You’ve taken the plunge to start your own freelance copywriting business. Now you’re the boss, calling the shots and setting your own schedule.
There’s just one challenge, though. You need clients – ASAP– so you can stay the boss!
When you’re just starting out, where do you find your first customers to jumpstart your business?
Tapping Your Warm Market
Ask yourself this question: Who are the people most likely either to hire you or send you good referrals? Yep, those are the people you know – your "warm market." How do you approach them and get the word out? The first step is to build your initial list of warm contacts.
Here are 10 questions to stimulate your thinking:
1. Who are your personal friends – and their friends?
2. What about your school connections? Brainstorm a list of classmates, teachers, fraternity brothers, club members and so forth.
3. Who are your business connections? These include former employers, employees and customers.
4. Who are contacts within your civic activities? Are you a member of any civic clubs like Optimist International, Rotary or Kiwanis? What about fellow church or synagogue members? Think of all the organizations you belong to.
5. Who are your contacts in trade associations you've been a part of over the years?
6. Who are the trades-people/ professionals you know? Include folks like your lawyer, pharmacist, doctor, dentist, plumber, insurance agent, hairstylist, mechanic and even your babysitter or nanny.
7. Who are your neighbors – both past and present?
8. Who do you know through your sports and hobbies, such as hunting, fishing, running and golf?
9. Who are the people you know because of your home? These contacts include your mortgage lender, real estate agent, builder and so forth.
10. Who are the contacts you have through you and your spouse's families?
You know quite a few people, don't you! Now, how do you leverage this list to land your first customers? Here are a few cost-effective ideas to get you started:
- Send a personal letter or email and follow up with a phone call a week to 10 days later. In this letter, announce your new business. Create interest and excitement in what you're doing.
- Use the telephone. Call some folks to "catch up." Find out what they're doing and then share about your business.
- Set up breakfast, lunch or coffee meetings. Set it up as a "feedback session" where you present your writing service in a low-key manner as a way to solicit feedback from the person. At the end of the meeting, ask the person for referrals to people who might benefit from your offering.
The Bottom Line
While social media tools such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter can be very useful and efficient for brainstorming potential contacts and reaching out to them, they tend to be more passive forms of marketing and take a significant amount of time to bear fruit. So, keep your social media efforts going, but also be proactive. When it comes to building your freelance writing business, there is no substitute for face-to-face (in person or via Skype) or voice-to-voice meetings with your "warm market" -- to deepen those relationships and reap benefits for all parties involved.
What has worked for you in landing your first clients?
Share your ideas and experiences in the comments below.
About the Author: Sean M. Lyden is a nationally recognized feature writer and columnist on sales, marketing, automotive and technology topics. As a ghostwriter and copywriter, Sean has served clients such as General Motors, SunTrust Service Corporation, Morgan Stanley, Embedded Linux Consortium and Shaw Industries. He’s also co-author of the book How to Succeed and Make Money on Your First Rental House (Wiley, 2003). Follow Sean on Twitter.
© Sean M. Lyden, 2012, All Rights Reserved
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