100 consecutive 5-star ratings; 10 lessons I learned

[legacine]

My gratitude goes out to those who, directly and indirectly, pushed me to provide the highest quality of service I can muster. It’s my intention to continue my tradition of excellence for the foreseeable future.

I’d also like to share the 20 most salient lessons I learned on the way.

1. Being successful on Fiverr involves exceeding expectations (including your own).

2. More than a fair share of Buyers’ Requests are not worth responding to; several of the stated budgets for Buyers’ Requests are not commensurate with the scope of work which the Buyer is seeking.

3. Know your worth, and price accordingly. Those who don’t respect your worth will avoid you, and those who want value for money will approach you. Ever avoid offering $5 Gigs, or impose strict limits on what you’ll do for $5. If you’re inclined to negotiate prices, ensure it is on your terms only; you’re the Seller.

4. Do not use your downtime to complain about having downtime. Improve your Gig’s title, metadata, Gig description, FAQ, requirements, etc. Conduct market research. Reach out to the individuals and/or businesses which are in need of your services. Sell them on working with you.

5. Be prepared to spend money to make money. Consider the time, energy and resources which you spend on creating your Gigs to be an investment. If your Gig description is not up to par, for example, hire someone to make it so. Seeking help from more successful Sellers will not degrade you as a Seller.

6. Offer services that align with your profession and passions (if these are one in the same, that’s even better). Don’t offer a service simply because it carries potential to be lucrative. We all have talents, and it’s likely that Fiverr will cater to yours somehow.

7. Work diligently. Deliver more than what your Buyer reasonably anticipates, and if possible, deliver it faster. Several of my clients have referred to my fast delivery times in their reviews.

8. Humility. Own it, keep it. Selling here is a privilege, not a right. Respect that privilege. Stay in line with Fiverr’s ToS. Do not accept work or engage in conduct that contravenes its letter or spirit.

9. Do not offer refunds on properly completed/delivered orders. If you do the work, you deserve to get paid. The Buyer can leave a review describing her/his experience (which you can respond to).

10. Communicate effectively. Update your Buyer without prompt. Yes, you have to work, but you should take the time to talk to the individual or business who gave you that work, or allay any concerns raised.

Hopefully, this was helpful to someone, somewhere.