I had every reason to believe the platform was dead too.
No longer a place for experts.
And unless you were willing to slog through all the changes, you’d better hang your hat somewhere else.
"Upwork’s always been a race to the bottom"
"It’s even more lowball projects and scammy offers than before."
"Garbage platform."
A couple years ago, I was getting 2, 4, sometimes 10 project invitations from Upwork clients per day. (ok, the 10 in one day only happened once.)
While others were hating on the Wal-Mart of freelance platforms, I was raking it in.
Then it seemed like overnight… invitations dried up, the algorithms changed.
Suspicious job posts. The whole connect system.
Too many things about Upwork changed.
Identifying as a ‘Freelancer’
Like a lot of the more experienced solos on the platform, I moved on. Upwork was for freelancers, not experts.
Nothing against freelancers, they're just at a different place on their journey.
Do Experts Have a Place on Upwork?
By this time, I had built a client list outside Upwork, so I stopped logging into the platform and mostly ignored it.
If you asked me about it, I’d probably say what everyone else is saying.
"It’s not worth the time anymore."
In fact I've been saying this to you since the start of this newsletter.
![5 things you need to ditch the freelance platforms [For Accelerator Days]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!d2QT!,w_140,h_140,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-video.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fvideo_upload%2Fpost%2F152567551%2F6386ba8f-ee7b-4279-a19b-27382dd2107e%2Ftranscoded-27860.png)
I truly believed Upwork had become a waste of time if you’re really good at what you do.
So I tried a little experiment.
Is there Still a ‘Hidden Lever’ for Great Clients on Upwork?
The Experiment
**Could I still cut through the noise and snag a big-ticket project on Upwork?
The ‘hidden lever’ I use boils down to knowing where to look and what to look for.
I had 1,200 connects stacked up over the last two years, let’s put ‘em to work and see.
I found 5-10 decent looking projects with high-ticket intentions. (10 min.)
Created a proposal template that positioned me as an expert, not a freelancer. (having a template process makes it easier to send multiple proposals faster). (20 min.)
Tailored a template to each project. (5 min each)
Then I hit send. With no expectations, I went on about my day.
The Results
**Within a few days, I landed not one but two primo client offers.
Fractional CMO
Email Marketing for a High-Ticket Coach
Clients Almost Instantly
Surprisingly… I only sent 5 proposals to land two great projects.
(There was a third prospect conversation too, but after an intro call, I don’t think we’re a fit.)
Not too bad for an oversaturated, race-to-the-bottom platform, is it.
Expert Solopreneurs Miss Opportunities Like This
→ Minimal extra work
→ High ROE (Return on Experience)
→ Not competing or chasing
Want to increase your rate and get better clients on Upwork?
Come to Upwork for Experts Launchpad
It’s for EXPERTS who want to make bank on Upwork. Skip the Grind. Start Landing High-Ticket Clients on Upwork Today. Join us»
Don’t Struggle on Upwork.
If you’re not getting clients, how can you lean on your expertise to make the platform work better for you?
Upwork’s not dead. Instead, I realized… like every other platform, they want to get theirs too. They want you playing the game, using your connects, using the platform.
You just need to use it smarter than everyone else.
So if you’re struggling, try something different. You might just need a few small tweaks somewhere.
3 myths that keep you from trying it out
“Upwork is only for cheap clients.”
→ Not true, which I proved to myself last week. High-value clients exist there. They're not the ones posting $6/hr gigs. You need to know what to look for and a process for filtering the ones more suited to what you offer and how much you charge.
“It’s too saturated/competitive now.”
→ Sure, if you’re blending in with the crowd. If you position yourself as an expert at something specific, you stand out.
“It’s all spam and AI job posts now.”
→ There’s junk, for sure. But there are also serious businesses with serious budgets. I found two big-budget projects in about a week. You just have to know where to look.
How Can You Do the Same?
Take Action
Here’s a simple starter framework (steal this!). I use it land better Upwork clients.
1️⃣ Be selective.
You want to curate the high-ticket projects. Take a few minutes, filter the job feed to meet your criteria and rate.
Don't just read the project title and description. Check the details, their feedback history, and everything Upwork lets you see. It's not much, but vetting new potential clients makes all the difference, especially on Upwork.
You're looking for ways to qualify that they're legit and need an expert like you (i call it ‘high-ticket intentions’).
Pay attention to red flags or you'll be sorry. (Stay tuned for more on what red flags to look for, that’s its own post.) But the obvious ones don’t need to be pointed out. If it's clear they're looking for cheap or someone to push around, keep it moving.
2️⃣ Write consultant-level proposals.
Save the “Hi! I’d love to work with you!" for the freelancers. Instead, show value, fast.
The first 2 lines of your proposal makes or breaks it, you want to shake things up, stand out. This is what's called your hook.
3️⃣ Optimize your profile for higher-tier clients.
Experts get hired. Freelancers chase.
The best clients care less about where you went to school and more about who you've worked with and the results you got for them.
If you're just getting started, whip out a couple case studies of things you've done in the past.
If you've worked with a big name client, add their logo to your portfolio section, summarize what you did for them into one sentence and use it in your profile and proposals. “I recently helped [someone] get [some result] in less than [some timeframe].”
Last, make sure your profile is about them, the client, and what they get when they hire you. Try to eliminate as many instances of “I” as possible. Avoid listing out everything you know how to do.
4️⃣ Have a proven framework.
Clients pay for predictable results, from pros. The ones I’m talking about aren’t looking for side-hustle level skills.
Showing up with frameworks you've used in the past is how you separate yourself from regulars. Especially if you can show how you’ve used specific frameworks to get the result they want. This is where the High ROE comes in.
5️⃣ Use Upwork as a tool, not a business model.
It’s great for access to clients from all over the world, but don’t build your whole business there.
Send a couple proposals that look like a perfect fits, shake your money-maker and tell em why they need you. It might take a couple tries to see what lands.
If you show them what they want, and they trust that you can bring them over the finish line, you're as good as hired.
Want to skip the guesswork and see how I do it?
If you want to get better clients and charge a premium, let me help. We’ll sharpen your focus so you stand out. Then I'll show you the ‘hidden levers’ I use to land the best opportunities.
You’ll leave with a higher-ticket service offer and new ways to get more business.
Book an Accelerator Day or Mini Accelerator Sessions.
There’s a Place for Experts on Upwork, If You Use it Smartly
The platform has definitely changed over the last couple years.
But high-ticket work is still very available.
You just have to...
know how to position yourself.
know what clients actually want.
stop competing with freelancers.
Then you can start getting a Return on your Experience.
See you there»
This is really great, Patrick. Packed with info. Could be a course in and of itself!