One of the things I teach my private coaching clients and students is the elements of a good client pitch. Now, I’m usually working with freelance writers when I’m doing this, but some things transfer across industries.
The reality is I’ve seen a lot of bad pitches. As a popular millennial finance blogger with columns in large publications, I get pitched all the time. The good news is I’ve learned from the mistakes of others in order to create a really good client pitch that gets a lot of traction.
Here’s what you need to know about the different elements of a good client pitch.
Establish your authority from the beginning.
The first step to a good client pitch is to establish your authority up front.
I’ve noticed that as soon as I mention that I’ve written content for The Huffington Post and major banks that I suddenly have people’s attention. Since this was happening in person, I decided to add it to the very beginning of every pitch. Turns out I get the same reaction via email as I do in person.
Before you ask, no, you don’t need a slew of corporate clients or major media mentions to establish your authority. If you’re a writer, just mention who you’ve written for even if it doesn’t seem fancy. The point is for you to establish that you actually have published work.
Show them your best work.
The next step in creating a good client pitch is to show them your best work. In the case of my content marketing business, I usually link to the type of work they are looking for within my email.
For example, if they are looking for content on credit cards than I link to some of the credit card reviews I’ve written for financial companies. If they are looking for pieces on millennials, then I link to pieces of written about millennials.
I want to be clear about something here. You need to make it as easy as possible for your potential client to see your work. That means you must use actual links within your email so they can just click and go. People are busy so the easier the better.
Keep them short.
Keeping in line with the idea that people are busy, a good client pitch is also incredibly short. To give you an idea, unless I’m pitching an entire column or they’ve asked for more information, my pitches are usually two short paragraphs with some links. That’s it.
Don’t be afraid to give them ideas.
I once had someone tell me they were afraid to send editors ideas because they didn’t want anyone to steal them. I thought this was a one-off comment until relatively recently when an editor friend of mine told me that mentality among creatives is actually quite common.
Look, I’ve been pitching editors ideas for years and, at least to my knowledge, no one has ever stolen an idea. The reality is potential clients need to know what they are going to be paying for. Just like you don’t really buy a blouse without trying it on, a potential client may be less inclined to hire you if they don’t know what they’re getting for their money.
Final Thoughts
A good client pitch doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, the simpler the better. By using these tips you can give potential clients exactly what they need while increasing your chances of getting paid.
