Cold calls tend to be least effective form of marketing for consultants. But, if implemented effectively "cold calls" can land you a gig, maybe even your first gig. The trick is to place yourself in shoes of prospect on other end of line. Anyone can pull it off with a little bit of strategy.

Before you can start dialing numbers, you will need to do a little research. What is your area of expertise? What businesses or individuals would benefit from your service? Try to think of every possible use of your service. Write down all of these possibilities. Once you have figured out who all of your clients could be, now you need to compile a list of:

1. Name 2. Company Name 3. Address 4. Phone Number

You should keep all of this gathered information in a database, Rolodex, or on index cards. (I recommend writing down information on large index cards. When you find a prospective client, take their card with you and write down personal information on back of this card. This way, next time you visit client, you can ask him how his sick aunt is feeling.)

Some good resources for you to use in your search are:

1. Yellow Pages 2. Chamber of Commerce 3. Government - Department of Small Business Development 4. Trade Associations 5. Search Engines 6. Purchased Lists

There are not many people that enjoy cold calling, so I assume that you might be a little worried about this. Believe me, I hate cold calling as much as you. But if you are in need of a gig, I would give it a shot. With use of a script, and a lot of practice, cold calling will seem much less intimidating. Take a look at following example:

SCRIPT

A: Hello, this is Joe Schmo from Joe Schmo Consulting Firm. Is this a good time to talk?

B: Yes.

A: With whom may I ask I am speaking?

B: Mike

A: I am an expert in web design field. You might have seen some of my work: deezin.com, allfreelance.com, and artistdesignerjobs.com. I could design a site for your business at lowest rate around. If you are interested, I could give you a free 1-hour consultation.

Newsletters are one of most effective forms of marketing for your home business. An email newsletter can:

1. Build loyalty of clients and prospective clients 2. Keep your name in front of clients and prospective clients 3. Spread word about your services 4. Make a name for yourself as an expert in your field 5. Add value to your company

There is a lot of competition out on Internet for freelancers. One way to get a gig outside of bidding on jobs is to spread word about your business thru word of mouth. Newsletters are very best way to do this. If you have a useful newsletter, about 30% of newsletter subscribers will pass-along your newsletter to family and friends. In other words, good newsletters spread like wild fire. Additionally, a newsletter that is passed onto you by a loved one is more likely to be viewed by you as a trusted source of information.

Do you have a business web site? Well, if you do, this is a perfect place to market your newsletter. Before a visitor leaves your site, it is important to get them onto your list, otherwise you might never see them again. In order to get most subscribers, place a link to your newsletter on every page of your site. Once you build up a list of names, you can initiate contact . now you will have plenty of chances to promote your services to potential clients.

Try placing a blurb like this on all of your site's pages:

------------------------------------------------- The Design Info Newsletter Graphic design tips, tutorials, and reviews Subscribe to our Newsletter here! -------------------------------------------------

What do you write about in your newsletters?

You, as a freelancer, have an advantage above others . you are an expert in your field. Write "how to" articles, tips, answer common questions and concerns, newsworthy events, and other related topics. Research other newsletters related to your topic. Try to find a path less taken. For example, if there are already a hundred graphic design newsletters being published, why not make your newsletter's topic advertising design if this is your specialty? A good article for this type of newsletter would be "How to Design a Black and White Newspaper Ad." Maybe following month's ad could be, "How to Prepress an Electronic File." You see what I mean? You don't really have to brainstorm very long to find an article that you can write about. When you are an expert in your field, there are multiple tasks that you perform daily . just write about them.