Here's One of the Quickest Ways to Get Freelance Writing Jobs – and It's Free

Feb. 26, 2014 - PRLog -- Let's say you could earn $40,000 per year as a freelance writer by doing this one thing and it:

(i) won't cost you anything; (ii) is something you could start doing right away; (iii) is one of the most direct routes to landing clients as a freelancer (especially for newbies). Would you do it?

What is this one thing? Cold calling.

"Wait! Don't tune out now. Don't be afraid, let me explain."

Would You Pick Up the Phone for $40,000+ Per Year?

First, let's run some numbers so you can see how easy this can be – and all you'll have to do is make 5 calls per day. You can steel up your nerves to do that, right? FYI, it gets easier with every call.

Now, the numbers: If you hunker down and cold call just five companies per day, 100 calls per month (making calls M-F only). In a year, you would have made 1,200 calls.

Note: Actually you would have made closer to 1,300 calls because there are 4.3 weeks in each month, but let's stick with 1,200 for ease of math here, ok?

Now here's the fun part, if you garnered just 1 client per month (12 per year) and each one spent $300 per month with you, that would gross you $43,200 (12 clients x 12 months x $300/month per client).

What Is the ROI on Cold Calling for Freelance Writers?

FYI, the above represents just a 1 percent ROI (return on investment). Imagine if you got a 2% return, you'd earn close over $85,000 per year using these numbers! And this is very feasible. How/why?

Well, direct mail garners on average of a 1-2% return. Cold calling generates much higher results. Proof?

According to an in-depth scientific study conducted by Baylor University’s Keller Center for Research in conjunction with Keller Williams Realty International, the following results were achieved: 28 percent of calls were answered, and 1 out of 58 answered calls resulted in an appointment or referral. [Source: Cold Calling Is Still Hot (http://www.ere.net/2013/10/14/cold-calling-is-still-hot/)]

One freelance writer I dubbed "Jean, the Cold Calling Queen" kept a blog of her cold calling efforts for a bit in the spring of 2012. Following were her results:

Cold Calls Made: 138
New Clients Procured as a Direct Result of Cold Calling: 4
Clients Procured as an In-Direct Result of Cold Calling: 3

That's a 5% ROI by the way.

Another freelance writer who went on a cold calling campaign (http://www.seowritingjobs.com/how-one-seo-writer-landed-a...) got amazing results also. She wrote:

I cold called a SEO firm on July 18th. … [They gave me enough work to pay] my rent for 2 months, plus I have a lot of money left over to save and reinvest in my [SEO writing] biz, plus contribute to my Jamaica [travelling] my fund. … I am trying to make a point that I made 1 phone call in July, and by doing so, I made a handsome profit …

The last line in this freelancer's comment is the whole point of cold calling – one call can make all the difference to your success as a freelance writer -- and to your life as a home-based business owner.

Freelance Writers: How to Make Cold Calling Easier

Believe in what you're offering -- not selling – offering. It's a big shift of mindset.

No one likes to be sold to  and most hate the idea of "selling;" but almost everyone likes to help people, right? Well, your freelance writing skills are a valuable contribution – a big help – to potential clients. You're not selling snake oil, you're offering a professional service that can help prospects achieve their goals. Now pick up the phone, and let them know about it. Then, wait for the ka-ching!
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About the Author: Yuwanda Black is the owner/operator of New Media Words, an SEO writing company. She's also the publisher of a niche blog on this type of technical writing – SeoWritingJobs.com. Ms. Black says, "With formalized  SEO copywriter training (http://www.seowritingjobs.com/learn-seo-in-negril-jamaica), any motivated individual can start a high-earning, home-based career doing this type of web writing. Yuwanda has also authored over 50 ebooks, many of which cover some aspect of writing SEO content. They can be found on major outlets like Amazon and Barnes & Noble, in addition to her own website(s).