Are you the type of freelance writer who does not like to call others on the phone? If so, you are not alone. While I believe this is something you should attempt to get over, you can mask this problem most of the time if you know what you are doing. One example of this is relying on cold emails as opposed to cold calls. Over the past few months I have heard from more and more freelance writers who are finding success through cold emailing. If you have yet to give this a try you may want to do so; even if you do feel comfortable calling potential clients on the phone.
To get started you need to know the basics:
1. Devise a good cold email script. You need to get the point quickly because the recipient is not going to waste a lot of time reading a note from somebody they don’t know. If you jump to the point you will better your chance of receiving a response.
2. Use an appropriate subject. While you want to catch the recipient’s eye, you should also remember that it is against anti-spam laws to be misleading. It may take you a while to come up with a catchy, useful subject line but it is well worth it.
3. Do not spam anybody and everybody. There is nothing wrong with sending cold emails, but use good judgment when doing so. Some freelance writers get a bad reputation because they send out hundreds of emails per week. You don’t want to fall into this trap.
4. Customize every email you send out. This corresponds with number three. If you are going to get involved with cold emailing you need to customize your notes. Not only will this help you avoid being seen as a spammer, but it will also increase your chance of receiving a response.
If you are going to try cold emailing follow the four tips above.
If you are thinking of becoming a freelance writer because you can earn “quick money†you may want to reconsider. Yes, there is money to be made and plenty of it once you become established. But at the same time, it is important to note that nothing is going to come easy. Even if you catch a few breaks along the way you will still have to do some work in order to cash in. More and more people are deciding to jump into the freelance writing industry because they feel that it is simple to get started, and easy to make a lot of money. While I agree that anybody can get involved if they have the right skills, you should never believe that making money is going to be simple.
There are many reasons to become a freelance writer and money is just one of them. But in my opinion this should not be the only factor that pushes you into this career. In other words, there is nothing wrong with wanting to make money but be sure that becoming a freelance writer will do more for you. For instance, I truly enjoy writing. Even if I was not earning a lot of money I would still stick to this career path because I have a lot of fun day in and day out. To go along with this, as a freelance writer I get to meet a lot of new people and this is something that I also enjoy. Yes, money is important but there are other reasons why I have stuck with my career as a freelance writer for so long.
Remember, there is no such thing as quick money. This holds true no matter what career you choose. If you want quick money you will have to take your chance with a lottery ticket.
Money can motivate you and hopefully turn you into a determined freelance writer. But don’t let this be the only reason for joining the industry. Instead, make sure you have more than one reason for becoming a writer. This will help to ensure a long lasting, enjoyable career.
There is no denying that working as a freelance writer is more or less a “solitary position.†In other words, you are not going to be around others for the better part of the day; unless you have family at home, of course. But even then, you will not be conversing with co-workers, bosses, etc. Through my freelance writing course I have heard from many writers who do not like to speak with clients on the phone. In fact, some members have gone so far as to say that they do not answer if a client calls. Instead, they let voicemail handle it and then email the client back. In my opinion, this is a huge mistake.
If a client is calling they are doing so for a reason. They want to speak with you in real time, and you need to be open to doing so. There is nothing wrong with missing a call for a legitimate reason. But if you are ignoring clients you are making a big mistake. Soon enough they may feel that you are trying to avoid them, or simply not interested in doing business with them. The end result is losing a client that you probably want to keep. Now do you see how detrimental it can be to avoid calls from clients?
There is a bigger issue at hand. Why don’t you want to answer the phone when clients call? Are you afraid of saying the wrong thing? Are you so shy that this is a major problem? Once you know why you are ignoring calls you can begin to work towards finding a solution. And a solution is something you need in order to fix this problem and better your career.
You need to answer the phone when your freelance writing clients call. This is a great chance to not only form a better relationship, but to also break up the monotony of the day. Get past what is holding you back so you feel comfortable answering the next time a client buzzes you!
