Feedback / best practices for managing lead gen projects through Upwork?

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November 18, 2019

by a searcher from Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management in Overland Park, KS, USA

Does anyone have suggestions or lessons learned from hiring, defining and managing lead generation projects through Upwork? Thanks.

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Reply by a searcher
from The University of Texas at Austin in Fort Worth, TX, USA
I typically hire 2-3x more people than I need, given them all the same task, and see how they do on things like: leads found, false positives, speed/responsiveness, follow-up questions, etc. Then, I take the 'best' ones and rehire for the 'real' work. Yes, you end up paying for duplicate work, but it's very easy to compare apples and apples and it's an investment in what can be a longer-term relationship that is fruitful.

Agree that Google Sheets is a great way to keep track of everything. And agree with the sentiment that most want to do a great job, but are sometimes timid to ask for clarification, etc. So you make sure you watch closely and give good feedback lest you end up with tons of erroneous work and someone who thought they were doing a great job the whole time.
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Reply by a searcher
from Dartmouth College in Richmond, VA, USA
Scott, my recos (based on using Asia-based resources): write down the scope of work, what "goodness" looks like, cycle time expectations, etc., very clearly. People in some countries where Upwork folks are located are eager to please but may be coy about telling you they didn't understand clearly - or need more time. Some US verbal communications norms are not always practiced by them - but they are really trying to do their best. So just over-communicate, and if one is respectful of time differences, their national holidays, etc. (best you can) - they'll be appreciative and go the extra mile.
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