vickieito

Well said @catwriter! 😂 Jokes aside, I do like the points @williambryan392 brought up regarding the risk levels associated with the type of services that we offer. I do consider my resume writing gig one of my higher-risk gigs. I'm very lucky that I get a lot of post-order feedback from my buyers. They usually share with me screenshots from employers stating that they were impressed with the quality of my cover letters and resumes. It's also nice when they tell me my CVs helped them land a job. So it's these unsolicited post-order feedback that have really given me confidence in my abilities. Thanks! I like both of your definitions of "liar." This is how I've gotten most of my current business (through people asking me to do things that aren't specifically advertised in my gigs). I'm glad that my approach is similar to both of yours. I'm honest about my limitations and experience levels and direct them to look for "experts" on Fiverr. If they still want to try out my services and are willing to let me try it out, then I'll give them a custom order. Thanks @smashradio! It's inspiring to hear that you don't have any formal training either but have been able to prove yourself in the Fiverr marketplace. ... I'd love to hear your character voices! Thanks for all your comments, @miiila! This makes me feel better about myself. I think my recent "mulling" has been a result of imposter syndrome kicking in. I'm not sure why those feelings have come in right now, but I'll try to ignore them and focus my energies on more productive things, such as building my business and learning as much as I can. Thanks for all your help!

Thank you 🤩Popular Top Rated Sellers! The results are in… Thanks to all of you for taking the time to share your thoughts on what it really takes to become a Top Rated Seller. You are awesome! Based on the feedback, there are really only three categories that all of the comments fell under. I've included a summary of the discussions as well as my thoughts below: Factors that affect whether you are TRS or not: 1) You are Rock Star Material @miiila 2) You bring value to Fiverr @smashradio 3) You fit “The Pyramid” @williambryan392 FACTOR 1: You stand out … you are 🤩 Rock Star Material! In order to be a top-rated seller, you’ve got to stand out. As @miiila reminds us, it’s not called “Top Rated Seller” for nothing and the team that handpicks sellers “are very choosey….because if everyone is a TRS, no one is.” Simply put, just meeting the minimum requirements for TRS is not going to cut it. You’ve got to exude greatness in everything that you do…just like @damooch916 in his ‘high art’ tank top, or collection of Christopher Hitchens essays and Jordan Peterson book. Or @yannisenglish whose expertise in the games blog writing niche makes him naturally stand out from the crowd/competition. Or @vickiespencerwho was clearly “knocking it out of the park” with her buyers. Greatness is a part of who you are and it shows no matter where you are. So based on the consensus, the team that handpicks TRS sellers will be looking for… Seller/gig professionalism & presentation, timely deliveries, high % of repeat buyers, your portfolio, social proof (high reviews & buyer satisfaction), excellent communication, stellar customer service, and professional responses to public ratings. In addition to “qualifying” you, the team may consider reasons that may “disqualify” you … Even though forum activity is not a qualifier for TRS, it could be a disqualifier if you have warnings or offensive/bad content. @williambryan392 @newsmike Being notorious for going “full metal Karen” on CS, could be a disqualifier. @newsmike Grammar mistakes could be a disqualifier if they affect overall gig quality. @smashradio As @visualstudios says, “if you look like a TRS to begin with, you’ll be more than likely to get it.” Don’t give Fiverr any reason to disqualify you due to lack of professionalism. FACTOR 2: You bring value to Fiverr There were several questions on whether gig price or average selling price has any bearing on becoming a TRS. On the one hand, Fiverr likes high prices: "Generally speaking the higher the better ... seeing that [the average selling price] move in the right direction, this shows you're making more and more over time, and therefore more and more for fiverr." @williambryan392 "...when Fiverr sees you are selling at higher prices, you are likely doing something right." @yannisenglish However, we see TRSs with low selling prices, so it’s not decisive. @visualstudios @williambryan392 @crownmediaa @callyofficial @melanielm @miiila I think what it all boils down to is what @crownmediaa calls “value for the money” and @miiila calls “relevancy and providing value to Fiverr.” [emphasis added] So, the big question is…(more than just price alone)…are you providing value to Fiverr? @smashradio sums it up nicely here: "I think the main factor…is how much value you bring to Fiverr. Selling five dollar gigs probably won't make you stand out as a monetary resource that Fiverr can tap. And that's what we are: a resource for Fiverr to earn profit from. That's not negative, in my view, and I want Fiverr to find the best ways to push more value out of us. It helps me improve as a seller and freelancer (and it makes Fiverr earn more, making me, as a shareholder, happy)." TRSs are a monetary resource for Fiverrr. @vickiespencersays: “One of the first things my SPM said to me was, 'Of course, Fiverr expects you to increase your prices over time.' Therefore, I think the team that chooses the TRSs looks at the seller’s potential earning ability.” [emphasis added] Potential earning ability is money for Fiverr. I also like @newsmike’s comment here: "I would hope they are giving preference to those using "seller plus" and "promoted gigs" as well. You know, those investing in their own success, both monetarily and through behavior, public and behind the scenes." I also hope that sellers who invest in their business, in paid ways that also benefits Fiverr, would be considered. @smashradio says here: “one of the things they look at is community leadership. I assume that involves being active in the community, helping other sellers, or doing something that benefits the community as a whole." I would hope that Fiverr looks into the value you bring to the Fiverr community as a whole, including the forum. Think of all the sellers who flood the platform and get the motivation to stick it out just a bit longer because of the help from TRSs and other levelled sellers. Seller retention is in the best interest of Fiverr. FACTOR 3: You fit “The Pyramid” The last part of this discussion talks about gig type and the performance/number of sellers in your category. As @callyofficial states: "I don't think this [gig type] would be a major factor, but could be taken into consideration, especially if you have a unique gig or USP." @yannisenglish is the prime example of an expert who is dominating a niche market. @vickiespencer states: We all know that sellers and their gigs oversaturate some categories, and it is more unlikely that sellers will earn the TRS status in these areas. This is unfortunate, but happens. Some sellers qualify for TRS but never get it because they are in oversaturated markets. @williambryan392 says that “so long as there aren't duplicates and they aren't unethical or against ToS” gig type and the category shouldn’t matter. This goes back to the first two factors. Make sure you stand out in good ways and provide value to Fiverr. @visualstudios mentions: I assume there is some sort of cap (% wise) of TRS per category, so as not to devalue the badge. @callyofficial adds: while I don't think this would make a big difference, I would guess that there will only be a certain number of TRS's for each category, so I'm sure this would be taken into consideration. Agreed. There’s a reason why TRSs are handpicked because if this were an automatic promotion, the TRS badge would be meaningless. I like @williambryan392's explanation: It is a pyramid…they want to have enough sellers at each level at each price point and offering each type of gig. This makes sense and is the way things should be. The bottom layer of the pyramid will always be the biggest – it takes no effort to be there. Then, the levelled sellers make up the middle layer. And at the top, the hand-picked, specially-selected and vetted sellers who clearly stand out and consistently demonstrate excellence in all that they do AND provide tremendous value to Fiverr's platform. That badge is certainly well deserved by all of you! Thanks for all of your input!!!

@yannisenglish! That's really wonderful - good for you! How do you manage to maintain your Fiverr business on a part-time basis? I'm just learning how to spread out orders and plan ahead for weekends and other life events. I find it really hard to strike a good work-life balance.

@damooch916, I'm blown away with the content that you and @newsmike seem to come up with on a daily basis! That's pure awesomeness right there. And that's not even looking at your vetted, top-rated talent that you offer on Fiverr! I agree with @visualstudios & @smashradio... I'd love to see what the dynamic trio can do on YouTube! @damooch916 + @newsmike + @visualstudios 😍

Thanks for always thinking of us "little people"!

@smashradio, I'm equally shocked that you were not on the list! I thought you were...and then saw this message. 😔 I'm disappointed in myself. I was trying to include all the TRS I knew and inadvertently left out the one TRS I interact with on a daily basis! I am so sorry! This was an error on my part and has nothing to do with your popularity and awesomeness!!!! 🤩🤩🤩

I don't know why, but I've been mulling over both of your comments for the last few days. I've certainly been guilty of taking the "fake it 'till you make it" or a "try it and see if you can do it" approach. Or "take a course and post a gig" approach. For almost every one of my gigs, I never really had paid experiences outside of Fiverr to do the services that I offer. So every order was a test on whether I could really do the service that I was offering or not. I've been very lucky because so far I've been successful, and I can now say that I'm proficient at what I do. However in the beginning, I couldn't say that. I'll be honest that I've accepted many orders that I did not know if I could deliver and luckily I could...after MANY, MANY hours of going overboard on the efforts (because I refuse to deliver subpar work or anything less than excellent). So this makes me wonder, am I in the same category of "liars" that are saturating the Fiverr marketplace, but have just been a lucky liar that can actually perform well and keep my buyers happy?

After running into two different threads about the becoming TRS, I thought I should reach out to the popular TRS that I know! For those of you who don't I exist, I'm Vickie and I'm following you (no, I'm not paparazzi, I just like your content). 😊 @newsmike, @vickiespencer, @misscrystal, @shayaan499, @visualstudios, @damooch916, @frank_d, @raselkhondokar, @zeus777, @miiila, @williambryan392, @yannisenglish, @callyofficial, & @vovkaslovesnyy I've seen several ideas floating around the forum about the hidden factors of becoming TRS, since it is a manual process, and wanted to see what your thoughts are on some of the ones I found: From @chrispydesigns's new user introduction post today, he stated that: From @asifhassanantue's post last month (based on conversations with his Success Manager): So based on your experiences, do you think any of the following had any bearing in your TRS promotion? Forum activity Gig price Type of gig(s) offered Seller/gig professionalism The performance/number of other sellers in your category If not, what do you think did?

Ohhh, this drawing makes me feel so much better about my own doodles! 🤣 This drawing is actually pretty versatile ... it could be cat, a squirrel, or even a small fox! Sorry @smashradio! That animal picture has taken this thread way off topic! Hmmm....I haven't used Fiverr sellers to improve my gig yet. My thumbnails looks kind of like that animal picture you have there. Well, it's a little better, but it could definitely be more professional. I'm hoping to have time this week to update my thumbnails and gig videos. I've been trying to do this for weeks and have been too busy. Maybe if I can't do it this week, I'll consider outsourcing.

Fun topic! English is my native language, but I mostly grew up in bush Alaska, so I can speak a little Central Yupik Eskimo. They did opening exercises in Yupik. I also took Yupik because that was the only foreign language you could take in school. Eskimo language is very airy and guttural, so my Eskimo teachers would often laugh at me because my voice is so high. They warned me that if I continued to speak from the nose (instead of the throat) my lungs would freeze. Luckily I never spoke long enough for that to happen! I also know just enough Spanish, Hawaiian, and Japanese to get myself in trouble. 😂 I'm terrible at languages, but I do like to learn little phrases from different languages for fun! I have Fiverr customers from 18 different countries so far, so I'd love to learn just a few simple words and phrases so I can show them that I care.

Thanks @smashradio! This is what I ended up doing. I opened an account in 2019 (I didn't even create a gig) and then came back after 2 years of learning new skills and creating a business plan. Once I knew what skills the buyers wanted, it was much easier to post my first gig and run a business. Yes, this is a big problem for me as a writer! Buyers see that my location is Japan and even though I tell them I'm just an American expat in Japan they don't believe me. I have to "prove" that I'm a native English speaker, usually by showing some of my portfolio. Even then, they are skeptical. At that point, I just have them refer to my reviews and tell them that they don't have to use my services if they are uncomfortable. I have no chance in the buyer's requests for my writing gigs because buyers immediately dismiss me as a non-native speaker once they see my location as Japan. However, this doesn't seem to be limited to just the Fiverr platform. When I lived in Utah, I would always get compliments on how good my English was. Once, a guy even ran up to me to ask, "Where are you from?" After I told him I was American, he responded, "No....where are you R-E-A-L-L-Y from?" So I responded, "Where are you R-E-A-L-L-Y from?" He was startled and said, "Uh...I'm...I'm American, of course." Well so am I! It's really hard having to prove my identity wherever I go...

@dannykojima1, You can submit a buyer's request by clicking on the "Post a Request" button on your main buyer's page. Or by clicking on your profile picture (this is also where you "Manage a Request.") The forum seems to be full of sellers asking about how to get buyer's requests, so it may be easier just to refer to the Help Center for tips: https://www.fiverr.com/support/articles/360050062693-Buyer-Request-Tips

I also noticed you have no PDFs attached to your gallery. You can have unlimited pages of your portfolio attached via a PDF. Consider attaching a portfolio of your best work to all your gigs. Just make sure you have permission to use any images that are in your portfolio. If you don't have a portfolio, create one! I used my downtime as a newbie seller to create a portfolio for my gigs (I just made up projects to display my skills).

Hi @rudra_dey! You had two orders in the last 3 weeks, which isn't bad for a new seller. Your two reviews mentioned your attention to detail and that you do great work. So keep delivering quality work to keep your buyers happy. Also, since you are a graphic designer, it would be great if potential buyers could see the projects that you do for your buyers. Projects can be displayed next to buyers' review by turning on the Live Portfolio option for each gig. Make sure "Live Portfolio" is checked. Buyers would need to approve the image when they write their review. The Live Portfolio is a great way to get more orders. I've had many buyers message me saying, "I know you do great work, I saw your work in the reviews." Then they would place an order with me.

@alex68berlin you might want to consider increasing the price of your base package ... $5 will attract the type of buyers that you are describing. You are a Level 2 seller with 140 great reviews so it may be time for your to increase the prices so that you can start attracting buyers of a higher caliber. @excel_expert the same goes for you too. You are a Level 2 seller with 863 5-star reviews. There's no reason why you need to list your services for $5. When you increase your prices (especially from $5!), you will find that buyers will respect you more.

@williambryan392 .& @imagination7413, Amazing content, thanks to the both of you for your posts! I was the first one to react to your post @williambryan392, but it literally popped up right after my 5th post of the day! ...And thanks for mentioning a newbie. 😊 Luckily there was so much content to go through that it's kept me busy. And with Listerina chiming in, things couldn't have gotten better! This post has definitely been bookmarked in my browser so that I can refer to it often and and share often. 🥰

I like this explanation! That means I've posted in the right category ... I think! 😉 Thanks @smashradio for the personal welcome! I'm following you and I've bookmarked a lot of your content. I really appreciate the time you take to explain everything in detail. These are my top three favorite! https://community.fiverr.com/forums/topic/256924-my-top-8-red-flags-when-selling-on-fiverr/ https://community.fiverr.com/forums/topic/282129-the-biggest-seller-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them/ https://community.fiverr.com/forums/topic/263159-many-clicks-but-no-sales-read-this-a-guide-to-improve-conversion-rate/ It's scary making that first post! Some newbies come to the forum expecting the forum members to take their side. I'm glad you were humble enough to take the criticism! 😊 I've been following you too. Thanks for making the forum a better place! Thanks for your key learnings! I think you are the first one. ...where's @smashradio's article about "no'? I found many articles on the art of saying "no" from @imagination7413. Thanks @fiveroptic1! I saw you on a lot of older threads but not on recent ones until now. 😊 Good to see you!

Thanks @djwaruna! It looks like you have been on the forum for over 5 years! I'd love to hear your thoughts on how you get the most out of the forum! I think the biggest benefit so far is that I've been debunking a lot of myths and biases that I thought were truths. I've been reading a lot of articles on the forum, especially this article right here on posting (thanks @miiila!) ... but I still feel I need more time learning, following, and responding to others' post before I initiate too many conversations on my own. I still can't figure out the differences between all the different categories. For example, "Fiverr Stories" and "Your Fiverr Experience" seems kind of the same to me. The Ranting Pot seems pretty straight forward and Casual Conversations seems pretty safe for posting. Right now, it's much easier to just jump into conversations that have already been started. And instead of just following or answering questions from other newbies, I'm starting to have actual conversations with people. So that's been a new and fun thing for me too. 😊

@alex68berlin and @excel_expert, the next time that happens again, have the buyer cancel the order on their end with "ordered by mistake" as the reason. If the cancelation is done this way, it will not affect your seller statistics (so please make sure it is done correctly). Sometimes when the seller initiates the cancelation (even through Fiverr CS) the cancelation affects seller statistics. It's always better if the buyer initiates the cancelation in these instances. I like how @imagination7413 explains it here: If canceled in this way, the following statement will show up on the canceled order (this is how you know you did it correctly): In order for this to work, clear and professional communication with the buyer is necessary. Remind the buyer of the scope of your package and show them how they included requirements that don't align with what you offer. Suggest that they initiate the cancelation so that they can get a full refund and provide them with the instructions provided above. You may even want to suggest how they can go about finding another seller who is more qualified to meet their needs. When approached this way, most of my buyers are grateful for my help and are more than willing to initiate the cancelation in this way.

Hi @frank_d ...Did my post trigger that comment?