Four "secrets" I've learned on Fiverr

[jeremylunnen]

I’ve been on Fiverr since Nov of 2017. I’m currently a Level 2 seller and on track to become a Top Rated seller in the next few months. My particular specialty is Voiceover and in the past month I’ve had three different people reach out to me for advice on getting more sales. While my niche is voice work, I think the points I want to share will apply for any type of freelance work. I’m by no means an expert and I’m not able to quit my day job yet, but I have been able to build up my Fiverr business to between $600 and $1000 per month - and that’s without me doing nearly as much as I should be to market myself. So, here are a few tips that have helped me.

1. Pay yourself to learn - what do I mean by this? Well when I first got started in voiceover I would watch YouTube channels, FB videos, etc… from voiceover “pros” who spoke very negatively about freelance platforms like Fiverr… they would say things like “don’t sell yourself short” or “I won’t even turn on my mic unless I’m making at least $100”. Well, that’s one school of thought… but I took a different approach I said I want to learn my craft and become a pro… what better way than to get paid to do it! I started out working very cheap! I would do a 300 word voiceover for $5… why not? It’s not like I’m too busy to do it. In the mean time as I’m working “too cheap”, I’m gaining experience and getting better at my craft. I was able to win quite a few “buyer request” jobs right out of the gate because I was cheap - I’m not ashamed to admit it! But guess what, I’ve been able to raise my prices (though I’m still less expensive than most other Fiverr VO people I see) and remain fairly busy. So, I understand the idea of not selling yourself short, but at the same time, if you can earn some quick jobs because you’re “cheap” it’s better than doing nothing and just waiting around for your first “high dollar” job. Also, many of my first “cheap” customers are regular buyers now and are paying me much more than when we started working together.

2. Make it easy for your customers to do business with you. I gotta say it… some of the Fiverr gigs I see are so specific and full of “legalese” I wouldn’t want to purchase them. I’m not saying this to boast… but I have never received less than a five star rating. I think I am a pretty good voice talent… I’m maybe not the best but I do good quality work. What I do very well is provide excellent service… and that means I am willing to go above and beyond. I have had $5 orders that have wound up taking me hours to finally complete due to minor revisions, etc… but I’ve also had $100 jobs that took me ten minutes… it all balances out. Just be committed to being very easy to work with. Respond as quickly as possible to customers and potential customers, finish your jobs as quickly as possible, always be friendly and courteous even if they aren’t, etc…

3. Don’t be so focused on a single transaction that you lose sight of the long term relationship. I have two clients that probably make up 40 to 50 percent of my total business. I get multiple jobs per week from each of them. Over the past two years we’ve built up a relationship. On occasion I will do something for free for both of them! That’s right! They will say “hey, I’m sorry, but the client just decided they want to completely change the script” - well, I could very well charge them for it… but often, I don’t! I want them to be happy and continue to use me… on the flipside, they both consistently tip me or even tell me to raise the price on an offer I send them. It’s all about the relationship not the transaction.

4. Don’t be afraid to say “No” - now this may seem to contradict my first point but hear me out. When I was in my “cheap” mode when I first started out… I would take any and every offer that came my way. I’ve learned to say no to a lot of the offers that come in to me. If somebody has a budget of $5 for a project that you’d normally charge $30 for… that may be a clue that you might want to say “no”. My experience is the customers that are most fixated on a price are the ones that will be the most difficult and time consuming to work with. I’ve got one customer that was one of my very first… to be honest I charge him less than half of my normal rate… why? Well, because he sends me a lot of business, but more importantly, he is SO easy to work with… never needs a revision, never needs anything… very low maintenance so I have no problem working with him. I used to have a customer that would send me these little $5 jobs almost daily… on the surface, they looked really easy… they were very short (like 20 words or less)… but the guy was so high maintenance and had such unrealistic expectations that I couldn’t do it any more. It just wasn’t worth it. So, at the beginning there is a fine line between getting yourself out there and doing as much as you can (even if it’s cheap!) and not being taken advantage of… you’ll know the difference as you get more experience.

Hope that helps!

[filomena_silva]

Hi there,

I’m also a voice over artist and communication specialist. Thank you so much for sharing your experience. It’s always nice to read good stories of people who had the chance to make their business grow on Fiverr.

Wish all the best, with lots of projects in 2020.

[uk1000]

On 1/14/2020 at 4:30 PM, jeremylunnen said:

2. Make it easy for your customers to do business with you. I gotta say it… some of the Fiverr gigs I see are so specific and full of “legalese” I wouldn’t want to purchase them.

Though voice over gigs normally have “legalise” like “commercial rights” and “full broadcast rights” already as options in the gig. With a VO gig, unlike some other services, you also won’t get buyers asking for things that would be an added cost for you if you provided them (like them asking for costly fonts or maybe costly plugins/templates or something to be used) so things like those need to be specified where relevant otherwise sellers could make a big loss on orders (or other things where the buyers need to know about various rights). The help option gives them more info on the commercial/full broadcast rights options for VO gigs (though what’s shown in those small help boxes might not always be clear enough for all buyers).

So, depending on the service, “legalise” might be needed to protect you from loss etc. (maybe cancellations too) and to make sure all orders are complaint with the terms of service and so the buyers know what rights they’re getting etc.

[saik_d]

Thank you very much for insight into your four secrets on Fiverr. These are the “secrets” that will help me progress as I joined Fiverr in November 2019 so relatively new. Loads to learn and this is a great start 🙂

Funnily enough, your post mentions you joined Fiverr as of November 2017 and worked your way up and continuing (I am very happy for you). However, this seems to be the very first post of yours into the Community Forum 😏
The basic advice given to Fiverr newbies, whatever the niche, is to be active in the Forum especially for receiving maximum daily Buyer Requests and thereby increasing visibility.

So now we need a new post from you on how you have managed to reach becoming a Level 2 Seller bypassing the Community Forum? 😄

[mariashtelle1]

On 1/14/2020 at 7:41 PM, saik_d said:

on how you have managed to reach becoming a Level 2 Seller bypassing the Community Forum?

A lot of people don’t use the forum to become successful 😉 it’s all about your mindset and determination. I spent 3 years on fiver and was long level 2 seller before I joined this forum.

[photocutter92]

@jeremylunnen

Thank you for sharing your experience and providing advice. They are very useful. But it’s all about buyers and how to deal. Somehow the buyers have come to you. But how do we get buyers? I wake up every morning and come to the fiverr forum and check everything. Follow all instructions. I will make arrangements for amendments. But in three months (after receiving the first order) I haven’t received any orders yet. I always send offers to buyer requests. About 470 Offers are currently sent. Some of the sellers’ gigs I check at times are in poor condition. (I’m not saying I’m good, but judging by the advice of people like you.) But such sellers have also received orders overall.
What’s wrong with me?

[jeremylunnen]

On 1/15/2020 at 1:24 AM, photocutter92 said:

Thank you for sharing your experience and providing advice. They are very useful. But it’s all about buyers and how to deal. Somehow the buyers have come to you. But how do we get buyers?

I wake up every morning and come to the fiverr forum and check everything. Follow all instructions. I will make arrangements for amendments. But in three months (after receiving the first order) I haven’t received any orders yet. I always send offers to buyer requests. About 470 Offers are currently sent. Some of the sellers’ gigs I check at times are in poor condition. (I’m not saying I’m good, but judging by the advice of people like you.) But such sellers have also received orders overall.

What’s wrong with me?

Nothing is wrong with you! 80% of success in sales is “just showing up”! Don’t get discouraged! You will get more sales. I guess the single recommendation I would make is to follow up with clients… you said you’ve only had one… you don’t want to bother them, but check in periodically and ask if there’s anything you can do for them or if they are aware of anyone that may need your services… the biggest thing is don’t give up and don’t get discouraged.

On 1/15/2020 at 1:26 AM, saik_d said:

Thank you very much for insight into your four secrets on Fiverr. These are the “secrets” that will help me progress as I joined Fiverr in November 2019 so relatively new. Loads to learn and this is a great start 🙂

Funnily enough, your post mentions you joined Fiverr as of November 2017 and worked your way up and continuing (I am very happy for you). However, this seems to be the very first post of yours into the Community Forum 😏

The basic advice given to Fiverr newbies, whatever the niche, is to be active in the Forum especially for receiving maximum daily Buyer Requests and thereby increasing visibility.

So now we need a new post from you on how you have managed to reach becoming a Level 2 Seller bypassing the Community Forum? 😄

Yep… I’ve just discovered the forum! I will plan to spend more time here.

On 1/15/2020 at 1:34 AM, uk1000 said:

Though voice over gigs normally have “legalise” like “commercial rights” and “full broadcast rights” already as options in the gig. With a VO gig, unlike some other services, you also won’t get buyers asking for things that would be an added cost for you if you provided them (like them asking for costly fonts or maybe costly plugins/templates or something to be used) so things like those need to be specified where relevant otherwise sellers could make a big loss on orders (or other things where the buyers need to know about various rights). The help option gives them more info on the commercial/full broadcast rights options for VO gigs (though what’s shown in those small help boxes might not always be clear enough for all buyers).

So, depending on the service, “legalise” might be needed to protect you from loss etc. (maybe cancellations too) and to make sure all orders are complaint with the terms of service and so the buyers know what rights they’re getting etc.

Yes you make very valid points… And perhaps I just approach it a little different than some. The vast majority of my work comes by way of custom offers… so with a custom offer I’m able to lay out the particulars in a more personable way I guess… for instance in a custom offer I generally say my quote includes all commercial and broadcast distribution rights… which is typically an add on. The client feels like they are getting a discount by going through me… even though the total price is probably comparable to another freelancers gig. I try to have as personable communication as possible.

[photocutter92]

Nothing is wrong with you! 80% of success in sales is “just showing up”! Don’t get discouraged! You will get more sales. I guess the single recommendation I would make is to follow up with clients… you said you’ve only had one… you don’t want to bother them, but check in periodically and ask if there’s anything you can do for them or if they are aware of anyone that may need your services… the biggest thing is don’t give up and don’t get discouraged.

@jeremylunnen

Thanks a lot for your encouragement! I am doing what you have said. My first buyer hasn’t returned online yet. I write to her on special occasions. (Christmas greetings, asked if there was any work in there, and promised a special discount, and sent New Year greetings.) But none of that she has been seen yet.

[uk1000]

@jeremylunnen

Thanks a lot for your encouragement! I am doing what you have said. My first buyer hasn’t returned online yet. I write to her on special occasions. (Christmas greetings, asked if there was any work in there, and promised a special discount, and sent New Year greetings.) But none of that she has been seen yet.

You also have to be careful of buyers flagging messages for spam or of possibly annoying buyers through messages they didn’t want. It might risk a warning messaging buyers when it’s not related to their current/recent order(s)/recent question they had or other message they sent.

[catwriter]

On 1/15/2020 at 1:24 AM, jeremylunnen said:

I guess the single recommendation I would make is to follow up with clients… you said you’ve only had one… you don’t want to bother them, but check in periodically and ask if there’s anything you can do for them or if they are aware of anyone that may need your services…

That’s a risky thing to do. Some buyers would be happy to hear from you, but some would find it annoying, and if just one buyer reports you for spamming (and on Fiver, a single unwanted message is treated as spam), you could get an account warning.

On 1/15/2020 at 1:24 AM, photocutter92 said:

What’s wrong with me?

You’re in an overcrowded niche. There are over 10,000 gigs offering the same service, and the demand for it isn’t endless. Perhaps you could add a few more gigs offering something else?

On 1/14/2020 at 5:55 PM, saik_d said:

The basic advice given to Fiverr newbies, whatever the niche, is to be active in the Forum especially for receiving maximum daily Buyer Requests and thereby increasing visibility.

That “basic advice” is nonsense. Being active on the forum has nothing to do with BR (or getting levels). Sure, forum is useful, because you can learn a lot here, but forum participation isn’t mandatory. Many Top Rated Sellers have never even visited the forum before getting their shiny golden badge.

Sadly, we keep seeing this nonsense advice, and newbies keep believing in it and spamming the forum with whatever, just to say something and in hope that it will bring them sales (it’s highly unlikely), thus making it a lot more difficult to find useful content.

[photocutter92]

On 1/15/2020 at 3:33 AM, catwriter said:

You’re in an overcrowded niche. There are over 10,000 gigs offering the same service, and the demand for it isn’t endless. Perhaps you could add a few more gigs offering something else?

Thank you very much for give me your valuable time. I’ll try to make some new gigs.

[saik_d]

On 1/15/2020 at 3:33 AM, catwriter said:

Sadly, we keep seeing this nonsense advice, and newbies keep believing in it and spamming the forum with whatever, just to say something and in hope that it will bring them sales (it’s highly unlikely), thus making it a lot more difficult to find useful content.

I hear you loud and clear. This is what I have noticed. The number of Introductions and Improve My Gig topics have surged and account for majority of new posts which turn redundant the second it is posted. Which makes it more difficult to comb through meaningful information.

Thank you for your invaluable advice. I will now redirect my energy to more meaningful ways of receiving orders 🙂 

[sidorissimomike]

Hi there,

Thank you for the tips! As a start up narrator on Fiverr, I am trying to attract as much as attention I can to gain traction on the Fiverr marketplace! 😄

[mirusmanghani]

This will definitely help me for my other gigs/services. As time of bidding we often charge high thinking the job will be lengthy but it’s a good suggestion to start with small and then go large.
Thank you for the tips.

[dragoneyearts]

Really appreciate the advice! As you said, these tips can be applied to pretty much every niche on here. I’ve been interested in doing voice work for video games, and I know that I’ll really need to follow your first step! I don’t have much experience with voice overs, but I’m going to learn as much as I can and take it easy when I begin. Thanks!

[lordoflogos]

The four tip “Don’t be afraid to say “No””, is very helpful, I have a bad experience trying to retain a bad buyer, the best solution was to tell him “no, thanks” at the first signal.

[chydeanmah]

I agree with the “don’t sell yourself short” point. I have recently had to say no to a prospective client. We ended on a very courteous note with him saying I will still be considered for future jobs.

Sometimes, saying No works.

[cristiscutaru]

I like a lot your point 3. And wow, if two of your clients make up to 50% of your business, they surely deserve VIP status.

Just (for your own sake) don’t tell them! They could be very nice and decent people, but if they would find out you depend so much on them, you never know…

Looking back, there could be a life lesson here, in what you said. How many of us failed to reward those who actually helped us a lot? Busy with …“the $5 gigs” for the mob 😉

[raptargraphix]

Thanks for the valuable suggestions. I will surely follow them to have a great 2020. Personally, I also feel that you must be very patience with your customers. Once you take a job you must do everything possible to make sure the client is satisfied.

[humanissocial]

Thanks for the valuable suggestions. I will surely follow them to have a great 2020. Personally, I also feel that you must be very patience with your customers. Once you take a job you must do everything possible to make sure the client is satisfied.

No that is how you get exploited.

You fulfill the job. Make sure you are on the same page and always do your best, but you shouldn’t go to the ends of the earth to satisfy a client. You aren’t their slave and shouldn’t do things simply because that would satisfy a client. Only do things if the client paid for them.

[raptargraphix]

No that is how you get exploited.

You fulfill the job. Make sure you are on the same page and always do your best, but you shouldn’t go to the ends of the earth to satisfy a client. You aren’t their slave and shouldn’t do things simply because that would satisfy a client. Only do things if the client paid for them.

True, I meant doing everything to satisfy within the scope of the work. I agree we must not entertain any unreasonable requests from their side.

[stewart5064]

Well said! Very inspiring post. Have to agree with the “be cheap”. Build up your ratings and do the “cheap” stuff, sure your not making a boat load of cash, but it’s great EXPERIENCE. Doing hundreds of little projects will make you better in the long run.

Awesome post!

[cristiscutaru]

Well said! Very inspiring post. Have to agree with the “be cheap”. Build up your ratings and do the “cheap” stuff, sure your not making a boat load of cash, but it’s great EXPERIENCE. Doing hundreds of little projects will make you better in the long run.

Awesome post!

“be cheap” doesn’t always work the way we expect…

last night I made best possible offers to two buyer requests, with $5 symbolic gigs just to increase my portfolio. I’m sure I made them great offers. But maybe I looked desperate or I don’t know what was in their mind :), because they both cancelled quickly my requests.

I used to deal with contracts of $10k+ in my life, and never expected you get such a reception when you offer to do something almost for free. lesson learnt 🙂

[misscrystal]

On 1/15/2020 at 2:47 PM, lordoflogos said:

the best solution was to tell him “no, thanks” at the first signal.

They become enraged at the rejection. They go from bad to worse. We have to stay polite of course and they know that. 

[dolly_donut]

Just out of interest, I was asked by a buyer a short while ago to do a job for $5 with no commercial license or broadcast fees to “keep the costs down” (for that read, “ensure he maximises his own profits.”) When I refused he told me that there are plenty of sellers on Fiverr that do not “demand” extras and that he’s go elsewhere. I cheerfully waved him off, but it grates when people under value their work.