CreatorFocus™ is a weekly digital publication that's designed to help digital writers handle the typical creative blocks we all face, like burnout, procrastination, and distraction. It's designed for realistic people who know the rewards of being a creator come with longevity and self-improvement. New editions released frequently.
🔎 What I'm Learning About Cold Outreach
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For the past couple weeks, I've been diving head-first into cold outreach. It's something I shied away for a long time... Because I thought I didn't need to do it. I thought I could "reposition" myself on Twitter and warm inbound leads would come flooding in. Despite my efforts, that never happened. With my recent cold outreach efforts, I've had some good response so far (and I expect to get much more). Here are a few lessons I'm learning: 1/ Cold outreach works Anyone who says cold outreach doesn't work... They're doing it wrong. There are many ways to do it right. There are many ways to do it incorrectly. F*ck around, find out. 2/ You must front-load value You cannot show up in someone's inbox or DMs empty-handed. If you don't come bearing gifts, you'll blend in with everyone else. Sending a sample to a prospect is worth it 100% of the time. Samples are not only ice-breakers... They also give you a chance to show your work. When you add elements of personalization to your outreaches, people are more likely to respond. Think about it for a second... When you see a mass DM show up in your inbox, it's obvious that the sender has no clue about who you are and what you're about. So you hit delete. But if someone has taken the time out of their day to edit a video for you, write an email on your behalf, or draft a tweet... Those kinds of efforts are much more commendable than, "Hey dude, I helped Bob go for $0 to $10K MRR in 3 months... worth a chat?" Put your prospect on the throne and treat them like royalty. 3/ The magic is in the follow-up Rarely will a prospect respond on the initial outreach. You must commit to follow-ups. Notice I said "ups," not "up." Follow-ups are required until you get a response (even if the prospect tells you to shove it). During the follow-ups, include additional samples... Also, film a Vento (or Loom) video explaining your samples. When you're persistent, it shows you have commendable work ethic. People like working with people who work hard. 4/ Have your systems lined up If the CTA of your cold outreach is to book a call (which it should be), make sure you've got your Calendly or TidyCal up-to-date. Make sure all your systems are working and in order. Last thing you want is a broken link in the body of your cold email or DM. Also, make sure you're prepared to collect payment during a call. Having every part of the process streamlined and in good working order shows you're able to handle client onboarding and service fulfillment. 5/ Hand-pick your prospects I'm not a fan of buying lead lists off of Fiverr. Instead, I browse social media and I look for accounts I would be interested in working with. I check to see if they could use my services. Then, I dig for their email address. I've heard of services that send out 10K DMs a day... And I hear this concept works, but it seems a bit spammy and impersonal to me. What's personal? Taking a look at someone's social, writing them a sample, being thoughtful, and showing genuine interest in their mission. You're not for everyone, and everyone's not for you. Play to individuals, not the masses. Got questions about cold outreach? My inbox is open! I'm still a total n00b when it comes to cold outreach... But I am 100% confident this is the process that'll take me to $10K per month and beyond. If you have a friend who could benefit from the ideas in this edition of CreatorFocus™, be sure to forward it to them. Until next time, |
CreatorFocus™
CreatorFocus™ is a weekly digital publication that's designed to help digital writers handle the typical creative blocks we all face, like burnout, procrastination, and distraction. It's designed for realistic people who know the rewards of being a creator come with longevity and self-improvement. New editions released frequently.
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