I'm a web designer and have been thinking about doing cold sales calls from home. (Need advice)

I think it always smart to make "deposits in the trust bank" with new prospects by offering free services. Not sure you can offer coaching on the first call since you haven't established credibility yet. So, for LinkedIn prospects or business Facebook prospects, you could offer free cover image work to demo your graphics skills and establish credibility and trust with them at the same time. If you're feeling adventurous, maybe you can have the cover image pre-designed before even calling them to show initiative and good will.

"how to get web design clients" That's the million dollar question man other then that every body is a web designer and those like me who are not can use a builder to get it done and simple wordpress with free tutorials on youtube.

I would say all in all its not to much a good idea. Think of it this way... I don't know you and I just so happen to call you and offer free coaching on how to sell websites. Granted you are poised to accept an offer of some kind. but you dot know me. you don't know if what I will tell is of value. and more importantly, you understand the value in what it is I am offering.

Understanding how much this information is worth instantly is making you think there is a catch correct? I am assuming you say yes... So think about the person on the other end is going to think of your offer. FREE is the hardest thing to sell.

You would be better off just calling business' and try selling what it is you do. If for what ever reason you don't want to do that... ( I am assuming there is a reason you are not - and think this other method would give you better success )

So what to do? I personally.. I would get listed on Freelancer and the other job sites ( not fiverr ) and start quoting on jobs. When I had a design firm I would do this every day to try and get added business. I was probably getting a job a week between 3 different outlets. but I was a bit picky in what I was bidding for.

If you just need work.. there is plenty there and if you can do pretty fast turn over there is n reasn you couldn't be procuring 2 and 3 jobs a week - granted the income per job would not be that great.. but you would be working.

Hope that Helps!

Well, I think I'm gonna just go for it and call people up on the phone and tell them my story. It can't be any worse than going to their business in person and having to talk with gatekeepers, (which I have done a few times). Hopefully I'll get to talk with the decision makers before I get tired and give up.

Obviously inbound marketing is best of all, but when you don't have a site with the kind of DA (Domain Authority) required for that to work, you get creative and start developing methods, lol.

Consider if you're working away and you keep getting someone phoning up to try and sell you something - would you be predisposed to buy...?
As an alternative take a look at this thread...

I thought I had a pretty good idea going here with calling people, then I started researching telemarketing on Google and discovered that 2/3 of the people in my country (America) have put themselves on the "do no call list". This just reminds me that I'm not the only person who hates getting called by sales people. This is a tough way to maybe get business.

In the UK there is a "do not call" list for businesses...

TPS

Don't push yourself to think of this as "telemarketing"....you are just getting yourself new clients

Don't overcomplicate it - offering free coaching, blah blah...no -

remember - you will be lucky to reach the owner and most times they will be busy

JMO you need to target owners who you feel would benefit from your services...

so....you could search a niche/s in your area and find ones who have an old out date site, no site,
a site with errors, NON mobile friendly, on wix or weebly or homestead or whatever....

and then call up with a solution...and an offer to meet with them or send them your website

get a follow letter for those interested and put in specifics about their business and you should have your portfolio on there

and yes, in US you can call publiclly listed biz numbers - no do not call. If they ask you not to call back respect that. If they hang up....oh well ....next

IMHO you have to remember with something as complicated as web design for the most part you are "sortin and siftin".....you are finding those who are INTERESTED ...THEN YOU WILL GO INTO SELLING THEM

In effect you are your own appointment setter.

Eventually you could hire some local appt setters = even paid on valid appt with bonus for sale

Unless you offer a truly simple one fits all website I feel you probably won't be able to have others close it for you but they could set appts

For now you can be YOUR own appt setter

a few more ideas - since you are targeting mostly NON tech people (with lousy websites) do NOT get too technical with them. Young talented techie guys tend to do that....you bore them, they glaze over, or you even may make them feel "stoopid" and that is a no no

stress benefits - they are in biz for customers, not to show off some geeks frabtastic design
how will this help them?

Listen to them.....and listen some more....follow your pitch but be aware of what they are saying

oh ..and before you start...think of what objections you might get and write up a list of rebuttals
so that you can easily pick the right one

and let me say it again - unless you find some engineer who for some odd reason didn't get around to re-do his website, none of these people will be at all interested in the tech aspect LOL

@lord diamond, your situation is common and has been discussed many times in this subforum.

I recommend you use the Search function and look for similar threads.

Several phone sales experts here have shared their advice over the *years* and there is a lot of expertise here for free if you look for it.

When you find an approach you like, I recommend you stick with it. Don't try to mash together several bits and pieces from different people.

Look for:

> how to start the call

> how to qualify prospects

> how many dials you'll need to make

> how to collect payment.

Good luck!

Well, if you are worried about the DO NOT CALL REGISTRY, you can always spend money on Do Not Call lists... I believe someone some firm would sell them at a certain price.