All of us are beginners and novices in one way or the other. When we go out and look for a job, we often find ourselves pondering over thoughts as to how to write a pitch that not only gets you a revert but ensures that the opposite person (client or a recruiter) will remember you for a long time!
Over the years, I have worked with clients from different niches. One thing I saw in common in all of them is that they do not wish to talk about the work during the initial conversations. Most clients preferred talking about me, my aspirations, goals, dogs, and all! The reason behind it is very simple — when I contacted them, I did not talk about work. I introduced myself as a dog lover who loves reading Fitzgerald, George Orwell, Charles Dickens, Stephen King, Tolkien, and more! I introduced them as someone who is a die-hard fan of Harry Potter and even got inked! I showed them the pictures of my dogs. I showed them the pictures from my book collection. If their Instagram talked about some places or drinks, I showed them the places I visited and the drinks I preferred.
I got personal with them! This way, they know about me and if I am the right person for their job. Trust me, this is how I landed 4-year retention with a project manager from Microsoft to handle the content for one of its tools.
I have been talking to many freelancers on LinkedIn these days, and most of them are still not using personalized pitches. So, I decided that for my first newsletter, I would come and talk about a few elevator pitches you can use to get yourself a new client.
First, instead of saying, “I am a freelancer with no experience in this niche, but I would like to work for you.” Start saying: “I am a freelance writer with knowledge of [name three or four niches or skills you know about]. It would be great if you and I get on a call to see if I am fit for any freelancing openings you might have for me.”
Remember, no one would like to hire you if you tell them — sorry, I don’t have experience in this niche, but I can try. You should tell them I have worked in xxx niches, or my xxx expertise in xxx can easily be transferable to your current content needs. As Kajal Gosain said to me during our conversation, “It’s not about the approach. It’s more about how to convey the truth.”
I have created some elevator pitches that would work great for both beginners and professionals.
- Hello, my name is XX. I am a recent XXX graduate with a bachelor’s in XXX and a minor in XXX. And as an amateur content writer, I strongly believe in creative storytelling through my words. During my college days, I worked on XXX internships where I got XXX opportunities and upskilled myself in XXX, XXXX, XXX [mention niches]. I would like to apply my content writing and marketing skills as a freelance content writer that you are currently seeking and contribute to your growth. Could you tell me more about your current challenges with content creation so I can help you out easily and affordably?
- Hi, you want to know what I do? I make sure robots do not take over human jobs! How do I do this? By connecting with same-minded people and helping them with their content curation needs. I am sure you have seen some snappy headlines that are auto-generated by AI tools! These headlines resemble many of the competitors who work on similar keywords — leading you not to rank well on Google. So, why not try human-created content for once? Why not give me a try?
- My name is xxx, and I have been crazy about xxx (content writing, graphics, development, design, etc.) since I was xx years old. I wrote my first (designed, coded, poem, content, etc.) content when I was xx years old. The feedback from those days from parents and teachers worked wonders. When I started pursuing my graduation, I started following that passion which led me to write xxx (talk about the niches). Recently, I have been reading a lot about [mention the niche that your client is interested in] and was amazed to see how little this is explored from a fresh perspective. Would you have the time to tell me a little bit more about your challenges so you and I can hop on a call to brainstorm ideas quickly?
- Hi, do you know what I love about writing? It let me meet some wonderful people who have been in different industries for a long time. I recently talked with a complete stranger from XXX about xxx and was amazed by their work for xxx. As an aspiring content writer, I hope to do the same for some like-minded people. In recent months, I learned xxx [mention some skills], which would help me create content that would rank on Google and fetch you some organic content. How about we get on a quick call and learn more about the challenges you feel when creating error-free content? Even if you do not hire me, I will get a chance to learn something from an industry expert such as yourself.
- Hello xxx, I landed on your LinkedIn profile and found that we both share some mutual inclination towards content writing [IF THE PERSON HAS WRITTEN SOMETHING RECENTLY OR COMMENTED ON SOME POST, MENTION IT AND TALK ABOUT HOW YOU RESONATE WITH IT].
I have been freelancing for over a year and got amazing exposure in different niches, like [write your niche]. I learned SEO through my work, which landed a couple of my blogs on Google’s first page with the right keywords [do not add URL here// sometimes screenshots might work].
I am just a message away if you ever need to discuss content writing, marketing, SEO, or anything else. I hope you will have a wonderful week ahead.
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These are personalized pitches, and I think they would help you gain your dream client. Please do not add resumes, links, or other such attachments if this is your elevator pitch. Try to talk about points that are interesting to your client.
I hope you like this first feature article on Viraj Bolta Hai. I will try to write more such content for all of you! If you like these elevator pitches, I request you to kindly share them with your friends or connections here on LinkedIn so more and more people can benefit from them.
V.