Most new Fiverr sellers find it hard to get their initial few orders on Fiverr. It’s hard to keep waiting after creating a gig and waiting for orders to roll in.
They can’t reach out to buyers directly either, making the whole process highly frustrating. But there is a way around that.
If you are a new seller, Buyer requests are your best bet. Or even if you once got many orders but now they have dried up, buyer requests can pull you out of the rut.
What are Fiverr Buyer Requests?
Fiverr buyers can advertise their requirement on the platform to relevant sellers through a page called buyer requests. The Fiverr algorithm analyzes the requirement and shows it to sellers with the right skill set for the job. Sellers can then choose to send a proposal with the intent of scoring the gig.
Sellers often see multiple buyer requests at a time – they can send customized gigs to those they like. The buyer can then review proposals from all sellers and choose the right freelancer based on their skill set, price quoted, experience, etc.
How to find buyer requests on Fiverr?
As a seller, you can find buyer requests in the More menu on your profile page.
This is what buyer requests look like:
How to reply to buyer requests on Fiverr?
Here are some tried and tested tips:
1. Take time to read and understand the buyer’s requirements
The common belief among Fiverr sellers is that they must reply as quickly as possible to each buyer request. It makes sense because their competitors are doing just that. But that doesn’t really pay off.
Sure, the buyers start to see scores of requests immediately, but how many do they really read? Very few.
Buyers take a glance at each proposal and quickly jump to the next if it doesn’t resonate with them. They stop at only those responses that address their pain points and do not beat around the bush.
It’s essential that you absorb what the buyers truly want before you type the first letter. Discover the pain points that you will address. It could be speedy delivery, high quality work, delivery that aligns with buyers specific needs, etc.
Your response will be based on the pain points and how you will solve them.
2. Think beyond templates
While templates help you save crucial seconds of writing, they lack depth.
They give an impression to buyers that you did not read their requirements in depth. Instead, you slapped on their screen a paragraph that obviously looks like a template – one that you shared with hundreds of other buyers.
When you take time to write a fresh proposal, it shows in your writing. Your words carry the hidden message that you care about the buyer enough to understand their pain points and answer them precisely.
If you are not good at English, it’s okay to keep a template handy. But practice writing in Grammarly to improve your skills. Get to a place where you can write new proposals quickly.
3. Start by telling how buyers benefit from your services
Most Fiverr sellers start their proposal by talking about themselves. They speak about how experienced they are and how happy other clients are with them.
Sure, they help you build trust in your services – but it’s more important to tell how buyers benefit from your expertise and what pain points your address.
The above example shows how to do that. The proposal is on the left while the buyer request is on the right. The seller starts with details on what she can offer.
The buyers primarily want to know if you can do the job – you must start by elaborating on that.
4. Match buyers’ writing style
While responding to buyer requests, observe their writing style. Do they write long paragraphs, beat around the bush a little, use colloquialism or slang, etc. and try to match it.
This step will help to build a rapport with buyers. People want to work with those who sound like them. This means you must match the buyers’ tone to resonate with them better.
If the topic of discussion or their tone is, for example, humorous – don’t hesitate while being slightly funny in your response.
In the above example, the seller writes a one-liner that aligns with buyers requirements while still being funny. This seller got an order as a result. Yes! That’s all what it takes at times.
5. Price your services appropriately
It’s commonly understood that people visit Fiverr for cheap services. But that does not mean you sell below your rates! You should never respond to requests from buyers who are obviously there to exploit sellers.
But there’s a fair chance that the buyer is new and has no clue how much things cost. In that case, feel free to tell the buyer about going rates and offer to work on their gig.
In this example, the buyer quotes a very low price and the seller responds with a higher fee. This tactic does not work usually because your competitors will work for such low prices, but you must hold your rates tight.
Similarly, if the buyers are paying too high, you can tell them that things don’t cost that much and you can provide stellar services at a much lower price.
The above example shows that a new buyer is hiring at a high rate for a service that costs just $280. This seller offered to provide equally good content at a lower price.
As a rule of thumb, quote your buyers 5% lesser than what they are willing to pay, but not lesser.
6. Share samples of your work
You have built some trust with your introduction and attracted buyers with the right pricing. Next, you must ensure that you build trustworthiness. The best way to do that is by sharing the samples of your work.
It’s ideal that you have some samples ready even outside Fiverr. It will help new sellers get orders through buyer requests faster.
In the above image example, the seller shares a sample to show the quality of their work. You can share your past work on or off Fiverr in the same way but make sure the samples are relevant to the buyer’s requirements.
7. As questions when required.
Some Fiverr buyers write very basic requirements in their request. They do not think through the sellers’ perspective. Their buyer request, thus, does not answer the basic questions sellers may have.
In such cases, it’s essential that you ask questions. By asking the right ones, you will come across as a source that knows what they are doing.
The above image shows one such example. The seller immediately asks the basic questions she needs to deliver the order if received.
8. Watch out for the secret word while replying to buyer requests
Some buyers include a secret word towards the end of their request details. They ask sellers who read it to mention it in their proposal. Their goal is to filter out those sellers who miss adding the word – as they probably just used a template without reading the request.
Even though you should read through the buyer request completely – even without secret words – you should keep an eye out for them and mention them in your proposal.
9. End your buyer request proposal with a call to action
The purpose of responding to buyer’s requests is to motivate people to get in touch with you. Buyers can either respond to your questions, get into your inbox, or place an order directly.
But they will do that only if they ask them to. You must include a CTA in your proposal telling buyers exactly what you want them to do.
The above image is a good example of adding a call to action (CTA) in the text.
Mistakes to Avoid While Sending a Buyer Request Proposal
1. Responding to buyer requests with more than 25 responses
Every buyer request gets a huge response – especially if it is generic. Sellers pump n proposals by tweaking their templates so most responses are low quality. You can still get the gig if your response looks well researched.
However, for requests with more than 25 responses, there is a very high chance that at least 1 serious seller responded to the request. The buyer might have already finalized the order – she might be in conversation.
Even if you invest time in creating the perfect proposal for the buyer request, you stand no chance of scoring the gig.
2. Poor language skills
It is okay to be less than perfect in any language but it makes a big difference when you converse with people in the tongue they are comfortable with.
If your target audience speaks a different language than you, you must learn theirs. Even if your gig is not related to it, speaking their language will convince buyers that it is easy to talk to you.
If your buyers are from an English speaking country, things become slightly easy for you. You can proofread your responses on Grammarly and it barely takes any time doing that!
3. Picking thin buyer requests
Some buyers barely put any effort into detailing their requirements. Even if they are busy, it’s important that they at least give out the basics – for a task which involves money.
If their requirement is less than 2 lines, it indicates their lack of interest in getting services. Even if you score a gig with them, they will be difficult to communicate with. They will miss approval deadlines and put that on you.
You want to work with highly interested buyers who really care about your services and are eager to work with you. Such buyers also come back to place repeat orders.
4. Over promising
Do not promise delivery in 1 day when you know it will take 2. Do not take up gigs that do not align with your skill set. When you promise something and do not deliver, you risk poor reviews.
Instead, under promise and over deliver to delight your clients.
5. Bending over backwards
New sellers and those in a rut often make the mistake of giving away too much power to the buyers. They work on painfully cheap rates just to get the ball rolling and there are way too many sellers who milk that to the fullest.
You must draw a line where needed. Be specific in your buyer request proposal on what your terms and conditions are. By sewing that into your gig requirements section while creating the gig, you can take care of that aspect too.
Why are Fiverr Buyer Requests not showing?
Here are some possible reasons:
1. You have not created a gig yet.
Fiverr serves buyer requests to relevant sellers who have the right gig category. For example, if a buyer is looking for content writers, Fiverr shows their requirements to only those sellers who mentioned that in their gig.
If you do not have a gig yet, Fiverr has no way to know about your skills and services and will not show any requests in your queue.
2. You are not checking for buyer requests at the right time.
Fiverr buyer requests show up immediately after someone submits them. You might be in a different time zone than your competitors, so your tab will show no buyer requests found till odd hours.
Try checking them at a later time today.
3. You are a new seller.
As a new seller you are yet to establish trust in Fiverr algorithm. It needs to see your activity on Fiverr, how often you edit your gigs to make them better, what you search on Fiverr, etc.
Once you establish an impression, you will be shown buyer requests too, but it’s a game of patience. You may have to wait for at least a couple of weeks for you gig to be indexed on Fiverr and for requests to show.
4. You didn’t choose the relevant sub-categories.
Through buyer requests, Fiverr matches the buyers’ expectations exactly with a seller’s skills. If buyers are using a specific category and sub-category, which is is missing from your gig meta data, you will never see buyer requests.
That’s why, it’s essential to create your Fiverr gig properly.
Fiverr Buyer Request Samples – Free to use
Fiverr buyer request sample for any category
Hello there, I have perused your requirements in great detail. I have the complete understanding and possess the required skill to deliver a service that is attuned to your taste. If you visit my profile, you’ll find raving reviews of my services from a final delivery, communication, and support perspective. Please get back to me if you want to proceed with my offer.
Thank you!
{Your name}
Fiverr buyer request sample for content writers
Hi there, I have worked as a studio head for 2 years, and am well-versed with technical aspects of music. I am not a native writer, but I am fluent in the language. Please let me know if you want me to work on your requirement. Thanks!
Fiverr buyer request sample for logo designers
Hi there, I am an certified graphic designer who creates original logos for small businesses. I am looking forward to creating the logo for your business - to your liking. Please let me know if you are interested. Cheers.
Fiverr buyer request sample for data entry gigs
Are you looking for a VA who can manage your data efficiently? Let me take a shot at it. I have worked for businesses in the same niche as yours and have complete knowledge required to fulfill your requirements. Lets talk to take this forward - I am happy to answer all your questions before delivering the perfect offer. Thanks!
Irrespective of your gig category, you must understand the buyer’s approach to hiring on Fiverr. Learn more.
FAQs
What’s the best time to check Fiverr buyer requests?
You can check your buyer requests section between 3.30 to 4.30 PM Eastern Time. You can also experiment with other time zones depending on the location of your target audience.
What is the best text message offer to buyer requests in Fiverr?
You can use the below template:
Hi there, I am a [education] graduate with expertise in [your skills]. I have worked with businesses in the same niche as yours and received stellar reviews. Hoping to connect with you on how I can deliver the best quality work to you.
How to get more buyer requests on Fiverr?
The only way to increase the count of buyer requests in by creating more gigs across different gig categories. For instance, if you are an social media marketer, you can create gigs with sub-categories as Instagram Marketing, LinkedIn marketing, Facebook Marketing, etc. This way, you match with a wider buyer profile.
How can I improve my buyer request reply message?
You must follow basic copywriting principles like keeping your message crisp, keeping it error-free, using simple words, and including a call to action. Overall, you must place yourself in the buyers shoes and type what you think they would like to listen.