Be Proactive & Take Ownership

[carlpion]

As a Senior Sales Executive and a buyer here in Fiverr, I have had the luxury of experiencing first hand on several occasions what I am hoping is just a lack of experience versus the new world order of online sales.

This site was created in an effort to bring buyers and sellers together to conduct business, but having said that, sellers need to understand that this is a highly competitive marketplace and just as in any other business, the onus is on you the seller to be proactive in showing why you are the right choice for a buyer.

If there is anything I can say, it would be the following:

Do not say you are the best, PROVE IT.
2.
Because a buyer has contacted you, don’t assume you are the chosen one. Work hard for the orders, don’t feel ENTITLED TO THEM because of your experience and rating.
3.
Show the buyer that you very much appreciate their business. Although a buyer may not say much and be happy with the last job or even post a good review, DON’T ASSUME you will get the next gig.
4.
Buyers are dealing with sellers who are real people, and they want to be able to communicate with you just like in the real world outside of the Internet or an app. If you are too busy or feel that a lack of communication is a good thing for you as a seller, well it is time to wake up and understand that IT IS NOT. If you think frustrating you customers is a good thing, IT IS NOT.
5.
In final, the biggest problem I have seen is that many sellers don’t want to take the time to collaborate with the buyers on their projects. It is assumed that because a buyer has filled in their requirements, that everything is all good.

As buyers, we are the ones contacting you to give you an opportunity to create something for us, not vice versa. We understand our business, and we understand our markets.

It is almost impossible for a buyer to fully identify their needs in the Buyer Requirement field, and I will presume that most buyers want to be able to communicate and collaborate with sellers to ensure that the end product is a home run.

Your failure as a seller to collaborate will more often than not put you in a position where you have created something that the buyer is not happy with and ultimately frustrated.

Do yourself a favour and take the necessary time to truly understand what the buyer is trying to achieve, this can only help you. If you are going to work only with the Buyer Requirements and you fail in communicating and collaborating, as I said earlier you will likely get it wrong. And if you do get it wrong, TAKE OWNERSHIP of your errors and misunderstanding. This will go a long ways in building a long term relationship.

[carlpion]

When posting comments in the forum, DO NOT include only a link to your profile. The forum is to be used solely to gather information that can improve your ability to increase sales. By adding just a link, you will infuriate those creating content.

[mynk28]

Very informative. It’ll help others too!

[dashingseo]

Hmm…nice one!!thanks

[Guest ma_sohel_rana]

Really informative & helpful

[slaven980]

Unlike other sellers here, I ll try to give my thoughts on your text. While I can agree on most of things you said, they are one sided. I’d like to point to the other side as well. (Disclamer: I am talking from graphic designer point of view.)

1. "Do not say you are the best, PROVE IT."
   That is why you can see all the fine work seller has done in gig description and portfolio.

2. "Because a buyer has contacted you…"
   Valid point.

3. "Show the buyer that you very much appreciate their business…"
   Sure, this is competitive market, there is always someone who will offer same quality for less time or less money, or better quality for more money. But I believe it is good for sellers to contact their previous buyers from time to time. It is valid marketing strategy, and we, sellers, love and appreciate OUR business.

4. "Buyers are dealing with sellers who are real people…"
   Yes, sellers are real people and sometimes they are overwhelmed with many orders at the same time (especially true for level 2 and top sellers). Losing time in chat with a buyer for 5 bucks isn’t lack of communication, but doing what was stated in Gig description in the first place. For example, my usual rate outside Fiverr is $15/hour, so, if you really want me to lose 15 minutes on communication with you and work 5 minutes on your order, you will get really bad design.

5. "In final, the biggest problem I have seen…"
   Granted, there are many sellers that will do only what is in their gig description. But, this is, as I stated before, free market. You can always contact multiple sellers that offer service you need, find one who is great in communication, and work with him/her. If communication stops after you have ordered, you can cancel your order, and find another seller.
   Also, if you want more customization than there are in gig description, you can create custom order. If you order something for $500 you will certainly get seller’s undivided attention opposing to a $5 gig.
   There is always an option of hiring new seller. They don’t have many orders, they are trying to get level one and level two status, and, generally have more time to communicate and focus on your task.

On topic on identifying buyer’s needs, in my experience, many clients don’t know what they want, just what they don’t. And that creates a problem for us. We are not psychics. We need you to tell us what your need is in plain simple manner. There is a saying in book publishing industry: “If you can’t describe what is book about in one sentence, it is a bad book.”

[joeltaylorjo]

Excellent Information…
Thanks

[bolharr2250]

I definitely agree with you’re last one. I traditionally work in Web Development and PC repair. While PC repair can be fairly straightforward, Web Dev is a completely different thing that needs lots of communication. As for some of the articles I write, I always ask questions after the buyer requirements to further understand what I’m writing. Good stuff.

[esrat12]

Helpful tips .

[q_shah]

great one !!!