How to command respect as a Fiverr Seller and prevent being bullied

[thepromogirl]

As many of you may know, becoming a successful Seller takes alot of work: you have to market yourself to get new Buyers. Being a freelancer means that you have to manage not only your own finances, but your projects and time as well. Juggling more than one client or a large project can be difficult for some, especially when Fiverr is only a part-time Gig for some.



When many first decide to work on Fiverr as freelancers, they sometimes receive offers from potential clients pertaining to rates for Gigs, despite what they advertise. The amount of work that would have to go into the work and the meager earnings that they expected will make a many jaws drop.



Some of the prices being offered for a Gig compared to the amount of time and effort Sellers would have to put in can be insane, but don’t be afraid to command earning power.



To help Sellers harness the respect it takes to be a freelance, I’ve provided a few simple strategies that will help you build your career as a freelancer in an honorable way. These tips can help secure your position as a freelancer who not only commands respect for their work with clients who undervalue what you do, but help match you with Buyers who are like-minded and create a long-term working relationship here on Fiverr.



1) Have and express confidence.You need to believe that you can accomplish something in order to get it done. If you suffer from a lack of confidence, it will show in your work. Knowledge is power when it comes to feeling confident, so always be sure to stay up-to-date on the latest programs, Fiverr features and tools that can impact and improve the work you offer.



Confidence will also keep away bullying Buyers that target new Sellers or Sellers who lack confidence in themselves or their work. Having confidence will help keep bullies like these at bay. Bullies often look for someone who will react to their words or actions, and will often target those who aren’t confident or assertive. But Sellers who shrug off verbal attacks, stay professional and show confidence will be undesirable targets for serial bullies.



Important: Posting or sending adult, illegal, rude, abusive, improper, copyright protected, promotional, spam, violent, nonsense or any uncool stuff is strictly prohibited and is a violation of Fiverr policy. If you are on the receiving end of abuse, Fiverr wants to know about it! Be sure to fill in a support request in the most relevant category (Order related, Account related, Misc.) for the team to review.



Many of us have experienced bully buyers and the best way to prevent them from continuing with their actions, or from bullying someone else is to report it issue directly to Fiverr. Unless Fiverr is made aware of what is going on the community, they can’t address it. If you see something, say something! By being proactive in your community, you help it become a better place for everyone. 🙂



2) Don’t be afraid to refuse low offers. When starting out, it can be difficult to gauge how much time a particular project can take to complete, but thankfully Fiverr’s Gigs start at a base of $5 and they have expressed in their blog posts that they should take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes to complete. They have set the standard for you! Prior to creating a Gig, ask yourself if the work you wish to provide can be done in this length of time? If not, don’t be afraid to offer a simple Gig (for example, a simple one color logo creation) for the base price. You can always provide more through your Gig extras.



Be sure not to get ahead of yourself with listing Gig extras right away! Before listing every possible add on, complete several orders, get a feel of what your Buyers would like as Gig extras (as well as the time it would take to complete each) and do your research. Again, it’s important to educate yourself.



This way, when a Buyer contacts you and is asking for work that is a) well below the price noted on your Gig or b) takes more time to complete, you can respond back quickly with confidence and discuss the details of the project and what that project actually costs. If the Buyer refuses to appreciate what you’re charging, don’t be afraid to part ways. Should this be an issue, go back to number 1!



3) Associate yourself with positive people. Thanks to the Fiverr forum, surrounding yourself with like-minded freelancer who know their worth and command respect is easy. It’s also great for your confidence. Remember: “You are the company you keep.”



It’s easy to fall into negative conversations or arguments (not just in the forums, but your personal life as well) which can inhibit not only your mind, but attitude as well. As a result, it may seep into your work and the communication you share with your Buyers or other Sellers in the community. When possible, steer clear of negativity!



Always do your best to surround yourself with other users that believe that quality work deserves quality pay and that positivity breeds success. While happy people don’t have the best of everything, they do make the best of everything they have.



Commanding respect as a freelancer is all about making good choices for yourself, such that people sense your confidence, business acumen, and passion here on Fiverr. Once you set the bar, people will respect what you do, because you do it well and with pride. Know your worth and don’t be afraid to express it!

[inet_solutions]

True stories!

[doubleu]

Great advice, especially the bit about waiting for a few orders before building your gig extras. Thanks for the pep talk!

[landongrace]

I would recommend a strategy of not spelling out alot of gig extras. Have your $5.00 offer and a $25.00 offer. If their needs are different offer to send a custom quote after reviewing their needs. Larger project pricing doesn’t always scale with the word count easily. For example 1000 words of voice over is more time consuming per word than 100 words. We have a tendency to want it to be cheaper. There are alot of factors like consistence of voice that make the project more difficult and it may need to be at a higher rate per word.