What a swell way to begin your day! You open your email and find a message from a potential client who wants to hire you as a writer. Wonderful!
What happened is that either (s)he was referred to you by an old customer, or (s)he found your website through the internet.
In the first instance, things are much easier and you’re already halfway to a writing assignment, since word-of-mouth and personal recommendation go a long way in the business world and are really powerful tools to your advantage. You know that much.
In the second instance, i.e. in the case of a casual visitor — congratulations! Chances are, you have a neat, professional-looking website and some well-crafted copy that convinced your prospective client to take one further step and email you or fill in your contact form in order to get more details and/or your quote on a specific writing job.
So, you think you’re almost there, right?
Wrong!
(Sardonic laughter sound effect from background)
Cheshire Cat
Ahead of you lies, in fact, one of the most critical steps of the “negotiations” game: capitalizing on the first impressions your prospective client has obtained from you and securing his/her interest in recruiting your services.
Look, have you ever given any thought to what they really want from you?
Okay, let me tell you: what they wish deep deep down inside is one thing, and one thing only. Whatever their business, niche or status may be — they’re hoping YOU are the answer to their prayers.
You see, going around “shopping” for writers, trying out one after another until they find someone to hire is time-consuming, tiresome, and unproductive. What you have to keep in mind is that they’re business persons. To them, time is money: they need a writer now! And they’re expecting your answer. So…
Show them you’re a writer!
Your email communications reveal a whole lot about your writing skills. They are tokens of your ability to craft a customized, targeted, structured and presentable written message — in other words, what they’ll ask you to do for them anyway.
Your job as a writer is to help your clients accomplish their goals through the content you create. Think of yourself as your client: you want to seal that writing deal. What will you do to get at it?
* * *
So, right after we have established how important your email messages are for closing a deal with your prospective writing client,
just before we get into more depth about how to write successful email messages,
and in order to keep you hangin’ from this cliff with your breath short in anticipation…
Would you mind telling me just a little bit about your own experience/practices regarding your (online) correspondence with prospective customers?
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