By Michelle Schooling

I met a new friend yesterday. She runs local small business start-up and is also a freelance writer. We were discussing freelancing, bouncing ideas off one another and enjoying the company of another writer in person.

I told her I get quite a bit of work from a site called Elance.com. She rolled her eyes a little and said, “Yeah, if you can even get your first job or two on that site! Getting started is the big hump you have to get over on Elance. I still haven’t done it!”

I was a little surprised to hear that, first, because I know that she has been writing longer than I have and secondly, because I hadn’t had much trouble getting started there at all. I’d like to share with you nine tips that have enabled me to snag clients almost right away, virtually each time I apply.

I only apply to jobs that I know are directly within my wheelhouse.

If you don’t know the term wheelhouse, it’s fancy business slang for skill-set. I wasn’t “in the know” about this particular word until recently, so if you didn’t know it, don’t feel bad, and if you’re snickering at me because it’s old hat to you, then good for you. Snicker away. J I have digressed; now back to the job. When choosing jobs to apply for on Elance, I specify my search. After clicking FIND WORK and then the Search Jobs tab, I streamline by picking only the specific categories that apply to my abilities. The All Categories list on the left side of the page is where you can do this. For my job search, I choose Writing and Translation, and then check the boxes for Article Writing, Web Content, E-Books and Blogs, Creative Writing and Academic Writing. I then go to the top of the page to Elance’s search bar and put in the keywords that I would like to write about. This brings up a list of jobs that I have specific knowledge about already, enabling me to write more efficiently (faster, so it makes me more money) and more accurately (great information for the client who then loves me for this reason).

I apply specifically to each application. I DO NOT copy and paste.

I have heard from clients that they are tired of receiving applications from writers who have obviously not even read their job posting all of the way through, if at all. I am NOT part of that crowd. I read job postings thoroughly, absorbing the information to get a feel for what my client is looking for (Freudian slip there) I mean, my POTENTIAL client. J Then I address each and every detail in my proposal.

I use affirmative communication techniques

You won’t find phrases like, “I hope you write me back” or “if you are interested” in my proposals. I consistently use phrases such as, “I look forward to hearing from you!” and “I look forward to working with you!” This kind of communication implies confidence as well as a sense that working together is already “in the works”; it’s a given.

I am truly passionate about my work

I honestly love writing. Better yet, I honestly love writing about the job posting topics that I choose to apply for. This radiates to my clients through my writing and better still, through my voice and face during a Skype call, which brings me to my next tip.

I make myself available through Skype.

Skype is a wonderful tool. It’s free and it allows your potential clients to see that you are a real person, not some pretender who won’t actually have the skills to deliver the goods. There’s just a higher level of communication available when you can video chat or even chat without using Skype’s video function. Voice inflection and tone says a lot (no pun intended).

I use my intuition

Everyone has intuition. If you think you don’t have it, then you aren’t listening quietly enough. When our brains are full of other things it’s difficult to hear that little “voice” (it’s more of a feeling in my solar plexus for me). When I am applying for a job that I shouldn’t be, I get this squirmy feeling in my chest, an annoying little squiggle that tells me to pay attention to the red flags. Sometimes it’s a sinking feeling in the area just above my belly button. Whichever feeling I get, I can tell that it’s not good. The red flag I should be paying attention to may be that this client is asking for WAY too much work for the amount that they are willing to pay. It might be that I know that I will need to do a LOT of research for this project, because I’m not all that familiar with it, and in the end that high dollar amount being offered as payment will be a lot lower per hour than I should be getting in order to pay my bills. Whatever the red flag, my intuition lets me know what jobs NOT to apply for. Thankfully, it usually tells me what jobs to apply for as well! I get a solid feeling in my chest, it feels firm, comforting, and I just know that this client and I will get along amazingly and I’ll get paid for great work. If you haven’t discovered how your intuition communicates, I encourage you to give it a try.

I use my impeccable language skills

Clients love great language skills. My native language is English and since I was a child I have always loved playing with it. Over the years, reading many, many books, I have developed (and am still developing) an extensive vocabulary. I translate this knowledge into my writing along with the more learned skill of punctuation. Punctuation does not come as easily for me as grammar. I use Word Doc’s Review function to further correct my writing, but I’m finding that lately, there aren’t too many mistakes! I’ve come a long way in 2 years!

I brag. Quite a Bit.

I have to admit that I do not hold back anything when it comes to relating my knowledge and experience. This part is always easier when the writing jobs that you are applying for are well within the scope of your writing and real life experience. I use it all. I do this as tastefully as possible, of course. I strive to come off as confident and competent rather than narcissistic. I relay my expertise as a tool that the client will be attaining to relay pertinent and necessary information to their readers.

I attach sample material that is as closely related as possible to the client’s needs.

This one is pretty self-explanatory. The client wants to know that you can do what they’re asking. This is an effective way of proving that you can meet their needs.

In summary, I would like to say thank you for reading and allowing me to put all of this down in writing. I have discussed these things with my clients who have confirmed that the methods I was using were what drew them to me. I love to network with other like-minded folks nearly as much as I love to write. Feel free to send me an email, or connect on LinkedIn.