How to make less sales

[capitalquality]

I’m going to turn the usual Fiverr forum posts on their heads. My problem is, how do I make less sales? If your problem is the same as my problem, this is what I do.

Problem: have my working hours on Fiverr be consistently between 3 and 5 hours a week during NZ summer (excluding activities I can vary according to my schedule, such as the Forum).

Note that in my situation:

• With no limitations on buyers finding me or my gigs, I spend at least an hour a day managing messages, including doing estimates for custom orders
• most of my orders are custom orders and most orders take between 3 and 7 hours effort to deliver
• I don’t mind a 0 hour week occasionally, but can’t easily manage more than 7 hours in a single week
• about 30% of my orders come from repeat buyers

This is the strategy I’ve found works well for me to manage time to get the most consistent number of low working hours every week. I turn them all on if I want to severely limit my orders, or one or two if I just need a bit of breathing space. It won’t work for everyone, and this assumes that time is more important to you than money.

1. Turn on vacation mode so you don’t get found in the searches (Note: it’ll take at least a week after you turn this off before you start getting messages from new buyers again so time it carefully). This greatly reduces time spent processing inbox messages. I turn this on and off quite regularly, like a tap to manage workflow.
2. Pause all your gigs to stop anyone, including regulars, ordering anyway. This might be overkill but I’ve found it helps. Sometimes pausing just some of your gigs works to eliminate the more complex or time-consuming gigs for a while.
3. Add something to regular clients deliveries saying you’re reducing your hours but you’ll be available for regular client orders and they should contact you if they have anything. Don’t spam them if you’re not already delivering for them. Chances are they’ll message you anyway if they have something for you to do.
4. Put delivery times that represent how many hours a week you want to work. Remember your conversion rate (messages to orders) will be a lot higher with regulars.
5. if it’s going to take you too long to estimate a custom job, or deliver a custom job, don’t be afraid to say ‘No’, delay the start, or suggest splitting the work into more manageable chunks
6. Be a stickler for your own rules, even if it upsets others. Only you know what you can compromise on. If you can’t compromise, don’t.

[wordandrecord]

Well that’s a first…
I have yet to meet anyone on fiverr who is struggling with too many orders 🙂
However, I totally get it, and it can get overwhelming at times. The whole idea of this platform is to give you freedom, which is exactly what you are doing. Great job 🙂
Enjoy your gig vacation !

[lisabaarns]

Makes sense to me for those with limited time.

Another option for those who have time restrictions is use the “Limit Orders in Queue” setting on “My Gigs” page (right below your gig).

That allows you to set a max limit for the number of orders in your queue. Your gig is automatically paused/un-paused based on your current order queue.

Might be a better option than manual pausing, but that’s up to you. (Not something I’ve ever used.)

[capitalquality]

Makes sense to me for those with limited time.

Another option for those who have time restrictions is use the “Limit Orders in Queue” setting on “My Gigs” page (right below your gig).

That allows you to set a max limit for the number of orders in your queue. Your gig is automatically paused/un-paused based on your current order queue.

Might be a better option than manual pausing, but that’s up to you. (Not something I’ve ever used.)

That is a good point. Thanks for adding it as it may work for some.

Personally, it didn’t work for me because my orders vary so much in the time it takes to do them. Some may be 15 minutes, some hours.

[writer99025]

Well that’s a first…

I have yet to meet anyone on fiverr who is struggling with too many orders 🙂

However, I totally get it, and it can get overwhelming at times. The whole idea of this platform is to give you freedom, which is exactly what you are doing. Great job 🙂

Enjoy your gig vacation !

What? Haven’t you seen my posts for the last 1 year?

[writer99025]

I’m the master of making less sales…been on vacation mode or limit orders for 6-7 of last 12 months and now have a 29-day delivery 🙂 But I’ve made only little less in 2016 than in 2015, when I went crazy and did over 1200 orders. My strategy has been fewer orders, bigger orders, regular clients.

[wordandrecord]

What? Haven’t you seen my posts for the last 1 year?

Nope. Care to share ? 🙂

[writer99025]

Well that’s a first…

I have yet to meet anyone on fiverr who is struggling with too many orders 🙂

However, I totally get it, and it can get overwhelming at times. The whole idea of this platform is to give you freedom, which is exactly what you are doing. Great job 🙂

Enjoy your gig vacation !

That was in response to the comment:

I have yet to meet anyone on fiverr who is struggling with too many orders

[dijatul]

You are so lucky . When I am struggling to get orders , that time you are thinking about less orders. Bravo …

Its called luck . Nothing else. Wish I have the opportunity to gain lots of orders.

but I am trying my best . All the best to your less order … Thanks for sharing with us

[nzrajput]

@capitalquality You can simply limit the number of orders you can have in a queue. That way you do not have to pause your gigs or turn on the vacation mode.

I hope this helps.

[capitalquality]

I’m the master of making less sales…been on vacation mode or limit orders for 6-7 of last 12 months and now have a 29-day delivery 🙂 But I’ve made only little less in 2016 than in 2015, when I went crazy and did over 1200 orders. My strategy has been fewer orders, bigger orders, regular clients.

I would like more clients, smaller gigs. I’ve found that my average hourly rate for anything over 3 hours work is around 25% to 50% less than basic orders because buyers have a limit on what they’ll pay for a function or feature, irrespective of how much effort it is to create it. I love basic gigs because I can fit them in around real life. I wish I got more of them. If anyone has any bright ideas on how to do that, other than saying no to every bigger order, I’ll lavish undying love on you.

[capitalquality]

@capitalquality You can simply limit the number of orders you can have in a queue. That way you do not have to pause your gigs or turn on the vacation mode.

I hope this helps.

someone already suggest that. As I said, there are reasons that doesn’t work for my circumstances unfortunately.

[deesajn]

Price rise might be the solution.

[capitalquality]

Price rise might be the solution.

What I do works for me, hence the post. I’m already one of the highest priced in my area according to some of my customers as they go ahead and order from me anyway 🙂

[miiila]

Are you still on vacation, or do I need to clear cache and stuff lol I wanted to look at your gigs to see if I get any idea on how to make smaller chunk gigs out of them, but I guess you´ve been down that road yourself already anyway.

Maybe a separate 24h gig for something you know you can do quickly, and so if you don´t have time for any 24h anythings, you could pause that gig separately? No idea if there´s a long ‘recovery phase’ for paused gigs like for vacation, I think the official statement is that it takes just 15-20 minutes for a paused gig to show again, but what ‘show again’ in detail means is another question.

[capitalquality]

Are you still on vacation, or do I need to clear cache and stuff lol I wanted to look at your gigs to see if I get any idea on how to make smaller chunk gigs out of them, but I guess you´ve been down that road yourself already anyway.

Maybe a separate 24h gig for something you know you can do quickly, and so if you don´t have time for any 24h anythings, you could pause that gig separately? No idea if there´s a long ‘recovery phase’ for paused gigs like for vacation, I think the official statement is that it takes just 15-20 minutes for a paused gig to show again, but what ‘show again’ in detail means is another question.

I’ve paused all my gigs anyway on top of putting vacation mode on - it’s the most hidden I can find to be so you will never find me! evil laugh.

Half of my gigs are fairly basic but often the gig is just an entry point into a custom request.

And I’ve found it takes a couple of weeks after I turn vacation mode back on to get a decent volume of new work again, but luckily I don’t care. 🙂

[icewarm2]

You are definitely under pricing your gig. Don’t be afraid to raise prices even if your gig is already more expensive than all your competitors. It just means that your quality and service is very good and people are willing to pay for it.

Your ultimate goal should be to get less clients, but higher value work. It’s ok to lose a few budget customers and concentrate your effort on the ones that are willing to pay what you are worth.

[amandawallace88]

This are great tips for anyone who is an expert and gets a lot of orders. I’m new here. So I’ll just bookmark your post for future purposes.

[mae_creativity]

I’m the master of making less sales…been on vacation mode or limit orders for 6-7 of last 12 months and now have a 29-day delivery 🙂 But I’ve made only little less in 2016 than in 2015, when I went crazy and did over 1200 orders. My strategy has been fewer orders, bigger orders, regular clients.

@writer99025 Hi 🙂

I could swear that a year ago I read - Fiverr does not allow you to be on vacation mode for more than 2 weeks per year.

Now that I’ve read ur reply here, I am wondering whether or not I actually read that, or if it was in a dream?

p.s. If me reading a forum post is what I dream about . . . well. … I’m not proud of this at all.

p.p.s. Hmm, actually maybe I am proud of that - my waking life is so interesting, therefore my dreams are boring?

Whatever. Mainly wanting to know about the vacation limit thing.

Thanks

[writer99025]

@writer99025 Hi 🙂

I could swear that a year ago I read - Fiverr does not allow you to be on vacation mode for more than 2 weeks per year.

Now that I’ve read ur reply here, I am wondering whether or not I actually read that, or if it was in a dream?

p.s. If me reading a forum post is what I dream about . . . well. … I’m not proud of this at all.

p.p.s. Hmm, actually maybe I am proud of that - my waking life is so interesting, therefore my dreams are boring?

Whatever. Mainly wanting to know about the vacation limit thing.

Thanks

I don’ think there is a limit, or maybe there is, but I didn’t know, but still took vacation mode 🙂

[prolific_write]

Hi everyone,

If you are one of those that are looking for less order on fiverr, I think there’s still one thing to be done. There are many out there who are good, experienced, professional, and looking for these orders to come. It is a matter discovering them through trials. Once you have this orders, they can help out in fulfilling them while you have your time to yourself and the same time have something on each other for monitoring them in doing it. Try to make impact in people’s lives and let them remember you for good. Just a piece of advice.
Thanks.

[catwriter]

@writer99025 Hi 🙂

I could swear that a year ago I read - Fiverr does not allow you to be on vacation mode for more than 2 weeks per year.

Now that I’ve read ur reply here, I am wondering whether or not I actually read that, or if it was in a dream?

p.s. If me reading a forum post is what I dream about . . . well. … I’m not proud of this at all.

p.p.s. Hmm, actually maybe I am proud of that - my waking life is so interesting, therefore my dreams are boring?

Whatever. Mainly wanting to know about the vacation limit thing.

Thanks

It’s 2 months (unless the have changed it), not 2 weeks. 🙂

[mae_creativity]

@writer99025 Hi 🙂

I could swear that a year ago I read - Fiverr does not allow you to be on vacation mode for more than 2 weeks per year.

Now that I’ve read ur reply here, I am wondering whether or not I actually read that, or if it was in a dream?

p.s. If me reading a forum post is what I dream about . . . well. … I’m not proud of this at all.

p.p.s. Hmm, actually maybe I am proud of that - my waking life is so interesting, therefore my dreams are boring?

Whatever. Mainly wanting to know about the vacation limit thing.

Thanks

Thanks for clarifying. That’s good news - I wasn’t dreaming about this forum.

Does anyone know the definitive answers for:

1. Is it 2 months total? I mean - you can set vacation mode for 2 weeks in December, and 1 day in January, etc.?
2. When you’ve been on vacation mode for 2 months, does your profile just automatically go back to normal mode, or does Fiverr punch you in the face (delete your account or something like that)?

Thanks, May 🙂

[catwriter]

It’s 2 months total.

It doesn’t automatically go into normal mode, you have to turn the vacation mode off manually.

[writer99025]

It’s 2 months total.

It doesn’t automatically go into normal mode, you have to turn the vacation mode off manually.

Yeah, guess that’s why my Gigs are down in the search results. Fiverr does not give you any warning that you are using up your vacation mode or anything. It just puts you down in the search results.