Trying to get clients as a freelancer can be tough. When starting out, I turned to oDesk. It seemed like the freelancing playground of opportunities. It excited me to see all the options available—like a dog with a bone.
I scoured the oDesk marketplace for all suitable gigs. To increase my chances, I applied to as many jobs as possible.
But being new to the platform, I didn't know my conversion rate.
I won over 85% of the proposals I submitted, leaving me eating more treats than I could handle.
I had to decline or delay some projects.
It made me realize that this was a terrible strategy. I was just too eager and didn't think it through.
If I could go back in time, I would take a more measured approach and temper my enthusiasm with iterative tests.
I would send ten applications, wait, and monitor their conversion in a simple CRM sheet.
Then, I would rinse and repeat this strategy until I had a consistent flow of work.
About Kristen Dahlin
Kristen fell into content marketing between Disneyland gigs and Hawaiian weddings. With a few years of SEO-fueled freelance under her belt, she wandered into tech. That winding path eventually landed her as a founding team member of BRIL.LA.