You know, with the Internet, more and more people are moonlighting as entrepreneurs (including me!). Sure, we’ve got lucrative day jobs and work from home or work a flexible schedule. It’s Gen Y invading the space of Gen X. Both generations are changing it up, breaking the rules, and doing it their way (it’s a mini work revolution) and I’d like to harness some of that great information and energy on this blog and share what I know. (I tested out as Gen Y, folks. I’ve got to use that to my advantage.)
Moonlighting entrepreneurs aren’t content working 9 to 5. They want more. They want the ability to test out their theories and their skills in a global marketplace. Why not? We’re so there. Moonlighters are talented multitaskers, think outside the box, adopt technology and new best practices early, and are very motivated. Moonlighters also are interested in everything, have to-do lists and dream lists and wishlists up the whazoo, and don’t take no for an answer.
I’ve got some ideas on starting a moonlighting enterprise, and first things first, how are you going to get clients? I’m assuming you have a product or service to sell.
How to Get Clients to Buy Your Product or Use Your Service
1. I get around on the Internet. Probably too much social networking, but for me it’s social marketing. Have you considered Facebook? Twitter? LinkedIn? You need to. This is how deals will be made in the future. You’ll meet someone online and they’ll need more writers or a website designer, or a virtual assistant. Of course, if you’ve got a plumbing business in Albuquerque, a more face-to-face approach might work for you (see #2).
2. I get around my town. I meet people. I’m involved. I have a mastermind group of fellow freelance people and they hook me up! Not just for charity events, which is a really great way to meet people who might use your services/products, but to fellow mastermind club members’ birthday parties where decision makers at large companies mingle or coffee meetings in a part of town where everyone my buddy knows gets coffee. Freelancing is more about “lancing” out and meeting people than just being “free” to watch another hour of television while the rest of the world commutes.
3. Cold calling, warm calling—this takes planning. Yes, the detested task of freelancers. But it’s the way to get clients. I have a three-step plan: I purchase dedicated lists every year for my industry and I mix it up. Some years I cold call, some years I send out marketing postcards (see #4), and other years, I send my resume packet (this got too spendy when postage started going up), but for several years it did the trick. I combined each step with a second follow-up step (see #5), and then a third if necessary. Multiple contact points gain you clients. Experts say a client needs to hear about you seven times before they will act. So set up those seven contacts within a 12-month period (or less, if you’re really willing to keep up with your marketing) and see what happens.
4. Postcards. These are a really good way to get your brand out to prospective clients. Postcards should be eye-catching (try a gorgeous piece of art on the front) and with minimal words. Postcards should send your prospects to your website, hopefully in order to get something for free (we’ll touch on this in a later post). The text on the back should be easy to read, and only three sentences. Your business info, your offer, your contact information. You need to attract them to you, so don’t overwhelm them!
5. Follow-up. Again and again and again. This is marketing at its core. Sure, it’s easy to unveil your marketing materials and marvel at their beauty, but if you aren’t following up after each contact, their stellar quality won’t help you much. It takes work, but follow-up is the biggest secret around. You can never do too much (unless you’re bugging that one potential customer endlessly; stop that!) and if you have a large pool of possible clients, doing some sort of contact everyday helps to minimize the terror of having to once again check in to see how things are going. It’s necessary and expected in today’s working world.
In future posts, we’ll discuss scripts for cold calls, follow-up tips, how to design marketing postcards, and the best places to order those postcards online.
