Now that you’ve located your potential clients, it’s time to make contact. But how? I would strongly advise against contacting folks only through email. Why? Emails are easy to delete and even easier to filter into a Spam box. You need to make sure someone at the appropriate level sees it. We’ll be using email, but not right away.
Finding Contacts
Actually, the first step is to locate the right person for your information. This info may be readily available on the websites you’ve visited, but if not, find a phone number and call and ask who makes the decisions on contract work. Get a name and a title. Then get busy.
What to Send
You’ll be mailing your information to these people. What to include: a brochure (easy to make thanks to any number of publishing programs – even Word can handle a rudimentary brochure), a business card (I get mine at VistaPrint.com, which are free for the cost of shipping – I pay extra for a nice logo), and if you’re feeling especially generous, a Rolodex card. I get mine at Staples and they make a great impression, as well as give folks a reason to save your information.
Brochure basics: Your services, the benefits of using your services, and your contact information. I would not recommend any pricing information. Much of this work is going to be priced based on your estimate of how long it will take you to complete the job (and you’re going to charge at least $100 an hour, so let’s not scare them off just yet). If you need more help, pick up a copy of Peter Bowerman’s The Well-Fed Writer and take a look at his examples.
If you are interested in a cohesive look, you can upload your brochure to VistaPrint and have the same logo on it that your cards have. Their pricing is really incredible and the compliments you’ll receive make it worth the nominal price. Plus it’s all a business deduction, so invest in your business, will ya?
Mail it Off!
On to mailing. Once you’ve got your materials together, make a label document with your clients’ addresses in it. This will save you doing it when you continue to market to these people, for these are not one-shot deals, but your ongoing list of targeted clients. Remember that it takes a person three or four times seeing your name to recognize it and at least 14 times to remember it. Stay in front of them.
Dialing for Dollars
Mail ‘em out. Wait seven days. Now call them. Go on. Don’t be shy. Call them and say something like this:
“Hi, XXX. My name is YYY. About a week ago I sent over a brochure describing my writing services. I offer writing, editing, proofreading and consulting services. I was wondering if you’d seen it and if you had any questions.” Pause. Then say, “Are there any projects currently that I might be able to help with?” If the answer is no, say, “I understand. Still, I would like to visit with you in person to gauge how I can help your company. May I treat you to lunch, or would you like to meet onsite?” If the answer is still no, say, “Okay, I appreciate the time you’ve given me. If I can help you at any time, please don’t hesitate to call or email me.” Hang up. Grab a notecard (of your choosing, though many use Thank You cards), and immediately write a note thanking that client for speaking to you, and reiterate your desire to help him or her if the need arises. Include another business card.
Repeat the process in two months.
For every twenty calls you make, you may get lucky enough to get one job immediately. That’s okay. While the end goal is work, the process is to build relationships with what will most likely be future clients. When do you stop marketing to them? Never. They may say no to you for the next ten years, but in year eleven, the owner may want to write a book and will come looking for a writer. Who better than the writer who never gave up?
You will find people who flat-out refuse you because they have staff writers. Say “I’m glad to hear that. Should you ever need to fill a gap when someone goes on vacation, I’d be happy to help.”
There will belligerent ones who will sound totally disgusted to have to talk with you or will hang up on you altogether. Fine. They deserve the same cordiality no matter what they say. Unless they literally light you on fire, you’re going to smile as you say “thank you” and then bitch wildly after you hang up. They still get a “Thank You” card, for you never know what kind of day your call interrupted. You may never get any business from these people, but you’re leaving a better impression for trying and for remaining professional. Even the a-holes talk to their network of colleagues, so keep in mind how many people could hear about you secondhand and form an impression. Make it a good one.
Tomorrow: Ongoing Marketing
OMGosh! Why does that sound so overwhelming? I know it’s necessary but WOW! That’s a lot of information.
It’s really not, hon. Let me go back and break it up into subheads. Maybe that will help.
I’ve got to design and create a new brochure.
I also find a lot of my initial ideas for whom to contact out of phone books — when I travel, I take a look at the yellow pages and copy out companies who do the kind of work in which I’m interested. And then I go back and write to them.
Someone I know always suggested including TWO copies of the business card (which is irrelevant if you include a Rolodex card). That way, they can keep one and hand one on to someone else on staff.
Devon Ellington
Ink in My Coffee
http://devonellington.wordpress.com
Hi! Just found your blog..I am now just beginning to jump into freelance writing. I am newer than new. I currently write for patch.com…that's it. That's all I got. I am willing to break in anywhere. I would write a newsletter for a nursing home if it paid…could you give any ideas on what companies would need. Like who needs what? Who needs me to offer them help with newsletters? Who may need articles? What if I have no past experience….I'd rather not be laughed at…
Welcome, Sarah!
First, you need to know that no one is going to laugh at you. Not clients, not writers here (if they do, I box their ears!). You write for Patch, so you have clips already. I get that they're not paid (or grossly underpaid), but so far Patch doesn't seem to have the same stigma as the content mills.
You ask a very broad question. All companies need something at some time. See? Tough to answer. I suggest this — since newsletters are your focus right now (things can and probably will change at some point), try reaching out to local companies. You already have the local writing experience (thanks to Patch), and you can put together some of your best articles in a portfolio and present them to potential clients.
Clients who need newsletter usually need one of two types — business-facing or customer-facing content. Let's use the example of an insurance agency. They need a newsletter for their customers to give them helpful advice, fun news, and to mention new products. They may also need a newsletter for their agents or for local businesses. For agents, they want to know how to sell more insurance, improve their customer service, get more training, etc. For businesses, they want to capture their commercial insurance business — maybe contractor business, for example.
They need you because they're not writers. Remember that. You have something they don't — concentrated skill in writing. Using the same insurance example, you wouldn't just buy insurance without thinking. Same with writing. They may want to or think they know how, but they lack either skill or time to do it.
Does that help?