The truth is there is enough business out there in the world of cyberspace for any woman to make money online if she wants to. All you need are two important pieces of the puzzle: first you need to know where to look and second you need to ask for the business.
The type of clients you want to have will determine where you look for them. I think we can all agree that scanning the yellow pages in the phone book is no longer an option. Think about your ideal client, make a list of the services you want to provide, the prices you would charge and why they could benefit from your offering. From there you can start looking for your ideal client online, social media (specifically LinkedIn) is my search engine of choice however Google is also a helpful resource.
There is business out there to be found and everyone can make money online, but no one said it would be easy. I don’t know of any small business owner who will tell you that business started ringing their door bell and filling up their inbox the first day they opened their doors. No way. Making money means hustling and if you’ve got a strong work ethic you can make money online.
Start with a goal
When I started my digital consulting business Well Said Content I gave myself a goal of five prospects per week. I know that seems a little bit aggressive, but I wanted to get off to a strong start and one pitch a day sounded reasonable, doesn’t it? I knew that probably only two or three of the emails would be returned so I also gave myself a follow up goal.
I emailed or direct messaged each person twice, including the initial contact. If they didn’t respond by the second time then I moved on and set a note to contact them again in six months.
Research the company
Before you can offer services to a company you need to know if and why you need them. Don’t just pitch to big companies that you want to work with. Smaller businesses will likely be more open to working with other small business owners.
A good pitch is all about the fit so make sure to find a need and figure out why you add value to the company. Your value added can’t just be that you have a lot of experience, your prices are reasonable and you are easy to work with. Learn about the company’s products and services and tell them why your skills will benefit them, their clients and their employees.
Tailor your pitch
A good pitch solves one of two problems: it helps save money or it helps make money. Be sure to get to the point and tell the decision makers which one you can help with. A lovely pitch with a detailed plan and PowerPoint presentation is just a dog and pony show. Of course it helps show a professional image, but I like to state right from the get go how I can help. I explain how I can help increase business development through content. People like to hear that because a growing business means more money.
Choose your words carefully when sending a pitch. Notice how I said increase instead of improve because improve implies something negative exists and we don’t want negativity.
Talk to the right person
According to Entrepreneur.com making the right contact from the beginning and building a relationship with them can help grow your business. It’s also important to know your place. You have something they need but they don’t know it yet…until you pitch.
“Choose not to be the smartest person in the room. Know what you know, know what you don’t know and find the people who know what you don’t know. The smartest leaders in the world are those who surround themselves with smarter people. Investors are funding a management team as much as they are investing in a great business concept.”
Remember you don’t have to know everything about the company because a working relationship is a give and take. What you need to know is where your product and service can help the company you can brainstorm implementation ideas from there. Working together with someone is always better than working for someone.
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