Ever wondered how to generate leads as a coach or entrepreneur?
There are so many coaches and entrepreneurs out there who are really talented but just aren’t getting the work that they should be. Is this you, too? Sometimes the idea of lead generation can simply get a bit too overwhelming when your inbox is empty.
Everything takes time and investment to build. And the thing I’ve learned is that if you want more work in a certain space, you need to be prepared to show up boldly.
In this blog post, I’ll show you how to get more leads minus the stress.
Lead Generation Tip #1: Act Like You Work for Them
Say you’re a videographer, photographer, graphic designer – any kind of creative – and you want to work with, for example’s sake, the “best 5 hotels in Dublin.”
You’re going to be waiting a long time for them to knock on your door, primarily because everyone is already knocking on theirs.
This means you need to reach out to them, too. But how do you really stand out?
What I’d recommend is this: act like you’re already employed by them.
For example, if you’re a photographer, go into the business and take some photographs. Showcase your work and the talent you can provide if they work with you.
You could also tag them in photographs on your social media. This is a good tactic especially if your work is visual – they’ll quickly take notice of you if your work stands out.
If they’ve seen the value you can deliver to them – you’re in a much better position to charge the rates you want and get the opportunity you want. It goes without saying that that’s the same from a graphic design, video, or any creative career.
There are so many creatives that are sitting at home, waiting for work to come to them.
Lead Generation Tip #2: Take Action
Instead of sitting around and hoping the work will come to you (this doesn’t tend to happen at the beginning of your freelance career too often), you need to actually start doing the very work that you’re looking to be employed for.
You’re not being paid or commissioned to do it. You’re just doing it yourself.
Why am I telling you to do work for free?
Because you enjoy it, and you want to show off how good you are. Because having a strong portfolio is key to getting you work and generating leads.
Lead Generation Tip #3: Keep Working On Your Skills
When you’re not working, you’re also not getting a chance to refine and develop your skillset.
Keeping busy with small projects like this means not only will you build a portfolio of constant work, but you will also have the opportunity to keep your skills primed and developing, too.
When you get to a certain point, this commitment will really start to pay dividends – provided you’re making sure that work gets seen – and you’ll get noticed.
Lead Generation Tip 4: Showcase Your Talents
Sending on people work you’ve already done for them is an easy way to market yourself as a freelancer. This gives them a taste of what you can do for them and personalises the experience for them. Personalisation is powerful – in fact, a survey by DemandSurge found that on average, there is a 10% to 15% increase in revenue due to personalisation.
It’s why you see so many personalised recommendations on Amazon and Netflix. Quite simply, personalisation works, and today it’s what people expect.
I think going out on a limb like this is great – I admire people for it and I want to work with people like that. I think it’s admirable. I’m much more inclined to do business with the person that reaches out and shows they understand my business, than have to go out into the market and search for someone.
Put yourself at the front of their minds by getting in touch first, making sure you add the personal touch.
Lead Generation Tip #5: Make it Easy
As an employer, if I have a job that needs to be filled, I find it such a pain to go out and look for a person to fill a role.
So if somebody has already been in contact with me and I like what I see – even if I might not have something straight away, I’ll bear them in mind if anything comes up at a later stage. It’s great to see someone’s work before you hire them anyway, especially in the creative field, so when it’s tailored to you, it’s all the better. There’s no anxiety about what the outcome will be.
Send out little emails like this every week, even a few, and see how it goes for you and let me know over on Instagram.
So, if you are a freelancer with some idle time – as a lot of us have right now, I urge you to use it.
It’s so important that you do. Not just to generate leads but to keep our skillset primed and developing. Stay consistent, stay positive, keep reaching out and I promise you’ll very soon be busy.
So I hope this brings you value. And if you’re in this space and you’ve employed this or any other tactics that have worked well, let me know, I’d love to share them.
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