Request For Proposal

Lately, my best clients come from referrals. In 2012, building the practice was easy with Fiverr, which had just launched and was top-ranked for website analysis and Google Analytics reporting. Clients found me. Leaving Fiverr eventually was an easy decision. Long-term clients came from Upwork. In freelancing, engagements can end at any time, but every experience has made me better.

Upwork has changed radically in recent years. Sending a proposal now feels like playing poker. The playing field isn’t level: to be among the top four in visibility, you often have to spend more Connects than the posted job value. An opportunity can appear, and before you finish a proposal, someone has already bid 50 Connects at $7.50.

In digital marketing, my proposals depend on the client’s post. It’s easier when details are clear. I also sent a Loom video introduction to show authenticity.

Last night, I sent a proposal with a video intro for a clear Google Analytics 4-Google Tag Manager project. The detailed requirements allowed me to suggest new tags to capture UTM parameters. I spent some Connects for the second position; it was reasonable. The client also listed what was out of scope.

An hour late, there was a response from the client. Initially, it felt good. The client asked to send an updated proposal because they have now decided to include it in the project scope: setting up Google Ads Manager and moving everything into the new account. Google Ads: It was a simple decision a few years ago to stop working in that space because it became too much work for what I felt was a commitment to deliver a solid return on a client’s investment.

Being always curious and leveraging ChatGPT, I gave it the project requirements because the gut reaction was that this was a lot of work, and the entire project price was out of alignment. The gut reaction was correct. The estimated hours for the Google Ads Management part of the project, to point out to whoever takes the opportunity, are practically working for free.

The advice here is that, when sending a proposal, regardless of the context, use your expertise to ask questions to ensure all requirements align with it. Additionally, if there is an opportunity to add value within the scope of work, offer it to the client.