One of the Fastest Ways to Gain New Copywriting Clients

Yes, it's cold calling!Unique Selling Proposition (USP) for themselves, and
As is often the case, the shortest way to success isthen contact only those companies that strongly relate
the most distasteful. But I can tell you from personalto that USP. The phone conversation might go
experience that making that call (until you get enoughsomething like this:
clients), can shave months off your start-up marketingCopywriter: "I've been looking at your Web site for
efforts.some time now and have been planning to call to
When I first began freelancing, I combined direct mailcheck the spelling of your name and make sure you're
with follow-up phone calls, so I wasn't "hard core" coldat the
calling. But even then I remember mailing 100 lettersHouston office so I can send you a letter..."
and getting no response. However, I always followedPotential Client (who is flattered and curious): "Why
up those letters with a call until I got so busy fulfillinghave you been looking at our site?"
requests for my background materials, that I couldn'tCopywriter: "Because you direct market Corvette
make any more calls.parts and accessories and I am the world's only
I always kept track of who I mailed to and who Icopywriter specializing solely in exotic cars. I felt that
followed up with. (At the time, I kept track of mywe were well matched."
campaigns with ACT contact management software).Potential Client: "Yes, it would seem so. We have to
To understand how powerful it is to make thosewrite most of our copy in house because we can't
follow-up phone calls, I recall that my most successfulfind anyone who can talk 'corvette' or handle the
campaign mailed out 100 names with no responsestechnical aspect of the writing..."
from the letter call to action.A "master salesman" knows that the highest
However, after making some follow-up calls, I had 12conversion rates come from face-to-face selling. For
viable potential new clients on my list! And with thethe master copywriter, the corollary is one-to-one
statistical rule of thumb that one in 10 will convert, Icommunication.
knew that one of them would become a new client.Marketing directors and agency creative directors
Conducting a direct mail campaign and then followingunderstand the sales process and have heightened
up the names you most want to work for is a veryrespect for the copywriter who follows its tenets...as
effective way to gain clients, as long as you havelong as the message is relevant.
unique positioning, a very strong offer, and a very goodSo if you've got the gift of aggressiveness, try cold
list. (Some of my students get about 10 responsescalling. I promise that it will evolve from awkward and
from their very first mailing!)intimidating to fun and exciting in about 10 calls. (In fact,
However, cold calling a good list will yield faster resultsthe last time I cold called I got a "live one" on call
at less cost, as long as you do it right.number 10.)
In today's world, direct marketing is a person-to-personIf you think like a salesman and view it as a numbers
activity. You need to have a good reason forgame ("I must get nine "no's" so I can get to the one
contacting someone...a reason that offers them an"yes"), you can become so engrossed in the process
immediate promise of benefit.that getting a copy job feels like an interruption.
For instance, I teach my coaching students to create a