Do You Cold Call?


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I just got an email from “Leslie M.” with these very kind words:

“Excellent information…thank you for sharing your ideas, as I have the same issue with cold-calling [and]…find it hard to sell myself. Your ideas are a low-key, casual, easy-to-implement processes that will build trust in prospective clients. I like your style, and I will use your suggestions for my own business.”

Now THAT’S what I like to hear ;)

I know copywriting is often referred to as “salesmanship in print.” And that’s pretty accurate. But, for many writers, selling a client to his prospect is a world away from selling yourself to your own.

Throw in the fact that most writers WASTE all that discomfort and anxiety by not making the most of it when a handful of those prospects actually DO visit your site, and it only reinforces my belief that cold-calling is usually more trouble than it’s worth.

Comments like this just plain make me glad I decided to put this report out there.

How about you…what are your thoughts/feelings about cold-calling to build your business? Give us your take, below…

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2 Responses to “Do You Cold Call?”

  1. Patsy on November 7th, 2009 11:37 am

    I have the experience but need to find clients. I don’t know any other way of letting them know I’m out there apart from picking up the phone to direct them to my site. Do I have faith that this will work? Sometimes. But mostly I find myself starting out terrified!

  2. Danny on November 9th, 2009 11:30 am

    Patsy,

    Thanks for stopping by! And cold-calling can be effective…in two different ways.

    First, if you make a lot of calls, you will get a few yes-es. And paying work is the name of the game. However, if you have a decent, effective e-mail capture in place (like the one I outline in “No” Proof ;) , not only will you get that handful of yes-es, but you’ll start building targeted lists of people you can build relationships with over time.

    Second, hang out on writers forums or email lists and you’ll invariably hear people talk about what I call “the karma of trying.” That is, when you put the effort out there to drum up new business, new business comes… but not necessarily from the avenues you’ve been pushing. You’ll do nothing for a while and the stream dries up. Then you make 25 or 50 cold calls… and suddenly an old client pops up with a new gig for you. Or a friend of a friend wants to know if you can help with a website.

    I can’t explain how it works… but it happens reliably enough to be kind of creepy if oyu let yourself dwell on it.

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