New to Fiverr or Freelancing? You Need to Know This

[smashradio]

New to freelancing on Fiverr? There's a few things you should know about the way you communicate with potential buyers. This can help you avoid difficult situations, cancellations, bad reviews and angry buyers, but more importantly, it can help you do better work! 

Let's start with listening. This should be obvious, but you only need to take a look at some of the responses people get to buyers' requests, to understand that it's not always so. 

Whenever you get a message or you sit down to answer requests: read everything carefully. Make sure you actually understand what the buyer wants, and that you can in fact deliver something worth their money. 

Make sure to let the buyer know that you've understood their request/message/project. Ask questions. Show interest. 

The buyer is not your friend. Not your bro. Not your sister. And most people don't like to be called "sir", "mam", "madam" or "dear". First names will do just fine, but don't be too casual. If you're English isn't good, practice. Get better. And use Grammarly.com to help you out. 

If you can't communicate clearly, the buyers will run away from you. Super important! 

Be positive and delightful, even when something is challenging. You should always try to make negatives into positives. If your buyer is anxious to get the delivery today, even though you planned for tomorrow, you can for example say:

"I'm working hard to get everything ready as soon as possible for you, but it might be hard to get everything ready today. I want to ensure you get the best possible quality."

Instead of: 

"No, that's impossible."

Just an example, but you get the idea. 

Respond quickly to your buyers and keep them in the loop. The buyer will feel like they're in safe hands. You could also reach out to your buyer with an update on the progress yourself. You don't have to wait for the buyer to ask. I also like to ask my buyers for their opinion if needed, to help me create something I know they will love. (Just don't message them too often. They might be busy. Respect their time.)

Be polite, but firm. Don't let buyers abuse you, or make you do extra work for free. Politely decline to work for free, but in a manner that's not in any way unclear: 

"Thank you for considering me for further work. Unfortunately, I'm unable to accept unpaid work at the moment. I'll reach out if that changes in the future."

(If you're in an order you should add what the extra service they asked for will cost, and invite them to order a relevant gig extra. Always give your buyer a chance to order the extra before telling them that you won't work for free, though. It's not good to assume too much!)

 

[katakatica]

37 minutes ago, smashradio said:

The buyer is not your friend.

I like this - and not just because of the obvious (being too casual can be end quite...nastily, especially in some cases!) but... many people (including me) trust too easily. Knowing that buyers aren't your dudes/bros/sisters/whatevers can help distance yourself from them and realise that people who are too nice could end up...being 'nice' for a reason. 

Being nice but not too nice can make or break one's business. (I'm learning this as I go.)
(great list of tips, really hope it blows up!)

[smashradio]

6 minutes ago, katakatica said:

I like this - and not just because of the obvious (being too casual can be end quite...nastily, especially in some cases!) but... many people (including me) trust too easily. Knowing that buyers aren't your dudes/bros/sisters/whatevers can help distance yourself from them and realise that people who are too nice could end up...being 'nice' for a reason. 

Being nice but not too nice can make or break one's business. (I'm learning this as I go.)
(great list of tips, really hope it blows up!)

Thanks! 

Yes, it's a big, two-fold issue: on the one side, you want to be friendly and personal with your buyers. We're working in a gig economy where you're the brand, not some impersonal corporation. Yet we should always keep our distance in a professional manner to avoid uncomfortable situations. 

Another thing to consider, is that if you're treating a buyer as an old buddy "hey bro whatsup wanna work?" doesn't exactly inspire trust if it comes from someone I've never met and know personally. In addition, I'm not on Fiverr to be anyones friend, but to make money. 

It's a business. Not a friendship. 

And yes, I've gained friends on Fiverr in the past. But it came about naturally from a long-standing working relationship and mutual respect, not to mention, similar interests who developed over time.