I don’t do all my work through oDesk. Like many freelancers I use other sites too, and while I was checking out one of those other sites I came across an interesting piece of advice: Don’t put a bid in your original comment.
This was on Rent-a-Coder which uses a different system than oDesk, but it got me thinking.
Before I go too much further I’ll give you a quick breakdown of how their process works. Essentially the bidding process on RAC works like a private message board. If you are interested in a project, you make a comment on it. There is a place where you can put in a bid with your initial comment, or you can leave it blank. If the buyer likes your comment they can reply, starting a dialog. You can put in a monetary bid at any time, so if you end up deciding the project isn’t for you, you don’t ever have to commit to a price until you know what the job entails and whether you really want to do it.
There are some definite advantages to this system, especially when dealing with fixed-price rather than hourly jobs, and while oDesk doesn’t do things the same way, there are aspects of this that you can take to any site.
The simple fact that a buyer has posted a job on any site already tells you one important thing about them:
The project matters more to them than the money.
Remember, they’re willing to give up money in return for the project, so it’s the project that matters.
But what does this mean to me? You may ask.
Simple, it means you’ll have a better chance of getting this or any job if you focus on the project before the payment.
Your buyer is completely uninterested in your finances. The only thing they really want to know about you and money is whether giving you money will help them with their project. If they feel you will give them the best value for their money then you’ll probably get the job.
The other thing to remember is that if you don’t get the job the money doesn’t matter. You can be not paid any amount for a job you don’t do and you won’t get any richer.
Now I’m not saying that money isn’t important or that you should work for less than you are worth. I’m saying that you need to focus on the job first. There are some jobs I wouldn’t do for any money, and it makes complete sense to find out whether a job falls into that category before discussing money.
By focusing on the project rather than the money and communicating that to the buyer you will not only increase your chances of getting the job if you want it, but also of making it a good freelancing experience for both of you. The discussion will let you know what’s really expected, not just the basics that are in the initial posting. Once you know the details, you’ll have a much better idea of how much time and effort it will take to do the project.
This is a huge benefit when you’re considering taking on a fixed-price job. There’s nothing worse than bidding low because you thought a job was going to be quick and easy, only to find out there was much more to it than you expected, and that you’re now working for pennies on the dollar.
That’s just one pitfall you could have avoided by focusing on the job rather than the payment.
- Pay Me: A Cautionary Tale
- Don’t Obsess Over Stress
- Fixed-Price Money Matters
- Give and Take Part 2: Electic Boogaloo
- Regarding Asking Price
I love that bit about “not paid any amount for a job you don’t do”.
The most I was ever not paid for a job I didn’t do was a thousand dollars. I did some not collecting and not depositing and not spending.
Overall, it was one of the most satisfying bits of not work I ever had.