I used to turn my nose up at sales emails. Part of that was because I didn’t like the writing, but also, I’ve always seen sales as kind of…slimy.  

Well guess what — the only person I was hurting with my snobbery was myself.

About two months ago, I got asked by an existing client if I could write lead generating emails. I said yes, having no idea how much they paid. When I was asked what I charged, I had to pull a “uh…let me look at the project requirements and get back to you with a more precise quote”, because I had NO idea.

After some research I found out that those simple, annoying emails that we all get in our inboxes? People were charging $2 per word…and that wasn’t even on the high end! Let me tell you…I changed my tune real quick and start studying the art of email writing.

Guess what…I actually enjoy it! I’ve found a way to make it feel legit (i.e. authentic and not slimy) and even fun. I just added sales/lead generating emails to my services page this week. After I get some results under my belt? I plan on upping my rates.

I’m telling you all this because it’s very likely that just like me, you could be missing out on a simple, high-paying offering that can bring in a new breed of client you hadn’t considered before.

The best part is that it’s not even necessarily hard to figure out what that offering could be for your freelance skillset. I took a look at some other writers’ sites and noticed that quite a few offered lead generating emails. Now I know why.

So take some time to round out Getting Clients month by looking at what other freelancers in your skillset are doing (you can even do this by looking at people’s Upwork profiles…they’ll frequently list the type of work they do) and think hard about what you might be able to learn and add on to your business yourself.

As always, if you’ve got any questions or comments about this month, just reply to this email. Have a great day!

Megan