Finding a REAL EXPERT among new sellers

[gina_riley2]

I have been fortunate enough to have been a buyer on 5r since before the "transaction/admin fees" were instituted. Yes, that is correct, there was a time when 5r did not charge buyers a fee to buy here. 

During those times, it was quite a deal of trial and error to find sellers that offered great products at a very reasonable or even low low price. Even though this platform has changed quite a bit since the early days, there are still plenty of great seller's among the newbies. Although, I can not guarantee you will land one of the professionals, you can minimalize your chances of being swindled. 

It's going to take some time on your side, but here are my tips in finding that "Diamond in a black cole" among new sellers:

1. 5r rotates new sellers constantly so feel free to skip to page 5 or 10, by limiting yourself to page 1 or 2, you could be missing out on a great newbie that just signed up

2. Take a look at the profile picture. Stock images are okay but not if they are selling logos or illustrations, they should be displaying their original work. Right click and do a google search to see if it's stolen.  If yes, move on.

3. Once you click the gig image, take a look at their description. Is it well written, is it full of grammatical errors? Is it short, is it long, is it hard to read? 

• Regardless of what is being sold, the seller should have a nicely written, bullet points on what he/she will provide for you
• They should have a Q&A section, for any questions they feel the clients (us) may have - not always needed, if they captured it all in the description
• There should be no spelling or punctuation errors, the sentences should be coherent and make sense
• My definition of an expert is someone who has spent at least 1000 hours on a subject outside of school or training. So many newbies tout they are an "EXPERT" without any means to verify their abilities. After buying for a while, you will get what I mean here
• Stay away from all sellers that state (or similar to): 
  • I will give you best work 
  • I will give you unlimited revision until you are satisfied 
  • I guarantee you will be happy
• Note: All those notes above are redundant. Time is money. Ask yourself these questions: 
  • Would an expert in his/her field really need to state the obvious?
  • Doesn't an expert photographer (as an example) always do their best work?
  • As an expert, why would you give unlimited revision? You are an expert, your work should reflect it. 
  • No expert or not, can guarantee happiness. This is subject to interpretation.
• You, as the buyer, will find great sellers and professional, on this platform, do not offer unlimited revisions or guarantee satisfaction, because they know better. It may sound good on the surface, but there is a reason why they may be offering such a good deal.
• Take the time to actually READ the description box to see what the seller's requirements are for that gig. They may not do what you are seeking. Inbox them if you aren't sure.
• Give the sellers 24 hours to respond inbox quarries. They aren't robots and they could snoozing soundly with pleasant dreams on the other side of the word. 
  • Read their response carefully for grammar and sentence structures; especially if you are buying an article or any writing material. They should be responding with clear concise answers, well written and professional.
  • I found some respond with short answers because they do not have the ability to write and will give me a plagiarized article - yes, it has happened to me.
  • Don't use emoji's to communicate on your initial contact. After working for a while and you have a friendly relationship, then it is acceptable. First contact should be strictly professional.

4. Separate your forum relationship with 5r platform relationship. Forum is for fun and the site is for business, just because you know someone from here doesn't mean you are entitled to a freebie, special discount or anything else. I have bought gigs from a few sellers I've met on this forum and have always followed their gig requirement. 

5. If the seller has a great gig, nice profile, well written description and you have communicated well - then take that leap of faith; however, I strongly advise you to buy a lower price gig for say $10 to $20 as a test run. Don't ever rush into a large project until you have worked with a newbie at least once!

6. Never buy from someone complaining about not getting any orders from this forum. [This one will be controversial and I'll probably get flack for it but, I don't care. This is my opinion - feel free to follow or not.] There may be a reason why they aren't making sales.

I've gotten some really great work from newbies at rock bottom prices. Many of them are now senior sellers and have raised their prices to 10x or even 50x higher than when I worked with them. So don't dismiss a newbie too quickly!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[vickiespencer]

1 hour ago, gina_riley2 said:

I've gotten some really great work from newbies at rock bottom prices. Many of them are now senior sellers and have raised their prices to 10x or even 50x higher than when I worked with them. So don't dismiss a newbie too quickly!! 

Lol, I was one of those newbies. 🙂 Thank you very much.   And it is true, I now sell for $50 what I once sold for $5.

1 hour ago, gina_riley2 said:

So many newbies tout they are an "EXPERT" without any means to verify their abilities.

Expert and professional are two overused words in gig descriptions in my opinion.

1 hour ago, gina_riley2 said:

Stay away from all sellers that state (or similar to): 

• I will give you best work 
• I will give you unlimited revision until you are satisfied 
• I guarantee you will be happy

 

I agree for the very reasons you explained. I have tried and tried to explain to newbies that unlimited revisions is not the way to go, but too many I have given tha advice to and then check on later, still have "Unlimited Revisions" and "100% Satisfaction Guaranteed" on their gig descriptions.
 

 

1 hour ago, gina_riley2 said:

Don't use emoji's to communicate on your initial contact.

😱 Guilty! (I blame Nika!)

1 hour ago, gina_riley2 said:

Never buy from someone complaining about not getting any orders from this forum.

 

1 hour ago, gina_riley2 said:

There may be a reason why they aren't making sales.

I have thought this many times when I am in my 'buyer' role. The Forum buyers that I have made purchases from have been upbeat. In fact they talk a lot about their favorite coffee and most recent treat purchase from Starbucks. Hint: Look at my gig image and then look at Gina's. ☺️

Finally, @gina_riley2 it has been good to see you around the FF lately. Your presence makes me miss the good old FF days. I never thought I would say that, but this new FF is well ... I will be nice.

 

[surajkartha]

16 hours ago, gina_riley2 said:

there was a time when 5r did not charge buyers a fee to buy here. 

Indeed, there was a time when buyers didn't have to pay any fees

Appreciate the post, nothing but golden nuggets in there.. 🙂

 

[lloydsolutions]

A Tips for Buyers topic full of Tips for Sellers!

All new sellers need to read this! 🙂

[mahtab_185]

17 hours ago, gina_riley2 said:

Read their response carefully for grammar and sentence structures; especially if you are buying an article or any writing material. They should be responding with clear concise answers, well written and professional.

This is really a good point you mentioned. As a new seller here in the content writing srction, I try best to communicate with my buyers as professionally as possible (with no ambiguous statement, grammatical error free sentence, etc.). This kind of attitude surely reflects the gravity of my service I believe.

Anyways, great post indeed. Rellay appreciate your effort. 

[iftequarossi]

I am a new seller. And got 5 star from a client. Buy from someone who is ready to satisfy you with revisions.

Edited October 2, 2021 by iftequarossi

[az_des_dev]

18 hours ago, gina_riley2 said:

I have been fortunate enough to have been a buyer on 5r since before the "transaction/admin fees" were instituted. Yes, that is correct, there was a time when 5r did not charge buyers a fee to buy here. 

During those times, it was quite a deal of trial and error to find sellers that offered great products at a very reasonable or even low low price. Even though this platform has changed quite a bit since the early days, there are still plenty of great seller's among the newbies. Although, I can not guarantee you will land one of the professionals, you can minimalize your chances of being swindled. 

It's going to take some time on your side, but here are my tips in finding that "Diamond in a black cole" among new sellers:

1. 5r rotates new sellers constantly so feel free to skip to page 5 or 10, by limiting yourself to page 1 or 2, you could be missing out on a great newbie that just signed up

2. Take a look at the profile picture. Stock images are okay but not if they are selling logos or illustrations, they should be displaying their original work. Right click and do a google search to see if it's stolen.  If yes, move on.

3. Once you click the gig image, take a look at their description. Is it well written, is it full of grammatical errors? Is it short, is it long, is it hard to read? 

• Regardless of what is being sold, the seller should have a nicely written, bullet points on what he/she will provide for you
• They should have a Q&A section, for any questions they feel the clients (us) may have - not always needed, if they captured it all in the description
• There should be no spelling or punctuation errors, the sentences should be coherent and make sense
• My definition of an expert is someone who has spent at least 1000 hours on a subject outside of school or training. So many newbies tout they are an "EXPERT" without any means to verify their abilities. After buying for a while, you will get what I mean here
• Stay away from all sellers that state (or similar to): 
  • I will give you Great work 
  • I will give you unlimited revision until you are satisfied 
  • I guarantee you will be happy
• Note: All those notes above are redundant. Time is money. Ask yourself these questions: 
  • Would an expert in his/her field really need to state the obvious?
  • Doesn't an expert photographer (as an example) always do their best work?
  • As an expert, why would you give unlimited revision? You are an expert, your work should reflect it. 
  • No expert or not, can guarantee happiness. This is subject to interpretation.
• You, as the buyer, will find great sellers and professional, on this platform, do not offer unlimited revisions or guarantee satisfaction, because they know better. It may sound good on the surface, but there is a reason why they may be offering such a good deal.
• Take the time to actually READ the description box to see what the seller's requirements are for that gig. They may not do what you are seeking. Inbox them if you aren't sure.
• Give the sellers 24 hours to respond inbox quarries. They aren't robots and they could snoozing soundly with pleasant dreams on the other side of the word. 
  • Read their response carefully for grammar and sentence structures; especially if you are buying an article or any writing material. They should be responding with clear concise answers, well written and professional.
  • I found some respond with short answers because they do not have the ability to write and will give me a plagiarized article - yes, it has happened to me.
  • Don't use emoji's to communicate on your initial contact. After working for a while and you have a friendly relationship, then it is acceptable. First contact should be strictly professional.

4. Separate your forum relationship with 5r platform relationship. Forum is for fun and the site is for business, just because you know someone from here doesn't mean you are entitled to a freebie, special discount or anything else. I have bought gigs from a few sellers I've met on this forum and have always followed their gig requirement. 

5. If the seller has a great gig, nice profile, well written description and you have communicated well - then take that leap of faith; however, I strongly advise you to buy a lower price gig for say $10 to $20 as a test run. Don't ever rush into a large project until you have worked with a newbie at least once!

6. Never buy from someone complaining about not getting any orders from this forum. [This one will be controversial and I'll probably get flack for it but, I don't care. This is my opinion - feel free to follow or not.] There may be a reason why they aren't making sales.

I've gotten some really great work from newbies at rock bottom prices. Many of them are now senior sellers and have raised their prices to 10x or even 50x higher than when I worked with them. So don't dismiss a newbie too quickly!! 

 

 

 

 

 

Great Post for Both Sellers and Buyers. Along with all Buyers, All hard-working new sellers will find this very helpful and be cautious when they update their gig description. I also don't provide unlimited revisions because I believe in my work but I used to add those terms "Expert" and others. I will be careful in future. Thank you for such a informal post. 

 

Edited October 2, 2021 by az_des_dev

[creat1vepattern]

On 10/1/2021 at 11:40 AM, gina_riley2 said:

I found some respond with short answers because they do not have the ability to write and will give me a plagiarized article - yes, it has happened to me.

This is an excellent point. My recommendation would be to have a conversation with the seller first. In turn, you can:

1. Ensure that they understand your requirements.

2. Assess their English proficiency. If they can't have a clear and coherent conversation within the message center, they may not be the best choice to write your content. 

I hope this helps! 😄

[newsmike]

1 hour ago, creat1vepattern said:

Assess their English proficiency. If they can't have a clear and coherent conversation within the message center, they may not be the best choice to write your content. 

Yes, many have their profile and gig descriptions written by a native speaker.  Engage them in a series of back and forth conversations via inbox to see if they sound anything like their advert.   

[vickiespencer]

On 10/2/2021 at 7:37 AM, iftequarossi said:

Buy from someone who is ready to satisfy you with revisions.

Why not buy from someone who does it right the first time. 🤔

Edited October 4, 2021 by vickiespencer

[uk1000]

On 10/1/2021 at 7:40 PM, gina_riley2 said:

There should be no spelling or punctuation errors

It might depend on what you're buying. If you're buying artwork or a voice over it shouldn't really matter if there are a few minor spelling mistakes - eg. if it won't really affect the delivery. If they're offering writing then it's more important.

Quote

Never buy from someone complaining about not getting any orders from this forum.

Though it could just be Fiverr rotating the gigs and where the seller isn't really at fault. People have complained about not getting enough orders from new buyers when they are still getting regular orders from previous buyers, or where they still have a lot of orders in the queue but complain about rank. I don't think it necessarily means they're not a good seller to buy from.

[topaz_muse]

Is there a way to get this pinned? Three and five captures some pain points that are brought up a lot in discussions. Five tops the list as some buyers request sample work using the information from their soon-to-be order, but as soon as a seller suggests paying for said sample the buyer disappears.

[timothykoen]

Hi Gina, thanks for your valuable tips. There is one that sticks out with me. "My definition of an expert is someone who has spent at least 1000 hours on a subject outside of school or training." You are being way too generous. Did you mean, at least 10,000 hours? Only 1000 hours breaks down to about 1/2 year of on the job experience in a 40 hour work week. And by "school or training' did you mean a college degree? Here's my deinition of an expert.

At least one 4 year college degree and 5 years on the job experience. Or a 2 year college degree and 10 years on the job experience. Or 25 years on the job experience without a college degree. This definition is a standard in most engineering professions. Even these criteria are fairly forgiving. 

You said, "So many newbies tout they are an "EXPERT" without any means to verify their abilities." On this I'll accept your expert opinion even though I cannot verify you are an expert. Since I wish you to be an expert, then to me, you are. 

It has been recommended that a profile contain one's education, accomplishments and any certifications. This is what defines someone as a real expert, However, you are right, claiming to be an 'expert' is bad form, IMO. It is an indication that one is NOT an expert and is probably expressing wishful thinking. In my experience real 'experts' are awarded that distinction by other people and don't make the claim themselves. Real 'experts' won't say "I'm an expert" unless asked the question, "are you an expert?" It they are then you can't shut them up. Which is a good indication someone actually is an expert.

Wishful thinkers will say "I'm an expert" knowing that most people won't actually check to verify. So, why not state you are an expert even if you are not really. I'm sure there are way more people wishing someone to be an expert, than those that will actually verify the claim. So, why not make the claim? Odds are you will be believed without being verified.

Tim

[shadhin_das]

All peoples are start their journey from newbie .Not only here but also every where .So a new seller is now at this point after a few days that person will give you same service with very high cost price.So a new sellers are all not dull but have lack of experience. Give chance a new seller, he will give you his best.

[rasel3465]

New sellers have to struggle a lot. In that case, if the newcomers have developed skills, there is no problem. The buyer will find you.

[fynwriter]

On 10/1/2021 at 7:40 PM, gina_riley2 said:

've gotten some really great work from newbies at rock bottom prices. Many of them are now senior sellers and have raised their prices to 10x or even 50x higher than when I worked with them. So don't dismiss a newbie too quickly!! 

 

Hello Gina,

Of course, you made my early start on Fiverr quite smooth. You were always looking for new sellers to empower, and I am one of those newbies. At the time when it was a bit difficult to hire new sellers, you gave some of us reasons to stay in business. Though I lost the account that I was using that time to depession following the demise of my beloved father in 2019, I must confess that you helped me gain experiences here on Fiverr. You were the first to give me a job to write a book blurb which was supposed to be for 5$, but I also got a tip of an extra 5$. May be it's time to return the gratitude. Thank you so much, and do have a great year.

[gina_riley2]

Hello @fynwriter

I'm glad to have had the chance to help you out. Wish you the best on your 6r journey.  😀

[rabihumakhan]

Great post. 

Although I'm now close to level two seller but I still consider myself to be a new seller on Fiverr! 

I absolutely offer no revision at any of my gigs; this may sound a bit arrogant but this is what I do. 

 

Also, I dunno if my gigs and/or profile are beautifully crafted; however,  my works are being appreciated by my clients and quite a few of them are now my regular ones. 

 

(I'm a writer).

[kevindwren]

On 10/2/2021 at 8:37 PM, iftequarossi said:

I am a new seller. And got 5 star from a client. Buy from someone who is ready to satisfy you with revisions.

A couple of revisions is normal in certain circumstances, especially when it comes to design, but unlimited revisions? Your technical and communication skill are questionable if you need endless revision to get the work done right. Also, such claim puts you in vulnerable position because some buyers might take advantage of you and you can't say no. Being clear about your scope of service is important to avoid exploitation.

[aggie_n]

These are great points. Thank you for advocating for people who show up on the 5th page of the search, but can provide quality work. I know that it is scary to invest your money with a new seller, so I always recommend checking out their website and talking to them just to get the feeling of their knowledge and work ethic. This should usually weed out the "fake experts". 

[gayanchamira]

Thank you for Very important ideas 

[gizdesigns]

On 10/1/2021 at 7:40 PM, gina_riley2 said:

I have been fortunate enough to have been a buyer on 5r since before the "transaction/admin fees" were instituted. Yes, that is correct, there was a time when 5r did not charge buyers a fee to buy here. 

This... so accurate. Do you also remember when an order 'that gets canceled for late delivery' used to be automatic 1star Review?

Thanks for this well detailed post. I know I'm guilty of some of these points but will definitely do better!