Freelancers sometimes complain that they work hard to respond to job postings, but they never get selected. Josiah Mackenzie has some good suggestions on how freelancers can win more jobs. Among the suggestions:

Customize Your Proposal
This shows you’ve taken the time to read it. If it is a larger job, consider tailoring your resume to match the job. If a freelancer submits a customized proposal to me, I know she cares enough about my project to do a good job on it.

Perfect the Art of Persuasive Writing
Your bid is essentially a sales letter. Those who integrate the art of persuasion in their proposals are far more likely to win jobs than those who do not. Even if you don’t consider yourself an expert in sales letter writing, don’t be discouraged. The vast majority of freelancers put no effort into this, and their proposals read something like this: “Hey, I can do this job. Contact me for more info.” Hardly persuasive. Even a small amount of time invested in writing a proposal that sells your services will put you ahead of the rest who do nothing.

In order to save time, I recommend spending the time needed to craft two or three paragraphs of persuasive content that you can use as a “template”. Then take that and modify it for every bid you make.

Other suggestions include “Attach Examples from Your Portfolio,” “Encourage Communication,” and the ever important “Follow Up.”

Josiah’s most important observation:

Employers are worried about losing time and money with freelancers who don’t perform as promised. The key to successful bidding on freelance jobs is to show employers that you will provide quality work for them within their time and money budgets.

Ultimately it’s about building trust with the prospective customer. If the prospect trusts that the freelancer will do a good job, meet deadlines and stay in budget, then the freelancer will almost certainly get the prospect as a new customer. A little assurance and personal attention can go a long way.

How to Win Contracts As A Freelancer [josiahmackenzie.com]