Getting Clients without Cold-Calling?

16 replies
I work a full time job and go to school free time, I only end up with about 1-2 hours of freetime a day and it's never during business hours.

My goal is to get 1-2 website jobs per month, but I just don't have the time to go around and do cold-calls or cold-walkins.

I am considering other options, possibly postcard mailings, direct mail, craigslist, etc.

Are there ways to get clients without cold-calling? I thought about outsourcing the cold-calling but why would someone want a cut of a sale when they can just keep the client for themselves.

Any advice?
#clients #coldcalling
  • Profile picture of the author redlegrich
    Find a sales person and pay them a cut of the biz. There are plenty of free lancers out there, look on CL. If you have a recurring revenue model that would be way more attractive to a sales person.
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    • Profile picture of the author Josh Range
      Originally Posted by redlegrich View Post

      Find a sales person and pay them a cut of the biz. There are plenty of free lancers out there, look on CL. If you have a recurring revenue model that would be way more attractive to a sales person.
      Why would someone want a cut when they can take the whole thing? Especially if they have the skills or knowledge to outsource the work, or even yet do it themselves.

      I tried a JV offering 50% commission rates and was told the same thing over and over again, why would someone want to do the work for you to only get a cut of the pay?

      I did try offering the recurring monthly payments as well, if I charge a client $50/month for maintenance and hosting, then I would pay out $25/month to whoever brought me the sale.
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      E-Commerce, Web Design, & Mobile Website Services
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      • Profile picture of the author akazo
        Originally Posted by Josh Range View Post

        Why would someone want a cut when they can take the whole thing? Especially if they have the skills or knowledge to outsource the work, or even yet do it themselves.

        I tried a JV offering 50% commission rates and was told the same thing over and over again, why would someone want to do the work for you to only get a cut of the pay?

        I did try offering the recurring monthly payments as well, if I charge a client $50/month for maintenance and hosting, then I would pay out $25/month to whoever brought me the sale.
        Josh, some people are sales people and some are website designers, and some just want to manage the process. Place an ad on CL for a salesperson and you will get people who will do it. Finding good ones that are trainable and will stick to it... that's a bit harder.
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        • Profile picture of the author ginnysclub1
          As anyone who has attempted to recruit and train sales people (especially commission only sales people) will agree that it can be a difficult task.

          Unfortunately, the ability to recruit commission only sales people is counter-intuitive.

          Originally Posted by akazo View Post

          Josh, some people are sales people and some are website designers, and some just want to manage the process. Place an ad on CL for a salesperson and you will get people who will do it. Finding good ones that are trainable and will stick to it... that's a bit harder.
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  • Profile picture of the author mckennabrowny
    Josh, when I started my biz, I was phasing myself out of another and I got home at 4:00 pm every day and called until 6:00 pm.

    Thank of businesses where the owner always has their cell phone on them. You will be surprised at how many of them put it on their websites. Think about handymans, limo drivers, and fishing charters. There a lot of businesses you can get a hold past 5:00 pm. Not sure what hours you are free, but there are ways man. Craigslist works as well.
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  • Profile picture of the author AmericanMuscleTA
    Direct mail works wonders!!

    Do a 3 step campaign to small businesses you see doing a lot of advertising. Maybe you want to send out some 3D self-mailers. Send something unique. Use large postcards... something to get noticed.

    Direct the prospects to a website or video to catch their contact info.

    Give them a reason to respond, now!
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    David Hunter | Duke of Marketing
    www.DukeOfMarketing.com
    www.BibleAndFriendsYouTube.com

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    • Profile picture of the author kruger7
      Originally Posted by AmericanMuscleTA View Post

      Direct mail works wonders!!

      Do a 3 step campaign to small businesses you see doing a lot of advertising. Maybe you want to send out some 3D self-mailers. Send something unique. Use large postcards... something to get noticed.

      Direct the prospects to a website or video to catch their contact info.

      Give them a reason to respond, now!
      Would you say the strategy is to convince them by putting a link on the postcard/mail and then they go to that, and then your site has to convince them, or should you make the actual mailing itself convince them?
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      • Profile picture of the author AmericanMuscleTA
        Originally Posted by kruger7 View Post

        Would you say the strategy is to convince them by putting a link on the postcard/mail and then they go to that, and then your site has to convince them, or should you make the actual mailing itself convince them?
        Direct them to a squeeze page, video, 1-800 recording, something where you can collect their contact info.

        First step is just to get them to raise their hand, then move them through the funnel.
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        David Hunter | Duke of Marketing
        www.DukeOfMarketing.com
        www.BibleAndFriendsYouTube.com

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        • Profile picture of the author kenmichaels
          Originally Posted by AmericanMuscleTA View Post

          Direct them to a squeeze page, video, 1-800 recording, something where you can collect their contact info.

          First step is just to get them to raise their hand, then move them through the funnel.
          almost there ....

          Put together a cd or a booklette - better yet both.
          After you get all the info via the squeeze page offer to send them
          the info.

          Tell them the info is free but you need to charge them 5.99 for shipping and handling.

          Only accept a credit card.

          Have the info littered with your phone number and reasons to call you.

          ---

          On your confirmation page tell them you will be calling to confirm
          the order is legit.

          The day they order. Call them. Sell them.

          Or you can be lazy and lose half your sales and let them call you.
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          Selling Ain't for Sissies!
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    • Profile picture of the author celente
      Originally Posted by AmericanMuscleTA View Post

      Direct mail works wonders!!

      Do a 3 step campaign to small businesses you see doing a lot of advertising. Maybe you want to send out some 3D self-mailers. Send something unique. Use large postcards... something to get noticed.

      Direct the prospects to a website or video to catch their contact info.

      Give them a reason to respond, now!
      very good tip! It works. :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author thejimy
    Josh, consider this:

    Postcard mailings and similar things are not any different than cold callings. It's again a "cold call", just through a different media.

    Let me explain why.

    I have been in the websites business for more than a decade and I was once there, where you are now. I have been struggling to get customers. I have tried a lot of methods and most just didn't work.

    Think a moment you would run a restaurant and offer chinese food. Now, would you reach out and try to get those in your restaurant, that want italian food, the ones that want indian food and so on? No, restaurants never do this.

    There is a good reason for this. You have to seek out the people, that are already interested in what you have to offer!

    So, before you even consider, which method you are going to use, stop there and think a moment, what are you going to offer. Think in that way, that you are going to offer a solution to those seeking to solve a specific problem. So, which problem is the one you are going to solve for them?

    Once you point this clearly out for you, naturally you are going to be able to say, which customers would be really interested in your offer.

    From there, it's a small step to find out, where those customers might be looking for these services. THAT's where you have to approach the customers you want and won't waste your some hours in the month you put aside for this job, only to chase customers in the end. This way, you are going directly to the ones, that are already looking for what you offer.

    I hope this helps some.
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    • Profile picture of the author kruger7
      Originally Posted by thejimy View Post

      Josh, consider this:

      Postcard mailings and similar things are not any different than cold callings. It's again a "cold call", just through a different media.

      Let me explain why.

      I have been in the websites business for more than a decade and I was once there, where you are now. I have been struggling to get customers. I have tried a lot of methods and most just didn't work.

      Think a moment you would run a restaurant and offer chinese food. Now, would you reach out and try to get those in your restaurant, that want italian food, the ones that want indian food and so on? No, restaurants never do this.

      There is a good reason for this. You have to seek out the people, that are already interested in what you have to offer!

      So, before you even consider, which method you are going to use, stop there and think a moment, what are you going to offer. Think in that way, that you are going to offer a solution to those seeking to solve a specific problem. So, which problem is the one you are going to solve for them?

      Once you point this clearly out for you, naturally you are going to be able to say, which customers would be really interested in your offer.

      From there, it's a small step to find out, where those customers might be looking for these services. THAT's where you have to approach the customers you want and won't waste your some hours in the month you put aside for this job, only to chase customers in the end. This way, you are going directly to the ones, that are already looking for what you offer.

      I hope this helps some.
      What are your personal thoughts about bulk mailing postcards/letters - was that worth it?
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    • Profile picture of the author ginnysclub1
      Originally Posted by thejimy View Post

      Josh, consider this:

      Postcard mailings and similar things are not any different than cold callings. It's again a "cold call", just through a different media.

      Let me explain why.

      I have been in the websites business for more than a decade and I was once there, where you are now. I have been struggling to get customers. I have tried a lot of methods and most just didn't work.

      Think a moment you would run a restaurant and offer chinese food. Now, would you reach out and try to get those in your restaurant, that want italian food, the ones that want indian food and so on? No, restaurants never do this.

      There is a good reason for this. You have to seek out the people, that are already interested in what you have to offer!

      So, before you even consider, which method you are going to use, stop there and think a moment, what are you going to offer. Think in that way, that you are going to offer a solution to those seeking to solve a specific problem. So, which problem is the one you are going to solve for them?

      Once you point this clearly out for you, naturally you are going to be able to say, which customers would be really interested in your offer.

      From there, it's a small step to find out, where those customers might be looking for these services. THAT's where you have to approach the customers you want and won't waste your some hours in the month you put aside for this job, only to chase customers in the end. This way, you are going directly to the ones, that are already looking for what you offer.

      I hope this helps some.
      Just sending a mass mailing sounds easy but it's not. There's so many factors to consider such as cost, timescales and not to mention expertise.

      If you want a much quicker, low risk result, you should consider hiring a sales person.
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  • Profile picture of the author SteveSki
    Have you considered phone broadcasting? With a good recorded sizzle message interested prospects will record their name and number, requesting a call back from you.
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  • Profile picture of the author misterme
    Originally Posted by Josh Range View Post

    I thought about outsourcing the cold-calling but why would someone want a cut of a sale when they can just keep the client for themselves.
    Because they don't care to run a business; they don't want the responsibility or headaches; they prefer only doing sales; they don't want to work more; they're already busy enough and just need some way of making quick cash. Retired sales people looking for some extra income perhaps? Moms with kids in school free to make calls during the day? College kids with various schedules?

    Originally Posted by Josh Range View Post

    I am considering other options, possibly postcard mailings, direct mail, craigslist, etc.
    Sounds to me as if the solution could be helped if you had a strategy first regarding how you acquire new clients. Then the next step would be to carry out that strategy through the appropriate medium whether it's direct mail, telephone sales and craigslist. Figure out the business model first.
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    • Profile picture of the author mojo1
      You've definitely got some really thoughtful responses from other Warriors but do yourself a favor and take a moment to really take in what Misterme wrote cuz his response is THE basis for your Commission sales ad.

      The characteristics he's laid out will speak with precision to the ideal salesperson you really want to have selling on your behalf. How do I know this because several of these characteristics describe my situation and are all of the exact reasons I have for working on a commission only sales basis for my current project.

      Yes I can create a simple website, yada, yada but I have absolutely no desire to do it for others.
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