Prospecting New Clients

A little while ago, a contact from a Seattle meetup I'm in, mentioned that the biggest challenge they have is in gaining more clients to keep a steady cash flow. Now I have several business coaches that are constantly advising me to have multiple income streams but as a freelancer and entrepreneur new clients for business is our bread and butter. This is often the question that a lot of writers ask. How do they get more clients?

There are many theories and thoughts to how to accomplish this and so many will tell you that there is "no right, one way." But in a way there is a right way to go about this. First of all, there are two types of prospecting that a freelancer can use.

1. Prospecting Calls
2. Prospecting Emails

Sounds easy enough, right? Well, there are a few things that may trip you up and make responses that much less likely to happen. The first thing I would say is to write a script or a template of sorts and when you do, make sure it is conversational. You don't want to sound like a sales piece that sounds more like you are talking at them than with them. Working in freelance is all about the relationships you hold. With that being said, consider how you would like to have someone tell you about their service that they are now offering. Do you want them to sound like a used car salesman piece or do you want them to talk to you and to see if what they have to offer can help your business? 

The second part is in your delivery. In my experience pitching an idea receives a much better response than just asking if you can help them with their writing. So many business owners don't realize the value of a good writer anymore so to have an idea that could help them increase their revenue and customer connection will be key selling points. This is where my post on finding your own niche will come in handy as it will give you an angle that few others have. Not to say that just asking if you can help wouldn't be valuable. Out right asking has just typically brought me better results with agencies and other freelancers rather than a brand.

And last but not least is the length. This is no time to show off your writing prowess. Make sure your emails and phone calls are kept short, sweet and to the point. Forbes, Entrepreneur and more have published articles on what gets your email opened. One of the biggest things on their lists is keeping the email short so that the reader could just about read the entire thing within the preview pane. Don't waste their time and get them annoyed at you before they even give you a chance by rambling on incessantly. 

Having your email or phone call personalized and direct as well will always land on more receptive ears. And keeping your correspondence conversational and simple will also add to your draw. It keeps things more even and status quo rather than as you being the end all to all their problems. You don't really know what they need or what would help them unless you ask them first and this will show them your interest. Now how to find these clients to pitch too will be for another post.

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Thanks for reading!


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