Chasing client never works
When you tell clients that you are available for work, you start the relationship on a wrong note. You start by asking, rather than giving.
Chasing clients is something that is driven by fear.
It is again driven by a scarcity mindset.
Just announcing people that “Hey, I am available for work.”, sounds desperate.
The rule of reciprocity suggests that one should never start a relationship by asking a favor. Instead, Content Marketing for One encourages us, to provide value without any expectation in return.
In the book Linchpin, Seth Godin encourages us to give gifts. This is what we are doing here. 🙂
We give value because we can.
We give value because its fun.
We give value because it makes us grow.
Remember, when you provide clients with a no-strings-attached value, do not ask them to hire you. That will change the conversation altogether.
If you give them, and then say, “Hey, I have given you this free value. Now can you please hire me?”, you have lost.
Believe me, I have tried this strategy and this doesn’t work.
Instead, just wait.
Great clients are always on the lookout of talented people to help them. If they feel the need to hire you, they will themselves reach out to you.
Do you see how this is different from Content Marketing?
When we do content marketing, we are producing generic content. But here, we are producing content only for one client.
Personalization, baby.
The first step would be to identify the client that you want to work with.
The second step is to understand their business challenges.
The third step is to provide them with no-strings-attached value.
So if you are a Social Media Strategist, prepare a Social Media Marketing strategy for the prospect, and send it to them.
If you are a copywriter, prepare a landing page for the prospect.
If you are a blogger, write a blog for them and gift it to them.
Trust me, this mere act of showing up and giving them a gift will get you on their radar. Not just that, but you will get better at your craft, as you are going deep into your work by preparing Marketing strategies for the prospects. And lastly, it is a lot of fun.
But Pranav won’t this need time?
Certainly, yes.
This is hard work, mind you. And it is fun as well.
Maybe you do this exercise for 5 clients, and it doesn’t work.
But maybe the 6th time it does.
Maybe, the client doesn’t hire you… but refers you to someone else.
The results are not in our control, are they?
But, the efforts certainly are.
I have failed with this strategy a few times. And I have succeeded a few times as well.
Anyway, I have put together a series of emails, which can be accessed by filling the form below. The intention of this email series is to share the best ways of implementing “Content Marketing for One” so that you avoid the mistakes that I made. These practises will save you time and effort.
I also have a few other client-attracting strategies for Marketers, which I would be more than happy to share with you over email.
So here we go. Subscribe to the email series by filling up this form.