For some freelancers, acquiring new clients is a hit-or-miss process, and many wait for work to come to them.
In the past, I’ve detailed my tried-and-true Six Point Lumpy Mailer Plan designed to put you in touch with high-value contacts at the companies you want to write for.
This Freelance Switch post details a cold calling plan that eschews the lumpy mailer step, focusing instead on calling 300-500 prospects.
The article goes into a lot of detail (scripts, etc) that I didn’t. You might find Martha’s plan more to your liking than mine.
After I left my second agency job, I made a lot of cold calls, and yes – collected new clients. Success is in the details, and Martha does a good job of outlining the steps. (Build a client profile, write a script, follow up, etc.)
I prefer my system because it’s more selective and lumpy mailers are fun, but either method will find you on the phone with your target companies.
Cold calls? Lumpy mailer?
You decide. Just don’t decide to do nothing.
Keep writing, Tom Chandler
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Except for spending a huge amount of $$ announcing the launch of my business 21 years ago to the major direct marketing assn I belonged to – which netted me 2 projects – I’ve generally worked my business network, and now social marketing, do much of the work for me.
Perhaps not the most targeted, precise approach but it’s worked more than not. Guess I like the fear and serendipity that walking out on the tightrope provides. (I did as much in my stand-up comedy days :)
Yeah, but you’re like those kids in school who screwed up the curve for the rest of us…
Seriously, every time we talk, you’re slammed with work. That’s not the case with a lot of the newer copywriters who contact me – especially who have never really given much thought to the kinds of clients and projects they want to write.
When I started I knew what I didn’t want to write and for whom I didn’t want to write. It kept me focused but still kept the field wide open for all legit products, services and companies. I loved information coming from a publishing background so I followed my own interests and passions as an additional way to focus.
Of course, if you don’t have enough clients, it might be time to become your own client, create and sell something of your own or resell someone else’s stuff. Fear keeps me moving. That’s how I ended with with 3 businesses :)
Hi Tom,
My own approach to growing my case study business has been a hybrid of the snail-mail/massive cold calling approach.
I’ve been super targeted. For example, I’ll read about a company that’s adding products or expanding into new markets. I send them a snail mail letter (to VP Marketing) indicating I read about them and now might be a good time to add some customer stories to build credibility around that product or new market.
Then I follow up with a warm call a couple of weeks later. Many saw my letter and their memories are jogged. I really prefer this over the impersonal scipted calls. People want to know you know something about their business specifically.
Casey
Casey: As the world goes online, I truly believe snail mail approaches – whether letter or lumpy mailer – add a lot of value to the sales process.
I think cold calling takes more skill, and if you have the skill it will be much more successful than mail. People find it harder to ignore a phone call than a email or post letter. The problem with a phone call is that you can only convey so much information, as the longer you talk the more the person will get bored. A letter is good because it can hold much more info and the potential client can hold onto it.
Heather: The concept driving the lumpy mailer is that mail and cold calling can be effective individually, but that a creative combination of the two is far more powerful than either on an individual basis.
Cold calling is a proven technique, but it’s also difficult for a lot of freelancers to master – meaning it gets put off (if it gets done at all). Introducing yourself via lumpy mailer makes cold calling less… cold.
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