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