What to say when you apply for a job posting? (My list of DOs and DONTs)

X-post from /r/freelance

I've been doing some research and analysis about what makes people choose one freelancer over the others. Obviously, the first (few) touch(es) matter A TON.

On sites like upwork, for example, the first touch is a "cover letter". So, considering you're not competing on price and the client is a reasonable person who doesn't call you "my freelancer", what will make them choose you over the other candidates?

Note that I'm not considering your profile in this equation.

Here is the checklist that I came up with. Feel free to contribute to it, to critique and help me improve it.

Cover letter DOs and DON'Ts

DO

• Make it easy for the client to view your past work. Attach samples. Your clients are busy. They don't have the time (and motivation) to find your portfolio and look at it. Reduce friction.
• Reference clear and specific examples of your work, e.g. not "I've worked on a dozen of these projects", but "One of the projects that I worked on is similar to yours. It was for http://xxxxyyy.com where I [did something] that [resulted in benefit for the business]"
• Mind your grammar. If you're careless about your spelling, you'll likely be careless about your work, as well. You want to sound professional.
• When the client asks "How are you going to approach this project?", demonstrate your knowledge on the subject. Outline your process, so that they can understand and appreciate it. Don't get into technical terms and details, though.
• If you noticed that you have something in common with the client (areas of interest, experience in the same industry, way of thinking), state that, e.g. Client owns a tea brand and is looking to design his website and you're a designer who is crazy about tea. Mention that. Business is done between people. If they like you, there is a higher chance that they will pick you. And there is a higher chance they will like you, if you are like them.
• Be casual because otherwise you'll sound desperate to get the job. Being desperate means you probably don't have a lot of job opportunities which probably means you don't have a lot of experience and/or you're not very good at what you do. I know not everyone is an expert, but that's typically what clients look for.
• Be friendly and supportive because clients are actually just people. They are worried and stressed. They have a business problem that needs to be solved. An expert would make them feel calmer and reassure them that the problem can be solved. You want to be that expert.
• Focus on the client, their problem and what you can do for them. Don't focus on yourself and your skills. They don't care about that.
• Offer a helping hand whenever you can, e.g. "Besides copywriting I'd be happy to talk about CRO with you and give you A/B testing ideas." First, it's bonus points for you, because you're offering consulting with your other services and you're educating your client. Second, offering consulting shows you are the expert which makes clients trust you. Third, this can lead to more work on future projects with the same client.
• Always end your emails/cover letters with a call to action. Ask the client to take the next step.
• Use a casual call to action at the end of each proposal because you don't want to look needy and desperate. Here are CTAs that read casual:

I'd like to talk with you a bit more about [your problem], and your product. Feel free to message me here, or we can chat on Skype if you want.

I am interested in working with you on this project. If you have any questions or would like to set up an interview, please reach out. You can contact me here or via email at [...]

I hope I've given you some idea of what I/we can bring to the table for this project, but if you have any questions or want to discuss your needs in greater detail, feel free to shoot me a message via PM. I look forward to taking this project to the next level!

• Try to clarify the problem you're solving. Often clients don't have a clear idea about the problem and that shows from the description. You're helping both them and yourself by pinning down the problem. vague problem = vague solution = scope creep
• Give an overview of the job that should be done. The client needs to see all the value that you're going to provide. It also shows that you have a process, so you're not doing this for the first time.
• Set their expectations right, If you can't promise a specific outcome, don't, e.g. the other day I told a client who was looking to increase his landing page conversion rate to 50% that this isn't a realistic expectation. I set their expectations and discussed other ways that they could get the number of leads they were after.
  
• Educate the client. They want to learn more about their problem and the solutions to it. Sometimes clients have a completely wrong idea about what should be done. If it's not in the best interest of their business, it's also not in your best interest. You want projects that you'll be proud of. It's okay to tell the clients that there is a better way. If they won't listen, they are not the right fit for you. Let them hire someone who doesn't care about their business.

DON'T

• Don't claim that you've worked with famous brands if you can't show it. I really hate that: "I've worked with Dell and HP and Microsoft, but I can't really show you my work." Well, then why even mention it? Anyone can say that.
• Don't focus on the tools you've mastered. They mean nothing to your client. Clients want results for their business. They don't care about your level of Photoshop mastery. They don't care how you're going to deliver these results.
• Don't sound desperate to receive a reply by saying 5 times how much you'd like to speak more with this client e.g. > I'd love to speak to you more about what you are trying to accomplish. Feel free to message me on here or email me at iam@reallydesperate.com I'd be more than happy to provide work examples upon request. I look forward to speaking with you.

• Don't end your letters with "Let me know". YOU are supposed to tell the client what the next step is. Read how to suggest a next step in Robert Walliams' awesome post here.

• Don't start with "I'm", e.g. "I'm John and I'm an online Business Accounting Afficionado, Marketing Expert, Digital Promotion Guru and a Passionate Wordsmith". Let them judge what you are from your resume and your work. Titles are okay but I-just-made-that-job-up titles aren't. Especially if you have nothing to back up your enormous claims with.

Well, that's it. I hope it will help you guys.

Edit: Added another good call to action thanks to /u/wpsesame

Edit 2: Over at /r/freelance we had a discussion about how much you should ask with the first touch. Would you push for a call?

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