Dr. Freelance

  • HOME
  • BOOKS
  • WEBINARS
  • BLOG
  • PUBLISHING
  • ABOUT
    • CONSULTING
    • ABOUT DR. FREELANCE
    • ABOUT JAKE POINIER
    • CONTACT US
  • Get New Clients
  • Make More Money Freelancing
  • Manage Your Freelance Business
  • Videos
  • General
You are here: Home / Archives for sales tactics

Cold calling tips for freelancers

August 25, 2010 by Jake Poinier

Like this post? Please share it!

Cold calling is surely one of the most polarizing topics in the freelance-o-sphere. Those who love it can be downright fanatical about its strength as a tool for finding new clients and freelance jobs. Those who hate it are equally passionate about it making us no better than telemarketers.

Count me among the former. If business is slow, I can’t think of a better way of uncovering a company that might be in need of freelance writing, editing, graphic design or web services. With that in mind, I wanted to offer some cold calling tips for freelancers: [Read more…]

Like this post? Please share it!

Filed Under: Get New Freelance Clients Tagged With: cold calling tips, Freelance jobs, glengarry glen ross, sales tactics

3 reasons you should care about your sales funnel

April 8, 2010 by Jake Poinier

Like this post? Please share it!

Dr. Freelance: I get a decent number of freelance job leads, but I don’t convert enough of them, and the ones that I do tend to be on the lower end of the pay side. (I’ve only been freelancing for a few months, so my portfolio isn’t very deep.) What can I do to up my percentages?—Average Joe

Joe: Here’s where I think freelancers can use a bit of Salesmanship 101. During a stint I did as a sales manager for a magazine, we always talked in terms of the “sales funnel.” The concept dates back to the 1800s, according to this article—AIDA Sales Funnel—but even in the late ’90s it still held credence.

The concept here is pretty self explanatory, but the point is this: Even the best salespeople don’t expect to close every deal! From the sound of it, you’d benefit from more sheer volume of possible freelance jobs–whether you get them from email campaigns, cold calling, or old-fashioned networking.

The increased volume will accomplish three things:

  1. Offer you more raw opportunities
  2. Give you more practice even with those that don’t work out
  3. Provide more choice in which deals you choose to do

Ultimately, the more good clients you have, the more referrals you get–which has the benefit of bypassing the funnel process.

Like this post? Please share it!

Filed Under: Get New Freelance Clients Tagged With: sales strategies, sales tactics

Subscribe to Dr. Freelance

* indicates required

Books by Jake Poinier

Follow Dr. Freelance on Twitter!

Tweets by @DrFreelance

Categories

Recent Comments

  • Jake Poinier on A freelance pep talk and open-line Friday on 3-26
  • Joy Drohan on A freelance pep talk and open-line Friday on 3-26
  • Jake Poinier on What three business problems are keeping you up at night?
  • Jake Poinier on A freelance pep talk and open-line Friday on 3-26

Your Prescription for Success

Looking for better paying freelance jobs? Trying to improve your flow of referrals? Tired of marketing strategies that don't work? Join Dr. Freelance for one of his upcoming webinars! READ MORE.

Search

Book Better Freelance Business

Three Dr. Freelance Guides offer professional business advice for freelance writers, editors, designers, and other solo creative entrepreneurs. Whether you want more clients, better pay, more referrals, or all of the above, you've come to the right office. READ MORE.

Healthy Connections

Dr. Freelance enjoys talking shop on social media. Check him out on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or LinkedIn to hear his latest diagnosis or ask a question about your business.
  • HOME
  • BOOKS
  • WEBINARS
  • BLOG
  • PUBLISHING
  • ABOUT

Dr. Freelance: Healthy Business Prescriptions for Freelance Creatives.
All contents Copyright © 2023 by Jake Poinier. All rights reserved. Privacy. Fair Use of Content.
Dr. Freelance® and More Cowbell® are trademarks of Boomvang® Creative Group, LLC, and More Cowbell Books, LLC, respectively.