After posting a job ad, the responses start to come in within a few hours. 95% of the time the candidates have no idea how to reply to the job ad and will either send over:

• The same old copy-paste reply which they use for every job ad
• A vague reply in which they don’t sell themselves to me

Having been on both sides of the fence – as an employer now, and as a freelancer about 5 years ago – I’ve come to learn what makes a great response to a job ad on a freelance site such as those listed above, and I thought I’d give you a few pointers in this article to help you win any and all freelance jobs you apply for.

1. What’s in it for me, the employer?

If you’re replying to my job ad for a freelancer, you need to sell me on your skills and the benefits of hiring you. The best way to do this is with a short list of bullet points, such as:

• Expert technical writer whose written for Microsoft and eBay
• Fully dedicated to your project with a keen eye for detail
• 100% money back guarantee if not satisfied for any reason
• Fast turn around time

In the example above let’s assume I’m a freelancer trying to win a freelance job relating to technical writing. First up I “name dropped” Microsoft and eBay. As an employer this would get me thinking “wow, this guy’s written for Microsoft and eBay. He must be good, I’ll keep reading.”

Next, you’re telling me that you’re a harder worker and you’re SO confident in your work that you’ll give me my money back if I’m not happy. That eliminates all risk for me from the get go.

Finally, you’ve guaranteed me a fast turn around time, which I like because I have 100 other things to worry about and don’t have time to micro manage you.

2. Does your subject line get my attention?
When I post a job for a freelancer, 99 times out of 100 the subject line will be something like “Re: Technical writer position”. If I have 85 emails in my inbox then that wont get my attention.

Be creative with in the subject line of your email and do whatever it takes to get the attention of the person who posted the job. Here are some good examples that have worked on me:

• “You will NOT find a better technical writer than me. Guaranteed.”
• “Delete your post on eLance – read my resume to find out why”
• “I’ve worked with 2 of your closest competitors”
• “I am an expert at using your product and can write your user guide with my eyes closed.”

Compare the subject lines above to this: “Re: Technical writer position”
… and you can see what a huge difference just the subject line can make.

3. Are you a real person?

You’d be surprised how many candidates don’t include contact details in their reply to a freelance position. Just because you work from home it doesn’t mean your only communication methods should be email and IM.

Employers want to know you’re a “real” person, so to get the ball rolling and have a better chance of winning the job, try ending your email with something like this:

“I’m located in Los Angeles, California, and am able to begin working on your job right away. Please feel free to call me on 555 0199 to discuss the project any time. I look forward to hearing from you.”

Even if the person who posted the job is comfortable dealing with you via email, just showing you have an open line of communication can make a world of difference when it comes to winning a freelance job. You’d be surprised by how many offshore freelancers pose as being from North America.

I hope these 3 quick tips have given you a few ideas on what you can do to win more freelance jobs in the future. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment below!

Business cards are cards bearing business information about a company or individual. They are mostly shared during formal introductions as a convenience and a memory aid. This is the most important element of your visual identity. It’s the first thing people see when they meet you. Typically, business card includes the giver’s name, company affiliation (usually with a logo) and contact information such as street address, telephone number(s), e-mail addresses and website.

Traditionally many business cards were simple black text on white stock, and then gradually improved with color and photo business card. But now in today’s technological and graphical world, people are making brilliant business card that speaks to your profession, serves some unusual function or that transforms into something else can be a great way to grab attention and inspire those you meet. Some of the following business cards are shaped like objects, some have even have plants growing from within the card itself, some have to be constructed, come cards are actually usable tools that can be used in daily life, and some are professionally themed to speak your occupation, etc. Now no more write get the eyes open to see the great business cards.

Toothpick & mirror business card

Bottle opener business card

Shoe scoop business card

Ruler for measurement business card

Clothes pin

Pen Drive

Build a car business card. It’s it so cool……………………?

Blow the balloon

Stretch the rubber

Scratch to see

3D Plastic Business Card

Cool Cat Theme Business Card

Cool business card that combines different papers

Glided Edge for style

Metallic Ink and Metallic Hole

Stylish Embossing

Seeds Business Card

Divorce Lawyer Business Card

Marriage Counseling Business Card

Headhunter Business Card

Teeth Impressions business card for dentist

Test Choclate

Sources and some of the links for more innovative designs:

[Re] Encoded Dot Com

Creativebits

BoingBoing

Financial Hack

Static

AG Design

Flickr

Enjoy. Let’s change our business card and make it more interesting.

- Sakin

]]> http://www.sakinshrestha.com/management/marketing/business-cards-amazing-and-innovating-designs/feed/ 5 http://www.sakinshrestha.com/management/marketing/how-to-get-testimonials/ http://www.sakinshrestha.com/management/marketing/how-to-get-testimonials/#comments Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:40:52 +0000 sakin http://www.sakinshrestha.com/?p=28 Whatever business you are in, one of the best assets you can build is a databank of testimonials from satisfied clients and customers. But exactly how do you get those rave reviews that you can use to attract more clients? Here are my 6 top tips for collecting and using effective testimonials.

1. Deliver a great product or service
I know it’s stating the obvious, but the first step in getting testimonials is to have satisfied customers and clients. That means you need to make sure you have delivered on your promises and at least met, if not exceeded, your customers’ expectations. Don’t try to collect any testimonials until you have met this criteria!

2. Ask!
The big secret of getting testimonials is no big secret at all. You’ve simply got to ask. If you’ve been in business for any length of time at all, you probably already have satisfied customers who would be more than willing to give you an endorsement, if only you ASK them. I understand that you might be self-conscious about asking, so why not send a note or email along these lines.

‘Can I ask a quick favour? I’m in the process of updating my marketing materials and want to include examples of people I have worked with and how I’ve helped them. I would love to include you. Would you be willing to jot a couple of lines about how my (service/product) helped you? I’m planning to get this completed in the next two weeks, so if you could reply by (deadline) it would really help. Thanks in anticipation!’

There, now that wasn’t so difficult was it? Try it. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the responses you get!

3. Use full contact details
Have you ever seen those testimonials that are signed by someone like ‘J.V, Leicester’. Do you believe them? I don’t. They scream ‘made up!’ Testimonials simply aren’t worthwhile unless accompanied by full contact details: name, company, location, age, profession. Include as much relevant info as you need to prove that the testimonial was provided by a real person.

4. Use examples of your target audience
If you’re targeting single 20 somethings, then it doesn’t make sense to include a testimonial from a 50 year old married woman. The unspoken question many of your prospects have in their head is ‘Will this work for me?’, so they want to see case studies and examples from people who started out in a similar situation. Adapt your testimonials to make them relevant to your target audience e.g. if you are targeting working mothers include information like, ‘Sarah Smith, mother of 3′.

5. Make your testimonials more believable with photos, voice and/or video
We’ve all seen the ‘testimonials’ on TV that are actually paid actors, so it’s not surprising that many of your prospects are jaded and skeptical. You can make your testimonials more believable by using proof in the shape of photos, actual voice recordings of the testimonials and even video testimonials if you can get them. Audio Generator includes a feature for easily collecting voice testimonials from your customers. They provide you with a phone number, the client calls to record their message, then you get a simple code for uploading the audio to your website.

6. Have a system for soliciting testimonials
I know you’ve already got too much on your ‘to do’ list, and the last thing I want to do is create more work for you. The key to getting anything done in marketing is to put a system in place that automates the process. For example, send a form letter or email a specific number of days after the service, treatment or goods have been received verifying that your client is happy and asking them to provide you with their comments.

Some of the best testimonials I got for my first e-book came from a standard email I sent to every customer 14 days after they ordered the product. I just set the email up on my auto-responder so I didn’t have to think about it. It generated a steady stream of testimonials with no further action required on my part.

The bottom line is that adding testimonials is one of the most effective changes you can make to your marketing materials, so make sure you start collecting and using testimonials, starting today!

Source: Doyle, B (2007) How To Get Testimonials [Online] http://www.salesopedia.com/content/view/1285/10479/ [accessed 29/01/08]