# Upwork Proposal > Win Upwork proposals. Given a job description (and optionally the client's first reply message), produce a 120-180 word proposal that mirrors the JD, anchors price, weaves real proof, asks 2-3 sharp questions, and closes with a presumptive CTA. Also flags red flags, recommends Connects/boost decision, and suggests Loom or speculative micro-deliverable when ROI fits. Tuned for SkynetLabs: WordPress, n8n, AI integrations, AEO/SEO, Shopify, WhatsApp bots, healthcare, wellness funnels. Trigger when user says: "write upwork proposal", "upwork bid", "/upwork-proposal", pastes an Upwork JD, or asks to draft a proposal/cover letter for a freelance brief. - Skill: `waseemnasir2k26/upwork-proposal` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add waseemnasir2k26/upwork-proposal` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/waseemnasir2k26/upwork-proposal/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Marketing & Growth - License: MIT - Author: waseemnasir2k26 (https://skillmd.com/u/waseemnasir2k26) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/waseemnasir2k26/upwork-proposal --- # Upwork Proposal Skill — SkynetLabs Edition Goal: produce proposal client wants to reply to. Not CV-dump. Not generic. Not "I hope this finds you well." ## Inputs User provides ONE or BOTH of: 1. **Upwork JD** (full job post text) 2. **Client message** (their first DM/reply after invite) If only JD given → write proposal. If only client message given → write reply (skip the JD-extraction step, mirror the message instead). If both → write proposal that anticipates the reply concerns. If user gives neither, ask: "Paste the JD (or invite message). Anything you already know about the client/budget?" ## Workflow ### Step 1 — Red-flag scan (skip-or-bid decision) Before writing, check JD for: - Payment method **not verified** → skip if job <$1K - "Send a sample first" / "do a test task" → free-work scam, skip - Budget <20% of stated scope ($50 for "build me Uber") → skip - "Communicate on Telegram/WhatsApp first" → TOS violation + scam pattern, skip - 0 hires + posted >2 weeks → ghost client, deprioritize - Spelling/grammar inconsistencies → AI-generated scam, skip - "NDA before any conversation" → skip - "Urgent — need today" + no budget listed → panic client, churn risk - Hire rate <30% with 50+ jobs posted → shopper not buyer - Vague ("build me an app like Uber") → unscope-able, skip **Output a 1-line verdict before the proposal:** `Verdict: BID / BID-WITH-CAUTION / SKIP — reason.` If SKIP, stop. Do not draft. ### Step 2 — Extract from JD Pull these 8 signals (mentally, not in output): 1. **Stated problem** — what they typed 2. **Hidden problem** — underneath (e.g., "need fast site" = previous dev ghosted) 3. **Tech stack constraints** — named tools = non-negotiable 4. **Decision-maker tells** — "we / my team / founder / agency" 5. **Budget signal** — range, "open", or absent 6. **Timeline urgency** — "ASAP", "no rush", date-anchored 7. **Past-pain phrases** — "last freelancer", "tried before", "didn't work" 8. **Success metric** — revenue / speed / launch / compliance Reflect **2 of these** in the opener. Never all 8 (parrot territory). ### Step 3 — Pick the proof point (Profile→Proposal bridge) From your real builds, weave ONE per plan-bullet. Rotate from this bank: | Niche | Proof point | Live URL / receipt | | ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | | WordPress | A custom companion plugin, HMAC+replay auth, kills ZIP uploads | your-personal-site.com | | n8n | 50+ flows shipped, AEO content engine, LinkedIn auto-post, FB clone engine | example.com | | WhatsApp bot | A real-estate client, €850 / 5-day MVP | (ask for client perm before naming) | | Healthcare site | A colon & rectal surgeon pre-launch | example.vercel.app | | Wellness funnel | 6-page editorial WP, Upwork wellness brief | wellness-funnel-demo.vercel.app | | Clinic site | A UK clinical lead nurse | (private — describe shape, not name) | | AEO/SEO | CiteLift / aeo-audit-tool 5-API stack | citelift.app (in build) | | Local-services | A home-services NYC quote-funnel | (private — case study OK) | | Demo-first habit | Builds free demo before pitch | shows in pattern, not bullet | **Rule:** ONE proof per bullet, woven, not stacked. Live URL > screenshot > claim. Never list >2 URLs in proposal — clients click 1. ### Step 4 — Decide: Loom and/or speculative micro-deliverable **Loom worth it when:** job ≥$1K, scope is concrete, client has ≥1 prior hire. 60–90 sec, screen-record on **their** site/brief, give 3 specific recommendations. **Speculative demo worth it when:** - job ≥$500 - scope concrete (a site, a flow, a funnel) - client payment-verified - you can ship demo in <2 hrs **Neither when:** vague JD, $50 budgets, "send samples first" requests (free-work scam), 0-hire ghost clients. If recommended, say so in **Meta** block (after proposal). Don't actually build the demo until user confirms. ### Step 5 — Draft proposal (120–180 words) Skeleton: 1. **Hook** (2 lines, ≤25 words line 1) — mirrors job, never starts with "I" 2. **3-bullet plan** — each bullet = action + "Done = ..." outcome + woven proof 3. **1 proof artifact** — inline link, not "see portfolio at end" 4. **2-3 sharp questions** — micro-demo of expertise (see Q-bank below) 5. **Price anchor** — concrete number + scope + timeline 6. **Presumptive CTA** — choice-based ("two ways to start: A or B"), signed first name only ### Hook templates (pick the fit) - **Mirror + claim:** "[Specific JD pain] is almost always [diagnosis] — fixable in [timeline]." - **Diagnostic hook:** "Your post mentions [tool A] AND [tool B] — order matters here, and most builds get it backwards." - **Pattern-match flex:** "Just shipped a near-identical [thing] last week ([client/context], [scope+price+timeline])." - **Specific compliment:** "Your brief is already 80% spec'd — rare. Only gap I see is [X]." **Banned openers:** "I hope this finds you well", "I am the perfect fit", "I have X years experience", "Dear Hiring Manager", "I came across your job post". ### Question bank (pick 2-3, never lazy) **Lazy (banned):** "What's your budget?" "When do you need this?" "What's the goal?" **Sharp:** - "Is the [WhatsApp bot / chat flow] routing to a human after qualification, or fully autonomous?" - "n8n self-hosted or cloud? (Changes credentials approach.)" - "Existing GA4 + Search Console access, or do we set up tracking from zero?" - "Shopify theme — Dawn-based or custom/legacy? (Affects upgrade path.)" - "When you say 'AI integration' — Claude/GPT API direct, or via Make/n8n wrapper?" - "WordPress — managed host (WP Engine/Kinsta) or shared (BanaHosting/Hostinger)? Affects deploy method." - "Is the success metric leads, bookings, or revenue? Build sequencing changes." ### Pricing language (anchor, never apologize) - **Anchor:** "$2,500 fixed for the scope you described — [scope items], [revisions], [timeline]. Done = [observable artifact]." - **Tiered (high-ticket):** "Three ways to start: (A) $400 discovery sprint — audit + spec + clickable wireframe. (B) $1,800 build — implements A. (C) $3,500 build + 30 days post-launch support." - **"What's your budget?" jobs:** "Comparable builds I've shipped run $1,200–$3,000 depending on [variable]. Happy to scope to either end once I know [Q1, Q2]." - **Hourly defense:** "$65/hr, capped at 25 hrs for this milestone — over is on me." - **Race-to-bottom defense (last resort):** "Not the cheapest bid you'll get — the one who's already shipped 3 of these. If lowest price is the brief, no hard feelings." ### Closing CTA — presumptive close **Banned:** "Looking forward to hearing from you", "Let me know if interested", "Hope to chat soon", "Best regards / SkynetLabs Team." **Alive:** - "Two ways to start: 15-min call this week, or I send a 2-slide plan tomorrow — your pick. — [Your Name]" - "Want the demo URL? Reply 'yes' and it's in your inbox in an hour." - "If [Q1] is yes, discovery doc to you tomorrow. — [Your Name]" - "Worth a 10-min call Thursday? I'll come with the wireframe pre-built." ### Step 6 — Output format Always output in this structure: ``` ═══════════════════════════════════════ VERDICT: Reason: ═══════════════════════════════════════ PROPOSAL (paste-ready): --- --- META: - Word count: - Connects: | Boost: - Loom: - Speculative demo: - Red flags found: - Anticipated client objections: <2-3> - If they reply "what's your timeline / when can you start": ═══════════════════════════════════════ ``` ## Reply mode (client already messaged back) If user pastes a client reply, switch to **reply mode**: - Mirror their last message in line 1 (quote a phrase or restate their concern) - Answer ONE concern fully, not all of them (avoid wall-of-text) - Always end with ONE forward-motion question - Length: 60–120 words, plain text, no bullets unless they used bullets - Match their formality level (formal client → formal you; casual → casual) ## Hard rules - Never start a proposal with "I" - Never write more than 200 words - Never list more than 2 URLs - Never use "Looking forward to hearing from you" - Never quote a price as a range without the upper-bound logic ("$X–$Y depending on Z") - Never offer free trial week / first task free / money-back guarantee - Never lie about a build (no fake metrics, no invented clients) — see [feedback-no-fake-claims](../../projects/C--Users-info/memory/feedback-no-fake-claims.md) - If naming a real client — only first names or shape ("a real-estate developer", "a UK clinical nurse"), never full client identifiers without permission ## Quality checklist (run before delivering) - [ ] Opener doesn't start with "I" - [ ] Opener mirrors ≥1 specific JD detail (not just rephrases JD) - [ ] 3 plan bullets, each with "Done = ..." or proof link - [ ] Concrete price stated - [ ] 2-3 sharp questions, no lazy ones - [ ] CTA is presumptive, not "looking forward" - [ ] Word count 120-180 - [ ] Signed "— [Your Name]" not "Best, SkynetLabs Team" - [ ] No fake claims / invented metrics - [ ] Loom + spec-demo decisions stated ## Connects economics (for Boost decision) - $0.15/Connect. Standard bid = 6C ($0.90). Competitive = 10–16C. - Plus plan: $19.99/mo, 100 Connects. Worth past ~50 bids/mo. - **Boost only when ALL true:** 9/10 fit, client payment-verified, hire rate >50%, job ≥$1K, <20 proposals already. - Healthy reply rate: 20–35%. Below 15% = hook or targeting wrong, not volume. ## When to invoke User says any of: - "write upwork proposal" / "upwork bid" / "draft a proposal for this Upwork job" - "/upwork-proposal" - pastes an Upwork JD - "client just messaged back, what do I say" - "help me reply to this Upwork client" ## When NOT to invoke - Generic cover letter requests (LinkedIn, email outreach, RFP) — different game - Existing client comms inside an active Upwork contract — that's not a proposal - Fiverr gig descriptions — different platform mechanics --- **Reference:** Full research synthesis in `playbook.md` (loaded only if user asks "why" or wants deeper teardown).