Provider Etiquette

Alright then class, it’s time to learnt you some manners. Why are manners (or etiquette, as those napkin-using snobs you see at the bar-b-que place would say) important? The same reason you’re not supposed to keep your elbows on the table while you eat, use the fork two places left of the crab fork to dissect your TV dinner, or blow smoke in a lung-cancer patient’s face.

Some are customary, some started as utilitarian and became ridiculous, and the other–that’s just being a tool.

So, if you follow some simple rules, it should help you get a job, maintain a job, and keep you from getting a bad rating. In fact, it should directly result in your getting a good one!

Cover Letter

Gender

First off, let’s get this one straight–gender. Let’s find a random ~~victim~~ volunteer from oDesk. Searching…. Okay, here’s one. The oDesk Insider’s very own Sarah (who I affectionately refer to as S-Dawg). If you send a cover letter to Sarah with the greeting “Greetings Sir,” then you either be completely ignored, or you will be verbally dressed down until you cry. Believe me, I tried it. I didn’t get out of bed for a week.

The thing is, she puts her name in her listings, so you could go with the very simple “Hello Sarah,” or you could go with the oDesk classic of “Hello” and not have to consider gender or name. If they list their name (or you can find it somehow), then you should put forward a little effort and include it in the cover letter. That tactic will land you an interview if everyone else is sending out form-letters with an improper greeting. Also, don’t forget to spell their name correctly! Saruh probably wouldn’t like seeing her name misspelled as much as she doesn’t want to be called “Sir.”

Type of Language

When you’re reading a job listing, try to match the style of writing (to a degree) that the job poster is using. Don’t use improper grammar just because they are, but if they are using a very formal and business-like tone, then you shouldn’t write “Sup dude. Gimme a job ’cause I’m like broke and stuff, you know?” You need to always maintain a level of formality. You’re a professional, and your cover letters should express that.

There’s a few things you need to cover in your letter:

Express your interest in an interview
Briefly state your qualifications
Express your desire to know more about the project
And thank them for their time

That’s not a complete listing by any means, but it’s a good scaffolding to start with. Try to keep it to-the-point. Not necessarily short–trim the fat away. Try to cut out any words that you think aren’t really necessary to convey the message you’re trying to send and do not add to the style. What you don’t want to happen is for the buyer to see you’ve sent them a ten page diatribe and then skip over it to read the others first.

During the Job

Ask If They’re Busy

So let’s say Dave is writing an eBook called “How to Grow a Beard,” yet Dave isn’t sure if the buyer wants him to concentrate on goatees or full beards. It’s generally considered bad form to hammer out an IM to the buyer when they first get on and straight-up ask them a question. It will impress him or her if you ask if they have a moment to discuss some things. Try to save up a few questions for a short session of Q&A unless it would prevent you from going forward on the project. If you can work around a problem until you can have a little chat time with the buyer, then you will save both of you time, and the buyer (or you) will not have to be available at every second to answer questions.

Clarify Their Needs

Also, during this Q&A, Dave will try to find out if the buyer has any other information about the project that will help Dave write the eBook in the exact manner that the buyer requires. Usually, the buyer will fire off a couple statements or questions, and you will both be well-informed about what’s going on.

After the Job

Ask If There’s Anything Else

We’ll say Will just finished ghostwriting the novel he was working on for a buyer, “The Young and the Breathless: An Asthmatic’s Story,” and he just sent off the final copy to the buyer. The buyer was very impressed with the work because Will always does a bang-up job when he takes on a project. However, it’s always good to ask if there’s anything else that needs to be done–you may end up getting a few more hours out of the project. The buyer may be like, “Okay, since you mention it, I wanted a different feel for chapter 2, so if you don’t mind, comb through it again and shape up a few details.” That way, you have communicated well and are likely to get an awesome rating after the job.

Thanks For the Work!

Will finished editing that chapter, sent it back, and asked if anything else needs to be done again. The buyer said no, so Will says, “Thank you for the opportunity to work on this project. I really enjoyed it!” Politeness like that will help you get that stellar rating as well as possible work from that buyer again. You want to make yourself more memorable as being a good experience for the buyer–otherwise you’re just some nameless schmo who finished the job and said see ya. Also, at this point, you can ask the buyer if they received good service. Based on their answer, you can directly hit them up for a good rating and offer them a good rating in return if you enjoyed the experience. It’s always a bad idea to tell the buyer that you had an awful time because that will be insulting to them, and that’s also a good way to convince them to drop you a point or two down for spite.

Offer to Handle Any Other Jobs

When you finish your ratings and such, you can then hit up the buyer to see if they’ve got any other projects going on that they could use your skills for. This prospect is highly attractive to a buyer because they already know you and how you two work together, so if you did well, they would rather go with you. Sometimes, they have work now. Other times, they will never need skills like yours again. If there’s a good chance that they will need you again, keep in contact with the buyer with friendly banter so that you will be kept in mind when they need something. It’s a source of new jobs, but it’s also a new friend you can chat with while you’re both not busy.

Never interrupt them while they’re working, and don’t constantly ask them about jobs. That falls under the “being a tool” category, and they will contact you if they need your services.

Ring! Ring!

That’s the bell, so class is over. Remember: being a polite, talented provider who maintains business relationships will provide you with more work through the ratings you receive as well as continued business with buyers.

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Cover Letter

During the Job

After the Job