttoomanygood
relationshipsoverthe yearsthanyoudon’thave to bidforwork anymore.Youcan also make your
profile asstrongas mine butjustneedto use some tacticsthat how to bid.
Freelancerstarterhere are some keypointsthatwill helpyoutowinyourfirstbid.
Selectbidwisely:Donottry to go for the bigprojectfirsttime as mostof the time bigprojectsrequired
experiencedfreelancers.Rememberthe people whoare goingtopaymore like tohave more
guaranteesfromfreelancers,includingapast track record.So do notwaste your time atthe start of big
projects,youwill have yourtime togo forthose too infuture.
A bidwithlowcost doesnotalwaysmeanyouhave to do lessworkor youare not well skilled,normally
lowbidsare those thathave lowerbudgetsfromclientandmanytimesIsee a low bidprojectlateron
turn intoa bigbudgetprojectinlaterphasesor whenemployerrealizethe effortsof the freelancer.
Do everybidwiththe full heart,evenif it’spayingyouverylow,don’tworryaboutthatsoonyouwill be
on bigprojects.My firstbidthat I wonwas of $10, but thisis where itall Istarted,and laterI wonbidsin
multiple thousandstoo,youwill be onsame trackverysoon.
Be decentandnatural inyour bidmessage.Noemployerlike automatedstylebidmessagestheyare
talkingtoa human,nota robot. Asa personal andnatural message looksmore likeitiswrittenonlyfor
them.
Do not write the toolongparagraph, it’shardto read and maybe the employergetbored.Breakyour
bidmessage inmultipleshortline messagesorbetterif inpoint’swisefashion,asthat is easyto readfor
mostclientsinthiswaytheycan retaintheirattentiononyourproposal.Readcarefullyyourproposal
before submitting.Readthe projectrequirementscarefully.Whenyoureaditwithfocus,itwill give its
resultsinyourbidmessage withoutanyeffort.

2. Asksensible questionsaboutthe projectinyourproposal message.Donotasktoo manygeneral
questions,butmore questionsrelatedtothe requirements,thisbestwaytomake employerrealize that
youread hisrequirementscarefully andseriousaboutdoingthe project,thiswill create apositiveimage
aboutyou inyour clientmind.Alsoprovesyourknowledge of the domain,somake sure toasksensible
and relevantquestions.
In small budgetedprojects,it’srecommendedtoplace the bidamountwithyourbidmessage butthis
will notapplicable tobigprojects.
Avoidreadingall the projectrequirements;thiswill helpyoutosave yourtime and focusonlyonthe
projectsrelevanttoyouandlowbudgetedsothat youhave lesscompetitionthere andyoucan focuson
the relevantmore.
Learn fromyour failures:wheneveryoulose abiddo not lose the lessononwhyyoulose it.Readthe
message tothe winningbiddermaybe some site hide italsogoesthroughthe profile of the winning
bidderandcompare it withyourbid,thisisfor yourlearning.Be original pleasedon’ttrytobe fake,
adoptany style youwant.
Keeprevisingandupdatingyourprofile fromtime totime thiswillalsohelpyouinthe longrun.Thiswill
alsohelpyouto winyourfirstbid.If youare notwinninganybidfora longtime,thenrevise yourbid
message style,gowithsomethingnew.Trysome new wordsthatyousee inmostwinningbidsaddthem
inyour bidtoo.
Do not ask any sympathyfroma client;Isee thismanytimesthatnew bidder’spostamessage telling
clienthowneedytheyare.Rememberemployersare there togetthere workdone,soshow themthat
youare a professional freelancer.
Alsonevergetirritatedwithanymessage fromaclient,be polite andsensible while replyingtothe
client,if youdon’tlike amessage fromyourclientthendonotreplyat once,take your time andgive
hima well-thoughtreplyinaprofessional manner.Thiswill alsohelpyoutomake yourportfoliostrong,
do notlose heart, keepontryingand remember“slow butsteadystill winsthe race,”andso don’tworry
aboutthat.