3 Freelance Pitching Tips You Won't Read on Linkedin!

Freelancing can be a rewarding career choice when your workload is balanced and beneficial to your overall business plans. But sometimes a client can decide to pause a project unexpectedly, or cancel your contract outright, leaving you out of work and unfortunately out of pocket.

Pitching for new business is daunting, but paralysis by analysis will get you nowhere. If you are reaching out to companies in your niche but find your pitches falling on deaf ears, consider these pitching tips you won't learn on LinkedIn to increase your business!

Pitch yourself as a fan : If you’ve been following a business or blog since its infancy and wished you could contribute, use your existing emotional connection to endear yourself to them. You already know their tone and presumably love their offering, it might be an easy sell.

Pros? They know you know their online business well.

Cons? They may assume your pitch to be fan mail.

Action: Craft your pitch using the businesses existing tone of voice and replicate the phrases and language they use to prove your attention to detail!

Pitch yourself as a customer : Shop at the online retailer, encounter their sales funnel emails, receive the stock. Leaving a glowing review is the best thing a customer can do, but how about pitching your review instead? Explain what you loved, liked, and what could be improved.

Pros? Supporting a great business with real sales, giving helpful feedback and putting your name on their radar may reward you in the future.

Cons? Your next purchase may come with improved emails written by their inhouse writers.

Action: Don't stop being an engaged customer!

Pitch yourself as a collaborator : Are you a well known name in your chosen niche? Prove your authority and existing relationships with the big players in the sector by identifying mutually beneficial partnerships. Pitch a mag interview to an app designer or a service provider.

Pros? You’re reliable, well-known and they may take a chance on you!

Cons? A knock back from a collaboration pitch may leave you feeling doubly defeated.

Action: Pitching a collaboration means getting two yeses. Start with clients who trust you already so only one side is cold!

The usual pitching advice also applies. Develop a killer subject line for your pitching email, edit the content meticulously and do the research to ensure it hits the right inbox. If you send a query to info@ it may be destined to be deleted, no matter how great the spiel inside.

An eye-catching and honest pitch is developed over time and no response is the most common response to all cold calls. Don't get disheartened. Keep learning, editing your email and refining your skills. One day you will pitch your offering so well that no business could refuse!