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Intro
Is it possible to make over $500/hour freelancing on a marketplace like Fiverr? Absolutely! I just did with one project last week, so let’s break down how I was able to do that so YOU can do the same.
Why? Because you’re worth it AND freelancing has no glass ceiling, so let’s fly - sky’s the limit.
PS- Have you joined the WAIT LIST of VIP's who get first access and $500 off when The freelancer Academy launches in Jan 2023? Show your interest and get on the list here.
Let’s get to the lesson.
You can read it in blog format here or head on over to YouTube to hear it in video format here:
How I made $500/hour last week
Before I share with you the tactical strategy to build up to an income like this, I first need to share the back story - how I did it!
If you watched last week’s YouTube video I taught you all that there are four different ways you can get paid as a freelancer: hourly, daily, by project, or by words or length. If you missed it, go watch it here.
Personally, on Fiverr I charge by project - by the value of the delivery, how many minutes I estimate the project will take, and my hourly rate.
Here’s the story. A few months ago, a buyer reached out to me wanting my help as he creates a mobility and strength fitness app from scratch. He came to me because of my Physical therapy and mobility expertise. Since this is such a large project overall, he seemed overwhelmed and unsure if what he was writing and programming for the app made sense. So he wanted to hire me as a consultant to look over his writing and write some mobility tests for him. I was happy to help!
He first hired me for a two hour writing consult in stage one of the project. A few weeks later, he hired me for another two hour writing consult in stage two of the project. And a few weeks later, he shared with me that he wasn’t sure yet if he could afford to hire me to actually film and create the app’s videos, too. So what he wanted to do was have me create three test videos for him to put into the app so he could decide which style he liked best. And then he was honest and said he may have to hire someone more affordable for all the testing videos - understandable.
So it’s time for me to quote him for order three - three short videos as a test. He wasn’t sure how long he wanted the app’s videos to be, whether he wanted talking in them, and whether he wanted to order them from me. But he knew he wanted to see one video from me in three versions. Here’s what I was thinking: since this is a test and he’s on the fence about ordering the full videos from me, let’s do a super cheap test run. Why? That way his perceived value of the test videos is super high, he is super impressed by my work, realizes that not just any personal trainer could film, edit, and teach the techniques as well as me, and ultimately realizes I am the best person to hire for the full video project. So I quoted him $100 for the three test videos (which would normally be closer to $300) and over-delivered. The result? He was thrilled, loved them, trusted me even more, and knew I was the only person for the job.
Fast forward a week later and he was ready to hire me for the entire video project. It was one order for nine edited 45-second videos. I quoted him my full price and he didn’t even hesitate- he was already sold. Here’s the thing, always quote more on freelancing platforms that charge you a commission (they take 20% of each order). So of the $__ I would make $504. Ding ding ding - as soon as that order rolled in an idea came into my head. What if I challenge myself to get these done in one hour?! How cool would it be to prove to you all how easy, fun, and freeing freelancing can be with a $500 income for one hour of work. Let’s go!
I documented the hour-long extravaganza on Instagram and compiled it together in a YouTube short for you to see here - it was so fun and exhilarating! I honestly knew I’d be cutting it close… whew!
So once the order was complete, I made $504, got a 5-star review, and established a more long-term client on Fiverr. Boom!
How did I do it?
Now that you’ve heard the story, I want to finish by breaking down the three strategies I implemented in order to get to such a groundbreaking freelancing income of $500 an hour! Listen closely because you can do this, too, easily!
Tactic 1
Prioritize amazing communication from the start. Good working relationships take time to build up trust.
Ex: For this buyer, I messaged back and forth with him for about a week straight before he even placed an order. This took about 10 minutes total of my time, but instead of getting annoyed by his desire to ask a lot of questions before hiring, I used the opportunity to impress him.
When communicating with clients, you’ll build a better seller/buyer relationship if you do these three things: be kind, be patient, and show excitement and passion for their project. Take the time to do so.
Tactic 2
Make your quotes flexible and based on the long-term objective.
Ex: Instead of quoting him full price for the little “test” videos, I thought long-term. In my head, I was like, let’s do this super cheap - it will only take me 20 minutes anyways. And I am going to wow him so much that after this, I am confident I’ll get a big order from him. It’s worth it. So I did that and am glad I did because it built up his confidence in me being the right hire for the job. And I got paid $100 ($80 after commissions) for 20-minutes of work. Not too shabby still.
Tactic 3
Sell consistently and overdeliver your orders for more positive reviews and promotions.
Ex: As of today, I have been selling on Fiverr for five years. My first year selling, I couldn’t have made $500 an hour. When you’re new in an industry, you’ve got to start small and build up over time. I did that and I also continued to stay consistent selling. My gigs have evolved over time and I’ve even added new ones based on my new passions in life! I never stopped growing. If I hit a plateau, I assessed why, made changes, and broke through them. When you stay consistent and assess your analytics, you’ll continue to get more orders. And when those orders are delivered to buyers with bonuses and extras that they weren’t expecting… they will be even more grateful and leave those 5-star reviews. Don’t worry, I’ll have a YouTube all about that at some point - my little secret. And the more orders and happy buyers you get, the more you can get promoted on the Fiverr marketplace or wherever you’re selling.
Wrap Up
In summary, communicate well, be flexible with your quotes if the client is in it for the long haul, and stay consistent with the goal of growth.
I share this story from a humble heart with the intent of inspiring you all. Anyone can do this! Freelancing and turning your passions into paid gigs and profits is freeing! And the nice part is it’s not only fun, but also easy, risk-free, and with little to no investment up front. Unlike many other jobs, you have no set hours or rules to follow. You make the rules, you work when and where you want, and you are the boss.
So are you freelancing yet or what?!
If so, get your free Fiverr Roadmap here to take action on those freelancing goals today!
Peace & love,
Steph
Thanks for reading!
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