Tracking the follow up

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As the saga of Google’s manual delisting continues (for some of us), I thought a newsletter on prospecting would be helpful.

Do you ever track your conversations with prospective clients to really get the most of those conversations?

I’m trying to get better with this habit and thought I’d share a little analysis from the last few months. I’ve had a mixture of inbound leads and cold outreach. Two new clients that I’ve recently onboarded have, not suprisingly, been warm leads. One was inbound directly through LinkedIn, and the other a former editor who moved to a new company.

But I also think it’s important to follow up on cold leads - new connections on LinkedIn, companies you want to write for, responses to calls for freelance writers. If you think about any kind of sales funnel you think about when writing for clients, apply that same logic to your own prospects.

People who reach out directly are likely to be ready to make a hiring decision. But those you contact on your own, or who have asked for pitches from multiple writers, are less likely to convert to clients — at least right away.

It’s worth tracking these individuals and following up with them on occasion. Make sure you’re connected on LinkedIn and posting about topics or projects that are relevant to those prospects. Create calendar reminders to follow up on a dedicated schedule.

Over time, these micro habits move prospects through your sales pipeline and will make it easier to generate more inbound leads over time. Because freelancing is a long-term game, even when content needs and algorithms change!

Wishing you all the best,

Lauren