I got a call last fall from “Doug” (not his real name). He was frustrated.
Doug had graduated from my copywriting course, but his freelance business was floundering. He’s a terrific writer, but all he could manage to attract were low-paying assignments from small business clients he didn’t enjoy working with.
“What kind of clients do you want to work with?” I asked him.
He thought about it for a moment. Then he replied, “Marketing Directors of mid-sized software companies that do a lot of online marketing such as e-newsletters, email promotions, web pages, online advertising, etc. And have no problems paying professional rates for professional work.”
“Wow. That’s pretty specific,” I said. “You should tape that to your computer so you see it every day! By the way, where have you been looking for clients?”
“My local Chamber of Commerce,” he replied.
Of course, as soon as he said that, he realized his mistake. There are very few software companies in his town, and fewer still that are members of the Chamber of Commerce. He was fishing for prospects in the wrong pond.
So I gave Doug some homework: Find at least three good “Prospect Ponds” that contain the kind of potential clients he hopes to attract.
Later that day — Doug works fast! — he found them.
Pond One: A business directory of software companies.
Pond Two: An online magazine for software marketers (SoftwareCEO.com).
Pond Three: An Internet forum where software marketers meet and chat.
Together we built a simple plan for reaching out to, and attracting, qualified prospects from these ponds.
Chatting with him recently, I learned that Doug now has two new clients that meet his criteria. He’s still doing some low-paying work for other clients, but his overall income is way up. He’s working on more projects he enjoys — for fees he deserves.
And it’s all because he found the right “Prospect Ponds.”
How about you? Do you know at least THREE good “Prospect Ponds” that contain the potential clients you want to work with? If not, find them.
Because if you’re not casting your rod into the right places, all the great marketing in the world won’t do you much good.
