Cover letter first impressions

Like applying to a normal 9-5 job, applying to jobs on oDesk requires putting your best foot forward.  The only way to impress the buyer (your potential client) to score the interview is with an excellent profile, and an even better cover letter.  When buyers post their jobs on oDesk, there are an average of 20-60 applicants...within the first 24 hours.

When the following cover letter was submitted on a job posting, it got flagged as spam by the buyer...which only left the provider asking "why" in the community forms.

Hi There; Will be able to provide this service for you! I have written
article reviews before for both websites and products. I would be more
than happy to do this for you. Native English in language and speech.
Able to start right away, samples are available if needed. Thanks

If I were the buyer in that situation, I would have flagged the application as spam as well.

I've said it time and again on the oDesk community forums: your profile and your cover letters are vital to your success at oDesk.

Be sure to tailor each cover letter to each job - this means be specific about the buyer's wants and needs.  If they ask for a specific style of writing, link to examples of similar articles you've written (if you don't have anything published, whip up a 200-400 word sample).  If they ask for a web development for a specific platform, show examples of websites you've developed using their required technology.  The more relevant examples you can provide, the better your chances are of getting the assignment.

Always, ALWAYS (especially when applying to writing jobs, for crying out loud) form complete sentences in your cover letters and double-check for typos and grammatical errors¹.  Whatever you do, do NOT use internet slang and acronyms unless referring to specific technologies (i.e. TCP/IP, DSL, CMS, HTML, PHP, etc).

Let the buyer know why they should choose you over the other (often cheaper) applicants.  If speed is your thing, explain that to them - tell them that in the time it takes you to complete the project, they will have saved XX amount because of your speed and efficiency.  If you take extra time to verify your work to make sure it is 99.999% error-free, let them know - tell them that they need not worry about the final product because everything is double- and triple-checked by you to ensure the highest quality work.

Always let them know when you will be available.  For example, I don't get up until the crack of noon, so I always let my buyers know that I'm usually available from 2pm CDT until 2am CDT.  If you are willing to alter your schedule for your buyers, be absolutely sure to explain that in your cover letter.

As mentioned earlier, most jobs receive anywhere from 20-60 applicants within the first 24 hours.  Your cover letter will be what separates you from the rest of the applicants.  Take the time to address each of the buyer's concerns, explain why you are the best applicant for the job, back up your claims with proof that you can do the job, and sooner or later you will get the job.

¹ This is my personal blog, typos and grammatical errors will always happen here.  Suck it.