My Secret Weapon for Finding My First Clients (And I Still Use It Today)

I know….doesn’t every writer day that they have a ‘secret weapon’ just to get clicks or likes? But as I sat down today and thought about the last several years of growing my freelance business, I thought that this one critical move I made years ago helped me launch faster than any other.

It wasn’t sexy. It wasn’t super-easy, either. It took work and I had to use this tool very carefully but wow - it made a huge difference. I used this strategy to find my first client and it just took off from there.

Trade show exhibitor lists.

See? Doesn’t sound very cool. But for a B2B writer like myself, I knew it was important to lean into finding my perfect clients where they all get together each year. And that’s trade shows. Particularly the major shows or conferences that may only happen once a year. It’s finding that one that everyone puts on their calendar.

As a B2B automotive writer, that is the annual NADA show (National Auto Dealers Association). The suppliers that I work with exhibit there to get an audience with dealers big and small. They are my perfect clients. It helps that I’ve been to that show as an attendee so I have seen firsthand how many exhibitors there are.

And their exhibitor list is segmented into different types of verticals (finance, aftermarket, marketing, fixed ops, etc). It became easy to search for companies that I felt could use some help with copy or content based on what I saw on their website. And every year there are new companies to reach out to.

Not every conference will have that list available and some will only show the last years exhibitors unless you are an attendee for the current year. That’s ok, though…you can still find plenty of contacts.

Approach with Caution

Just like every expert advises about the dreaded ‘pitchslap’ on LinkedIn, don’t reach out with an immediate pitch through email. If the list shows the marketing contact (most will), a simple introductory email is all you need.

For my first email, I wrote to the listed contact, a CEO, and let him know what I did to help companies like his, what my industry experience was, and that I was happy to chat should he have a project I could help with.

That was it. Short and sweet with a link to my brand new website. Within 24 hours he responded saying he has a small project for me and I was finally a ‘paid writer’.

I approached him with a hard-sell, I would have lost him.

Plus, marketing contacts know they will get email-bombed when the list is published so it’s important to have a short but impactful message that’s easy for them to save in case they do need help down the road.

Believe me, they will remember the freelancers that didn’t drive them nuts.

What is Sales Enablement Copywriting and How Can it Help Your B2B Sales team?

Sales enablement copywriting may sound a bit odd at first…I mean, isn’t ALL copywriting meant to ‘enable sales’ or grow a company’s bottom line? Sure…but this is copy that helps your sales team better communicate with the people you are selling to. It helps them better master their messaging.

Been There, Done That

In my career as a B2B salesperson (all on the phone I might add which I would argue is harder than in-person sales but that’s just me), I was lucky enough to already have a decent command of business communications like how to write a proper email or how to put together a document that explained my service. No misspellings, either. That’s just awful.

But not all of my colleagues, many of whom were amazing on the phone and killer closers, had much command of this skill. Often, they would ask me for help to draft proposals or a persuasive email.

I didn’t mind because I loved any excuse to flex my writing muscles. But it got me thinking in the last few years…maybe this is something a lot of salespeople and their managers struggle with.

Having a toolbox of well-crafted email templates, call scripts, battle cards (more on that in a minute), etc to help the sales team put their best foot forward for every bit of communication they have. And I knew I could write every bit of it for my clients.

Sales Enablement Copywriting is Not What You Think

When poking around on LinkedIn jobs, I saw quite a few for Sales Enablement this or that but nothing that focused on the copy and communications that the sales team would be presenting or using to close sales or cold call. It seems more focused on process and procedure. This is different.

This is a skill that requires understanding the of sales process, and having familiarity with the different tools a salesperson will need to best convey the features/benefits of their product or service.

Email templates that are easy to customize to the lead that help open up further communication…battle cards that quickly distill the fine points of the product in a way that leaves nothing to chance when presenting to a potential buyer…even a fluid and powerful sales deck that can be part of a one-on-one Zoom consultation that helps illustrate the benefits of the product to help get a faster commitment for the next step.

It’s using standard copy principles to help make your sales team shine. Your company can employ an army of copywriters for digital ads, blogs, social media etc to help shine a light on the company and the product but this is persuasive copy just for sales to use in their everyday process and outreach.

Faster Sales Rep Onboarding

Sale Enablement Copy helps in another critical space…getting new reps up to speed faster and building their confidence from the first call. If your sales manager or trainer already had an arsenal of sales enablement copy pieces for every product/service, imagine how fast those newbies could find success.

And in my years as a sales trainer, there is nothing more important than getting their confidence raised quickly…they close sales faster and they stick around. Effective Sales Enablement Copy can make it a breeze.

Examples of Sales Enablement Copy -

Email templates (cold, warm, post-demo follow-up, and close)

Battle Cards (deep dive into features/benefits of each product/service with common objections/answers for quick reference - a must for sales rep onboarding)

Slide Decks (essential for online presentations to quickly educate stakeholders and get further commitments for demos)

One-Sheet (comprehensive leaving-behind sheet for your field sales team with product/service summary with invitation for demo)

Call Scripts (critical for proper messaging in cold calls, follow up, demo confirmation, and next steps or addressing objections - a MUST for new rep onboarding)

Sales Proposals (concise and comprehensive outline of pricing and delivery that’s shared with decision makers for approval - absolutely essential to get this right for faster closes)

I’ve been where your sales reps are. I know how important it is to have consistent messaging from reps and a quick command of the facts needed to move the sales process along.

Sales Enablement Copy can help and there is nothing I would love more than being the writer to give them the tools to help them shine.

Race to the Bottom - Why I Avoided Upwork & Fiverr Platforms Early On

I had plenty of copywriting ‘gurus’ giving all sorts of tips and strategies for everything from how to write the perfect headline to what kind of picture to take for your LI profile. My first few months of starting my writing business was the epitome of trying to drink from a firehose. But there was one amazing bit of advice from a coach I worked with in the first 3 months of starting out that I never forgot. It has been one of the most impactful statements I have ever heard in this space….

‘Don’t get involved in the race to the bottom on platform sites like FIVERR or UPWORK…you bring more value to a client than $5 for a case study.’

In all fairness, I know there have been plenty of writers who got their start there to either grow their confidence or simply to build a writing portfolio so they could go after the bigger fish. I get it and don’t begrudge anyone who has managed to do that successfully. But for me, I just could not see myself giving away my niche expertise and skill for what often amounts to less than pennies on the dollar. I knew my worth, I had strong portfolio samples, and testimonials from early clients and a coach who knew I could handle any B2B writing assignment.

The issue becomes more than just money, though….I had some potential clients reach out to me after finding my website asking if I was on Upwork and if I would write 1000 word SEO-optimized articles for .05 cents a word. and then get OFFENDED when I politely and professionally responded that the rate was too low for someone with expertise in the market and that perhaps a bidding platform would be a better way to go to find a writer willing to take such a low rate. I felt I handled it well but the responses were more like ‘If we like your writing, we’ll give you more and you know, it will add up!’ Uh….add up when? 5 years from now after I’m burned out and miserable? No thanks.

Know It, Believe It, and Don’t Settle

Just because I was a fairly new copywriter did NOT mean I would basically work for free. I believed I brought more value to my clients and a dedication to maximizing their campaign results was more valuable than competing with other writers all over the world that were ok with $5 emails or $50 white papers. Sure, there were some days when things were quiet and I thought ‘Well, having a project is better than not having one’ but that faded fast the more projects I took on from clients who saw the benefit of working with me to craft copy that moved the needle for them immediately.

I just had a new copywriter DM me asking for one piece of advice I could give him as he gets started on his freelance journey. I’ll bet you can guess what I told him.

5 Years as a Copywriter - What I have Learned...

A passion for writing was something that had never really left me…it was just buried under a mountain of life’s other priorities. Working, paying bills, married life (x 2), family, etc. As i was nearing my (gasp!) 50’s, something struck me. A nagging feeling that there was something missing. I was so caught up in the daily minutia that I had forgotten to carve out something, anything that I could do in my spare time that actually made me feel creative, excited, and fulfilled. It’s not that I didn’t have those feeling AT ALL in other areas of my life…but this was something I wanted just for me and no one else.

It started with an online ad I had see a hundred times before for a writing conference where you could learn all about copy and content writing, all the while sitting on a beach making 6 figures only working a few hours a day. Ok…well, that hasn’t happened but what I did learn in those few days was that if I played my cards right, I could make this a viable way to scratch the writing itch and make some money on the side. Little did I know the work involved and the ups and downs I would encounter.

Once I was off and running, I bought every course I could to learn. I spent thousands on courses, masterminds, and business coaching from respected peers who had been at this a lot longer than myself. There were some hits and some misses with some courses that were very interesting and I knew I would love offering that particular writing service only to find that no one actually wanted it. Some coaches, too, had programs that were a bit more hype than guidance grounded in the reality of starting from scratch. All well-meaning and while I did learn some valuable strategies, I quickly learned they were more focused on monetizing their coaching programs and had been out of the trenches for awhile.

I pushed on, put together a website and started reaching out to companies in my niche which, though the gurus are split when it comes to ‘nich or no niche’ as a newbie, came down to the automotive market as I knew it the best after so many years. I got a few early projects to get my feet wet and some great testimonials to give me the boost I needed to keep going, all while still working my FT job (gotta keep those benefits, right?).

Projects increased and once I started honing in an a better LinkedIn presence, things really started to take off. People were reaching out to me and I even has some agencies reach out giving me the most challenging work of my short career. In the last year, I have doubled my income. My confidence growing and my skills becoming sharper, I have begun to feel like this is gaining momentum that will carry me to a transition to writing full time which has been my goal all along. Working for myself is truly what I want to do for the rest of my life. It makes me happy, it gives me purpose, and makes my brain happy.

Another thing that I have learned in the last 5 years…there are some cool companies doing good work that know the value of good writing. I have been so lucky. I have written for start-ups full of vision and enthusiasm, older companies who are embracing new strategies to get more sales, and small businesses who are not afraid to reach out and say ‘I need your help.’ Fantastic people who have trusted me when my career was still finding its bearings.

3 Things I Would Do Differently…

• Don’t Buy Every Writing Course You See - Algorithms are not your friend and they will keep throwing more courses and writing related products at you. Stop. Save your money and just practice, practice, practice.

• Pick one really good mentor/coach - Find that one person who will help you find clients in a long term sustainable way. Someone who has been in the game for a long time and teaches from a place of service, not money. Making a living coaching is perfectly fine but have your students success as your primary goal…the money will always follow anyway.

• Don’t be afraid to take the first step out into the market - I was terrified to reach out to companies in the beginning which is probably pretty normal for most freelancers but I struggled SO bad that I literally had my heart beat out of my chest before I hit ‘Send’. Imposter syndrome? BAH! This was full-blown panic that I would have someone write me back saying ‘Let’s get on a call’ and I would not know what to say or come across like the newbie I was and blow it. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there…the worst thing is not failure, it’s never even trying in the first place.