I was talking with a writer chum the other day when the topic of prospects came up. Prospects — those people and organizations that you want to have as clients. My friend has a long list of potential clients they have talked with and discussed projects with who could all become clients within the immediate future. Or they could mostly disappear. You never know.
What do you do when you have so many potential clients who are almost there but haven’t quite formalized the relationship?
You keep marketing.
My friend, a long-time veteran, knows this and acts accordingly. But so many freelance writers don’t. The minute someone shows interest, we drop the marketing. We wait. Impatiently. We start counting our impending income.
Please. Don’t.
I say that to help you save your sanity. Anyone who’s done this for any length of time knows that a Maybe isn’t a Yes. But we still hold out hope.
Let me illustrate why that’s a bad idea:
At a trade show decades ago (maybe 2004), I introduced myself to “Sam.” Sam’s company was exhibiting and as I talked with him, Sam told me that they were looking for some writing help. He took my contact info and asked me to email him a few weeks after the show.
I did. Crickets. Two weeks after that, I sent a follow-up. He responded and said he was sorting out an issue and would get back to me soon. Hold tight! he said.
Another follow-up six months later went unanswered.
Imagine my surprise when he saw me at the trade show the following year and again said he wanted to work with me. Get in touch after the show, he said. I did. Again, crickets. This time, no response. I followed up and got a weak, hurried response. I figured he’d reach out when he was ready.
He did. At the very next trade show. He shouted across a crowded exhibit floor and said he really, really needed my help. He was about to be promoted. He’d have more control over the budget. Shoot me an email when you get back from the show.
That was maybe 2007 or 2008. It’s 2025. Sam has yet to respond to my email.
That is why we don’t wait for Maybe to become Yes.
What do you do when a client prospect will not commit? There are a few things:
Keep marketing. Had I waited for Sam, I’d be so poor right now I wouldn’t have the money for this URL. If there is no agreement or project in hand, there is no client. Act accordingly. Hey, the worst that could happen is that you end up with even more clients, right?
Ask for commitment. In some cases, and you will be able to sense which ones those are, asking if they’re ready to test you on a small project is a fantastic way to get them over the fear of committing. Sometimes they need to see if it’s going to be a good fit. Offering to show them what you can do (for a fee, of course) on something small helps.
Keep courting them until it doesn’t make sense any longer. I can’t tell you how long that will be. You have to become adept at reading their signals. I’ve dropped out of prospects’ orbits when they’ve gone silent after seeing my rate or when they’re too busy to commit or when the language they use reveals that there’s an internal issue of some sort that’s getting in the way. If you’re two years into courting a prospect and they won’t commit, only you know if you’re spinning your wheels. I’d say you are, but I’m not you.
Stop waiting. Seriously, waiting for someone to make up their minds is fruitless. They don’t and you go mad. Move on. Sometimes, some prospects are tire-kickers. That’s fine, they’re welcome to ask and to have a conversation, but they don’t get your undivided attention, nor do they reserve the right to have you free up time for a Maybe.
Market every day. This is the easiest way to make sure you’re not waiting for nothing. Keep busy trying to find new clients. Contact existing clients. Ask for referrals. Those Maybes sting a lot less when you’re actively trying to improve your business. It makes it that much easier to let go, too.
Your turn.
What’s the longest that it’s taken you to land a client prospect? What did it finally take?
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