Finding work: The cold e-mail Campaign

So how do you go about getting a small base of paying clients? The way I started was by simply using my network of friends and associates. I heard it once said that philosophy is common sense dressed up in a 3-piece suite. And it is true even for a one-man-show freelance business. E-mail your friends, family, associates and acquaintances and tell them you are looking for freelance work. You will be surprised how fast e-mails can get passed around.
One of the things I learned early on when I started doing freelance is how powerful e-mail can be as a tool to gain new business. We all use e-mail to communicate with friends, family and co- workers, but we really do not think of it as an advertising medium. E-mail is one of the best ways to find hot leads for new business. If someone is not interested in your e-mail they just delete it, and if they are interested they can reply to you within seconds. It is the best way to reach out to potential clients without bothering them on the phone or knocking on their door.

I have found a method that works extremely well for gathering qualified candidates for my e- mail campaigns. This method takes more work than just sending e-mails to the arbitrary info@ company.com, but you will achieve better results and your efforts will be rewarded. For this example I will demonstrate how I would go about finding the name and e-mail address of a creative director at a large advertising agency. You could also use this method for the marketing manager of a B2B company or any other related field.

Step 1: Finding the name

The fastest way for me to find the name of a creative director for an ad agency is to look at trade publication Web sites. For instance, in Detroit (near where I live), there is a magazine called Big Idea. This magazine helps represent the local communication arts community . Many creative directors’ names are published here when they win awards or land new projects. It is an excel - lent resource for finding potential leads. You can also find the names of these people by reading company press releases. Often they will mention the names of those individuals involved with generating new business. Sometimes a Google search on a company name (or the agency’s clients) will yield key contact names. Okay, we have followed these steps and found our name.

Step 2: Finding the e-mail

Most companies have a strict naming convention for staff e-mail addresses. You can crack this naming convention by looking for clues on their Web site. Start by searching for a sales contact. You can use this to decipher the naming convention. For instance, the sales manager is listed as Shehzad Ali, and his e-mail is S.ali@company.com. So the naming convention is “letter of first name, then full last name”

Step 3: Writing the effective e-mail

Here are some examples of effective e-mails that have landed me work in the past.

Example 1: Target Client: Creative Director
This is the standard e-mail I send to any large ad agency . This e-mail includes a resume as well. Your work history can sell you just as much as your portfolio of work.
"Ever need a freelance Web/Flash designer? Please consider my services:"
Example 2: Target Client: Contact at medium-size company.

This e-mail landed me several medium-size company Web site redesigns.
"Ever thought of a Web site redesign? Something to make your site stand out above your com - petition online? I have done work for clients such as Ford, Marriott Hotel and Lexus to name a few, and I can offer a range of freelance prices."