What is the best way to find good clients?

OK, those are some answers we can work with...

Honestly, I half expected you to come back here saying you just wanted to make 6 figures within 6 months, working from a tropical island two hours a week (or something similar). Because that's the dream you were sold

And then I was going to tell you to keep dreaming, and come back when you were ready for a dose of reality.


But since you actually gave some thought to your answers, I believe you deserve a reply that has some thought put into it as well.

I started replying here, but true to form my response started turning into an endlessly scrolling narrative. So I'm going to finish it offline... put it into a PDF... load it to one of my websites... and I'll PM you a link where you can read it if you want to.

I'll send you the link in a couple hours (once I finish brain dumping my thoughts onto the page for you)


All the best,
SAR

Honestly, Jiddah Reul,
The PDF I gave to Julk probably wouldn't do you much good.

Julk came here with very little, to zero experience. And based on where he was at, the response I sent him was designed to help fast-track the progress to get him to where you're already at. ( If he follows the advice, it will give him a bit of experience with a pathway to branding himself as a writer in the eyes of his first potential clients)



It sounds like you've already been playing this game for a couple years, and have already worked with your first clients?

So the best advice I can give you right now, based on what I'm seeing in your words, is the same thing one of my mentors told me the first time I asked if I was ready to be a professional copywriter (I already had experience writing for my own businesses, but wasn't a "professional writer" yet)...


Here's what I was told to do...


First, you're going to figure out who you want as your ideal clients. (you can start with what industry you want to write for)

Then, pick a dozen businesses that you know you can help, and that you want as clients. (based on demo, geo, size, employee count, revenue, their business philosophy, or whatever criteria you decide.)



And then you're going to study those businesses and the people who run them.

Side note: You want to look at businesses that already spend money on advertising. Otherwise you can waste a lot of time trying to convince someone that they need a copywriter in the first place.

Next, learn everything you can about your chosen clients... how they do business... who their customers are... who the competition is... what the industry is struggling with... and most importantly, what the business owners are interested in (work, hobbies, or anything else you can learn about them as a person)

Then, you're going write a sales letter to the business owners. This will be a lead generation piece selling the most important investment they could ever make for their business...

... YOU


If you get a positive response, then you are now talking to a very warm lead, and you want to follow up right away with your soon-to-be client.

If you don't get a response, then as a copywriter it's your job to figure out "why not". (go back over your research and see what you can test or tweak in your copy)

- Did you miss something?

- Did you pick the wrong market?

- Was the timing off?

- Can you tighten up the message and make it more impactful?

- Maybe try a different teaser copy or headline?

Sometimes it's just a matter of persistence. And after a few more contacts you might get your response.



Either way... it's your job to figure it out.



You can also template a rough draft for your letters, to speed up the process. But for landing better paying clients, I've always gotten a bigger impact when I fill it in with some personally identifiable words that relate to my audience. Remember what we said about "finding out what the business owners are interested in?"

Well...

If they're interested in boating, then you're here to help them "sail past the competition"

If they like flying, then you're going to help them "soar above the competition"

If they play golf, then you're going to remove the "handicap" from their full revenue potential.



So you can use a template to save time, but each letter will be somewhat personalized to the recipient.



This will take a bit of time and work for you. But it's what most writers today are not willing to do. And that's one reason why most of them are whoring themselves on low end freelance sites for a couple pennies a word.



So this is NOT a mass mailing for a commodity product.

And this is NOT a general sales pitch to get you a $50 writing gig on fiverr or freelancer


This IS you knocking on the door of your future clients (repeat clients), and potentially adding many thousands of dollars to your annual revenue.


Let me wrap this up by saying "when I first did this, I used direct mail and landed 3 good clients."

It was years ago, but I highly recommend you consider using snail mail also.



I know, I know... most people shun snail mail or personal delivery service these days, because everything is online now.

But here's something to consider...

While that business owner is automatically, and habitually, deleting dozens of emails (from your competitors) without giving them a second glance...

...your physical correspondence is sitting on the desk, patiently waiting for their full attention.



I'm not telling you which way to go, but it is something to think about...



I could continue with a couple other methods I've used to introduce myself to good clients, both online and offline.
But this is a forum designed for short responses. And I've already used up enough of your time.



Anyway, Jiddah Reul,

Hopefully some of this makes sense to you, (and anyone else with a similar question). Especially the part about understanding your audience and how it's the pinnacle of importance for all sales copy.

My greatest hope is that I've at least helped you move one more step forward in your journey.

All the best,
SAR