Where Do I Go To Sell Web Design/Development Services?

1. Niche down and figure out what it is you want to offer to help what group of specific people solve what specific sort of problems. Do NOT try to be all things to everyone. Figure out who and what you will and will not work with.

2. Get some online content out there for people to see. Even if no one sees it (yet)!

Blog, videos, website. This will be useful later as "credibility backup."

3. Advertise, mail, call. Don't expect the business to come to you.

A couple of examples from times when I didn't have much money:

10 or 12 years ago, before I developed my calling proficiency, I wrote and printed up a bunch of 3-fold brochures for business development consulting on my home laser printer, drove to a light commercial area of town, and started walking. Dropped them off, talked with people as I went. After less than a week I came out with 2 clients totaling several thousand dollars of work. Also discovered there were all sorts of funny little businesses in there...I remember one guy had a computer-controlled machine that made custom stained glass windows.

After I quit working for a custom homebuilder and knew enough to run renos on my own, I made some promotional material. I was better at choosing images now, and the one I chose instantly transmitted the feeling of the job being cleanly completed, the homeowner relaxing and enjoying their new floor (swapping out of old carpet with new hardwood/laminate flooring was very popular at the time--probably still is). Since I couldn't afford the postage, I again drove to a section of town selected for having the right conditions: older homes that were due for change. Walked and dropped these promotional pieces off in mailboxes.

Didn't take long before I got my calls and my first reno client. 50% down, thank you very much. Hired my first sub. Monthly bills problem solved and we're on a roll.

(It was a bathroom reno, too--easy demolition, new drywall, used my existing contacts at the tile and vanity suppliers...sure is great when you walk in with your client and the staffmember knows you by name and jumps on over...didn't have to buy any new special tools.)

How many people would think, "Oh, that's too hard?" or, "What if it doesn't work?" and never take action?

You have to want it badly enough.

4. When they ask, "Who are you?" or similar near the end of your initial conversation, you point them at your online content.

"Huh, you have a blog with 20 entries! Interesting. Now I feel like I know you a little more. You're a real person to me. I like that. I can work with you."

Even if it's a 2-page website, it's something. And something counts for a whole lot more than nothing. Remember: most people never take any action at all...so if you do one extra thing, you stand out.

My advice is to choose a niche and stick with it for at least a week. The niches that have been very profitable for me are martial arts studios, salons, spas, and yoga studios.

Picking up the phone is the quickest way to picking up a paycheck. Simply call to schedule an appointment for you to show them how you can help their business out.

This may feel uncomfortable to you for the first few days, or weeks. That's OK. Stick to it. You should make at the very minimum 100 phone calls per day. Does 100 sound like a lot? It isn't. On the days I prospect I will typically knock out 300-400 phone calls per day.

Sound impossible? It's not. There are power dialers like Phone Burner that will help you tear through your leads.

Need Leads? Get the Localizer Lead tool and you will never worry about leads again. You can import these leads directly into Phone Burner and start prospecting.

Let me know how your progress goes. I'm interested in hearing your success!

-The Cold Call Commando

When selling this type of service online, having your own website and blog isn't enough to help get sales and leads. You have to go find emails and do email marketing. You have to go to forums, talk a bit and then bait in interested prospects. There's a lot of things to do online, but email marketing is one of the best methods of attracting new customers.

Offline... You can try something like telemarketing, of course. Although cold calling may be difficult, it still works for lead generation.