Today’s the day! There’s still time for you to register and attend the Unlock Your Hidden Profit Potential Webinar, starting today at 1 pm PT/4 pm ET. Anne and I intend to deliver solid information and have fun in the process. Bring your questions and join us. Click on the link to your left.
Busy day yesterday. I spent the morning sending out magazine queries and follow ups, then in the afternoon I followed up on 12 LOIs I’d sent a while ago. I did some editing of our Webinar materials, and knocked off at 3:30. I had one urgent request for client work, but turns out it was in Chicago and they needed someone in-house. That’s one hell of a commute for a three-week gig. Not that in-house appeals, but the project sounds sweet. Shoot.
As I waded through those LOIs that I sent out in rapid-fire succession back in March/April, I realized I didn’t follow my own rule. Oh, I marketed just fine. And I was following up. But I didn’t keep it simple. I mean, 25 LOIs in one week. Seriously. That’s a ton of follow up.
I like to follow up at a set interval after I’d sent out my initial communication. That means this week, when I have the least amount of time, I’m churning out 25 quality follow-up emails. It’s more than that, but if I count it, I’ll start whimpering. So yesterday afternoon, I cruised websites of 12 of these contacts to make sure I mentioned anything new they may be doing in my note.
I remember telling you guys a long time ago to contact seven existing clients and seven new ones every day. I modified that to mean seven follow-ups and seven new communications. However, I got a little rambunctious right before the conference. I wanted to reach as many exhibitors as possible. And now I’m paying for it.
So here’s a more simplified method of marketing that won’t kill you or make you curl up quivering in a corner:
Touch base with those seven clients. Or those six clients or two clients. Find a number you can handle. The temptation when you’re light on projects is to overdo it. Just remember your zeal now will be your headache in a few months.
Schedule your follow-up. I chose this week to get back in touch with people I’d contacted in mid-March. Two months, in my opinion, is a good length of time between communications. You aren’t pestering them, but you’re staying in touch should a project be available.
Chart it. Open that Excel sheet and put down the name, company, phone, email, and three or four columns titled “Date.” Each time you get in touch, track it. And make a column for notes to keep you straight on what each response was.
Do it whether you want to or not. There’s a good chance one of those 25 clients I contacted meant to get in touch but forgot. I’d rather take a nap when I think of the work ahead of me, but I’ll wake up to the same pile of loose ends. Dangle a reward – the minute you finish your quota for the day, you can take a walk/get some ice cream/call your sister.
Connect in simpler ways. Some of those follow-ups yesterday (eight of them) were via LinkedIn. The clients whom I’d met in person or talked to in more than one email I connected with. I’ll know from their response (or lack thereof) if they’re interested. It’s a good way to whittle down the list for when I follow up in two more months.
Find seven more clients this week to contact. Or three more. Or two more. Remember to be realistic about your own ability/willingness to keep up with yourself.
How do you simplify your marketing? Do you often forget to follow up?
11 responses to “Simplifying”
My Pitch Log helps me follow up on time. I check it at the beginning of each month and see what needs follow-ups from the designated month, and that way, if I've missed something, I can catch it there.
It takes a bit of time to stop and log every pitch, but it's worth it in terms of follow up and response.
It's like a Submission Log, but just for pitches. If something is assigned, it's noted, and then the rest of the info goes into the submission log.
Mmm, a nap. How about a blog on napping, Lori? I could certainly use one.
I used to do that, Devon. Somehow I let that go by the wayside when I pitched less and worked with regular clients more. But it's a smart idea.
Joseph, I don't think I'd stay awake long enough to finish it! LOL
I don't forget to follow up, but sometimes I put it off way too long when I'm busy with other things. I like Devon's method of a log for pitches and contacts to help organize things. I actually started doing that a while back, but I don't think my spreadsheet was easy enough to use, so I got frustrated with it and quit. Well, now I know what needs to go on my to-do list 🙂
Here I go again with my low-tech system….
I have two simple, hand-scrawled "logs" (no one can say I'm not doing my part to keep handwriting alive!). One tracks my key daily activities – what queries or LOIS I send, to whom, etc…; work submitted; invoices sent; edits completed; requests for guidelines and ed cals and so forth. The other tracks income and business expenses that comes in handy at tax time.
I also have a simple phone log for tracking long distance work calls and expenses. I have one controlling client that wants to know how many times I tried to reach a source and what days the calls were placed. I go one better. I can tell the time I called and approximately how long the call lasted and if I left a message
Like I said, these are all simple, handwritten records that help me track my work activities. When I send an LOI, I scrawl a note on the week-at-a-glance calendar sitting on my desk. Last week I mailed an LOI to a trade magazine that sounded like a perfect fit for me, and I made a note to e-mail the editor Wednesday to make sure she got it. I didn't need to. She e-mailed me first thing Monday. Sounds promising!
Paula, if it works, it's perfect. I still use a paper filing system to keep track of my earnings. I print out invoices and stuff them into manila folders. Whatever YOU like is best, in my opinion.
Ashley, spreadsheets make me crazy, too. I have to remember to open them. Since I'm not in Excel every day….
Posts and comments like these confirm my suspicion that I am The World's Most Random Freelancer®. I can be extraordinarily organized when I need to be…but somehow that doesn't happen very often.
*slinks off, guiltily.*
Oh, don't be sad, Jake! I think randomness has a place in freelancing. I'm exhibiting my Germanic tendencies. I'll be back tomorrow with a more Irish fly-by-night attitude. 🙂
Please assure Jake he's not the only random sort of freelancer… but I will say that tracking works. Of course, I've got a whole different client base than you do Lori, so my followup is usually pretty simple… is the stuff for myself… my blogs etc. that can get random… then I track.
I do it on computer because I can't read my own handwriting…
I'd love to try your tracking system, Anne. I may be overwhelming myself with mine.
What communication method do people use to follow up, the phone or email?
I feel like the phone is better but email is less stressful.
Great post – I was thinking about how I need to follow up today for my recruitment website.