5 tips to help you get new customers through cold calling
By Career counseling

Today, I’m going to give you some basic strategies and tips that will help you get more clients and make more money from your freelance writing business.

We will use an effective self-marketing strategy: cold calling.

To begin with, I would like to share a short story with you…

About 10 years ago, I was talking on the phone with my brother-in-law (now ex). He was in the process of starting his own business.

He was very frustrated. He had gotten some initial business through existing contacts, but was having trouble finding new clients.

He would have potential clients on the phone through cold calling and give them his pitch. But he was having a hard time getting them interested enough to book a date.

I asked him to tell me what he told the people when he got them on the phone.

He gave me his word text.

Having worked in sales jobs where I had to book my own appointments, I knew right away what his problem was.

All he did was talk about what his company did.

This is a common mistake that prospectors make. They believe that the world revolves around them and what they do…

… when it really revolves around perspectives.

I told him what he should say instead.

This simple change in approach led his company to enter (and close) some of Canada’s largest companies, including the world’s second-largest fast-food chain and one of the largest gas stations in the country.

If you’ve never called before or feel like you need help, we’ve put together 11 tips to help you succeed:

Tip #1: Do your research – Research the company you are hiring. Search for the contact name and email address of the person concerned.

Does the company have an electronic newsletter? If they do, sign up for it (you can always unsubscribe later). Look at the websites of the competition to get a sense of what they are up against.

Look at their homepage: is it company-centric or user-centric? Are there ways you could improve it?

Note: This does not mean you will use this information in your initial call. You want to investigate first to better understand their situation before making a decision on whether you should broadcast some suggestions for improvement from them. You may not want to make recommendations until the follow-up meeting with the client.

Tip #2: Define Your Objective – What is the end goal of your phone call? If they are local, would you like to set up a one-on-one meeting? Or would you like to set up a follow-up phone meeting? A common second step would be to send your information to your prospect (via email or mail) and then schedule a follow-up call after they’ve had time to review the information.

Your goal might change over the course of the call depending on their answers, but it’s always good to have an idea of ​​what you want to accomplish each time you call.

Tip no. 3: Voicemail or no voicemail? – I rarely leave a voicemail. What I’ve found is that people rarely call you back. One advantage of leaving a voicemail is that when you call back, people will say, “Oh yeah, I got your message,” which will make the call not quite as “cold.”

When you leave a message, introduce yourself as you would if you received it in person. Then mention that you’re wondering if they’ve ever used freelance writers and if they’re the person you should be talking to. Then leave a short sentence as to why they should deal with you. “I recently wrote three emails for a client that generated $17,000 in sales in just under a week,” or something like this. Or you can quote them a customer testimonial. “My client Troy and Sons recently told me I’m the best email writer they’ve ever seen.”

Then leave your name, number and email address. Add the following line before you log out: “If I don’t hear from you, I’ll try again in a few days.” (Or “next week” – whichever is more appropriate.)

Tip #4: Call When You’re Most Likely to Connect with the Ideal People – In his book The 4-Hour Workweek, author Tim Ferriss talks about the best time to make cold calls. One of the biggest hurdles Ferriss initially faced when making cold calls was being blocked by receptionists or “gatekeepers.” He avoided them by calling between 7:30 and 8:30 (before the doorman arrived) and between 5 and 6 pm at night (after the doorman left). Ferriss says he did twice as much in 1/8 the time. In his book The Well-Fed Writer, Peter Bowerman recommends calling on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. He says Monday is usually a “get back on track” day for people, and Friday, while still potentially good, may have fewer people around.

Tip #5: Make receptionists and assistants your allies – If you get your contact’s receptionist or assistant on the phone, make every effort to create a good relationship with them. Ask them for help. Explain what you are trying to do and ask them for advice on the best time to call. Always remember that receptionists and assistants are just doing their job. If you are direct with them and ask them for help or a favor, they will (usually) do everything they can to help you.