This past week, a young web designer reached out to me. He was looking for a few quick tips to find new clients for his freelance web design business.
Things were slow and he needed to get some new work in the pipeline.
So far, he had tried combing through a few local directories but wasn’t having much luck.
Each time he’d find a business he liked, he would reach out to them with a cold call. When they heard he was offering web design services the call would get cut off.
Cold Calling is DEAD
Just about every business in the world is bombarded by cold calls (and emails) from people trying to sell them on the spot.
From ‘cheap’ web design to social media to seo - everyone claims to be an ‘expert’, and it’s put a bad taste in the mouths of business owners.
The key is to take a low tech approach...
There are a lot of different ways to go about getting new business, however most have a long lead time.
The advice he needed had to be something that could work fast… like, this week.
What I suggested to the designer wasn’t something super sophisticated, but I do believe it was just what he needed to get things moving.
This simple piece of advice was to reach out to past clients.
You’d be surprised how willing a happy past client can be to refer you to one of their business/industry acquaintances.
A personal recommendation gets you a foot in the door and hopefully some face time with a new lead.
Plus, by reaching out to your past client you have the chance to catch up and make sure they’re doing ok with the services you had provided previously. This adds to the overall level of customer service you provide.
A side bonus is you also have the opportunity to see if they require your services for anything else, now or in the near future.
Pro Tip: Have a couple ideas that you could pitch them while you’re chatting.
Timing is key in this conversation, so don’t be too pushy or needy.
While this approach isn’t only way to get new leads fast, but it sure beats cold calling.
Post a Comment