Giving Sellers a Hand and Finding a Diamond in the Rough

[fonthaunt]

I’ve been thinking about this for a time and finally decide this was the best place to put it. This is mainly directed at buyers, but also lightly to sellers who offer buyer advice themselves. I continually see people advising buyers to only pick people at level X or with X number of ratings, etc. and those are usually picking numbers that they themselves display. I’m glad for these sellers who have that backing - but how would you have gotten there if buyers had never taken a chance on you for a few dollars when you had lower levels and/or ratings?



For the buyers - I’m not encouraging big risks because those CAN get you in trouble, but I do think someone should mention the need for buyers to help new people grow or this site will become stagnant.



If you can afford to take a bit of a risk, just buy one or two $5 gigs or maybe one with a $20 extra and buy it from a non-leveled or level 1 seller. If you pick someone with no sales yet, choose a well-written gig with a good image that appears not to have copied someone’s gig or faked a location. If you pick someone with sales, pick one with ratings above 95%. If you have a good experience, rate that seller really well and help them out. If you have a bad experience, by all means request a refund. If the seller appears to be scamming and not just confused, leave them the rating they deserve.



By doing this, the poor or scam sellers will be placed in the limelight for all to see, and great sellers who are just new will also be put in the spotlight to shine and become level 1, 2 and onward. I offer a heartfelt thanks to buyers who did that for me and others. To buyers who are scammers themselves or demand crazy work for almost no pay, may you reap what you sow. I am glad to say almost all of my buyers have been wonderful and I wish I could do more to repay them for helping me build my business.

[jonbaas]

Well said. I support these sentiments. 🙂

[bytezz]

Thank you! I am only 3 days old and haven’t gotten any sales yet and I don’t expect any. However, I feel your views are extremely correct; if nobody took the chance with some new folks, how would they have ever reached level 1 and 2? What ticks me off a little more is that the high levels bag the featured spot. Therefore, the diamond in the bag could just be hidden away by other, higher ranking users.



I don’t think it’s fair. Well written.

[rosebarlow]

Thanks for saying this. I agree with you. I’d like to thank those who have taken a chance on me so far. I’m hoping some more buyers will give my gigs without a rating a chance too. When I need a gig fulfilled I will certainly try to pay it forward and employ someone new needing a break.

[fonthaunt]

Reply to @bytezz: I am glad you liked it. I had just been thinking about it since I understand advising buyers to be cautious but we need to have fresh sellers bringing their unique qualities and enthusiasm. I have had some bad experiences myself with new sellers but I’ve also had great ones.



One thing I would suggest for you is to start expecting that you WILL have sales. I joined Fiverr right about when search went wonky but I badly wanted to find a way to get going. I pursued buyer requests assertively, did self promotion and asked my friends to consider using my services to get some task done. Now I’m level 2 by effort, still getting orders, and I’ve never been featured. I have to try not to think about fair/unfair even though I wish some things on Fiverr worked differently. When I get irritated (and I do) it impedes my creative thinking and attitude towards buyers.

Start assuming you will get sales and go after it! That cello gig you have is cool. Good luck!



Buyers, give us a shot!

[fonthaunt]

Reply to @rosebarlow: Good for you! Keep thinking that way and it will happen with hard work. When you buy a gig from someone new, even if it takes a couple of tries, you’ll feel great when you leave a review for your found diamond. 🙂

[pictureduke]

"I don’t think it’s fair."



Here we go again about this fairness thing. So you suggest that now that you have been here for 3 days it would be in everyone’s best interest to get you featured?



Isn’t the featured spot picked by Fiverr staff?



So it’s simple and easy, make a gig that impresses Fiverr staff and get picked as featured. It’s got nothing to do with fairness. You, I and everyone else can make it when we just realise how to do it.



Don’t get me wrong, I want success for you and for everybody else. Quit thinking about fairness and start working.



Best of luck to all of us!



Duke

[bytezz]

Reply to @fonthaunt:



Thanks for your story, it has really motivated me. I will keep trying harder I guess! Also, thanks for the feedback 🙂

[bytezz]

Reply to @pictureduke:



Thanks for the feedback. You’re completely correct. It’s fair, I just need to work harder and harder, I guess.

[pictureduke]

@bytezz



I’m happy that you didn’t get mad at me. I think you should add video to your gigs. Your images look quite generic. Video would add a personal touch to your service.



I added a video on my bizarre pictures gig and it brought me more impressions. Now that I think of it I should add a video to my other gig as well.



By the way, I see you are an expert on Android, do you have any experience on windows phone development?



Duke

[bytezz]

Reply to @pictureduke:



I am no programmer, I help people with simple or advanced issues on Android. I’ve never got experience with Windows Phone. However, you said I should add videos. I’m not sure how exactly I am supposed to portray my gigs in a video? Sure, for a picture gig, you can make a video detailing the picture but for an Android help gig, I’m not sure how one should make a video about it.

[pictureduke]

@bytezz



Just video yourself explaining your gig. Don’t you think that would work?



Duke

[bytezz]

Reply to @pictureduke:



Or maybe for my review gigs I speak and show an example of a review and how it would like… Thanks for the help! I will try and do that when time allows me to!

[pictureduke]

@bytezz



Yeah, there you go, do it! It’s worth all the trouble!



Duke

[planetgourmet1]

I am coming across this as a buyer on gig wanted.

becuz the new sellers are desperate they will respond to everyone posting on gig wanted; 99% of the time their gigs are * irrelevant * to what the buyer wants.

so much for trying to call attention to yourselves. it looks like it is an auto-pilot; just hit a button in a second and hope the buyer does not read. this makes the gigs wanted a total waste of energies ?!



example: I want someone who can help me with amazon listings. I am getting fb likes fb traffic ( bots ). Needless 2 say the buyers who call attention to themselves in this way are on my " do not buy " list. anyone else with gigs wanted ?

[catwriter]

Reply to @planetgourmet1: Please take into consideration that sellers can’t always choose the most relevant gig to offer (they can’t attach messages and can only choose gigs in the same category and subcategory as the buyer who sent the request determined). Some of them are indeed just clicking on every buyer request; other can’t post their relevant gigs and they hope you will click on their profile and see that they do offer the gig you’re looking for, they just placed it in the different category or subcategory.