There are plenty of jobs, many of them freelance, that require you to make a cold pitch to a potential client. Cold pitching simply means sending an email to someone who hasn’t requested it and offering them your services. It can be a scary prospect, but the right kind of cold pitch can generate customers and leads.
#1 Don’t go too hard down the sales angle
This might be difficult considering the nature of cold pitching, but try not to adopt an aggressive sales-orientated tone. Rather than leaping straight to the sales pitch, try to form a relationship with the potential client first. Offer them your services, explain why you’ve chosen to email, and how you think you could help them. Rather than going for a hard sell, invite the client to email you back for further information.
#2 Prioritize the subject line
The subject line is key. It’s your crucial first impression. Get it wrong, and the recipient might not even open the email. Get it right, and you’ve got their attention from the off. Avoid keywords that make your email appear spammy (these can see you confined to the junk folder) and avoid things like capital letters and exclamation marks. Instead, focus on the service you’re offering and why you’re approaching this particular contact.
#3 Make use of your signature about Cold Pitch
Email signatures perform two important tasks. They make you look more professional, and they include all your relevant contact details, including your website, phone number, and even address. That’s vital information as you seek to establish an ongoing business relationship with a client. The best email signature design will incorporate this and potentially even more, including an eye-catching banner and a call to action.
#4 Clear pricing
The clearer your pricing structure, the better. This won’t necessarily be involved in the opening email exchange, but if the client does want to utilize your services, you’ll need to be able to tell them how much you charge as clearly as possible. A good example is copywriting. Rather than breaking down your prices into an hourly rate, simply tell the client how much you charge per word, removing any confusion.
#5 Don’t talk too much about yourself
It’s fine, and even desirable, to list your qualifications and explain what makes you perfect for the job, but don’t spend too long on yourself. Make the client the focus of the email and explain how the proposition could benefit them. You might be offering to design a new website that’s optimized for mobile, thus opening up the mobile market. It might be that you can design them a video to showcase their business. Whatever skills you’re offering, emphasize how it will benefit them.
#6 Research your contacts “Cold Pitch”
Rather than blanket emailing using a generic template, do some research on the people you’re approaching and look for areas of their business that you could help them with. Good research is the foundation of a great cold pitch. Knowing why you’re approaching a certain contact pays dividends in the long run.
