Not only should you not be afraid of pitching would-be copywriting clients, but, in fact, they want you to pitch them.
And, of course, weāve also already covered how pitching is the only way to truly be in control of your business and your income and why āeasierā ways of finding work (Iām looking at you, Upwork and Freelancer!) are actually the fast track to disappointment and burnout.
So, weāre all sold on pitching, right? Okay. Today weāre digging into 5 ways to take your pitches from forgettable to outstanding. Letās dive in!
1. Get it to the Right Person
This sounds like an obvious one, but youād be surprised at how many people skip right over it. When youāre sending out a pitch, donāt send it to the general company email addressāor worse, through the company ācontact usā page. (What a great way to get your pitch lost!) And donāt pitch through the comments on posts, through comments on social media, or through DMs on social media. Get. It. To. The. Right. Person.
It might take a little research, but itās almost always possible to find the email address for the person you want to get to. For one-person to, say, five-person companies, thatās usually the founder. Bigger than that and you want to talk to the marketing director. For large companies with an in-house creative team (which you know because you did your research, right?), you want to target the creative director.
Use LinkedIn to find people who are working at the company you want to pitch.
You can use tools like Hunter.io to find email addresses, but more often than not, the email will take one of the following conventions:
- [FirstName]@[CompanyName].com
- [FirstInitial, LastName]@[CompanyName].com
- [FirstName, LastName]@[CompanyName].com
2. Make It Personal
Do not, under any circumstances, send out mass email pitches. There is no surer way to get your email deleted and, quite possibly, get yourself marked as a spammer. Sure, it seems easyābut that doesnāt mean itās effective. Also, you donāt need to reach 1,000 people all at once.
Take the time to personalize each pitch youāre sending out, meaning taking the time to do the research, find out what projects theyāre working on and who theyāre with, and figuring out ways you can help them. Which segues nicely into point 3ā¦
3. Offer Ideas
Let me ask you a question. Which kind of email do you think will get a better response?
- An email asking for something, or
- An email giving something
Itās no surprise that the right answer is the latter. If your whole approach to pitching is āplease give me a job,ā itās going to go nowhere fast. But, instead, if your pitch is focused around well-researched and well-thought-out ideas for marketing and advertising (that, oh, by the way, you could help them implement), youāre going to go so much farther.
Any time to reach out to someone, especially a stranger, make it your goal to be of value. And, as a bonus point, be sure to do it in a friendly, helpful way. āYou need to do XYZā isnāt going to win you friends. But āI had an idea and wanted to send it along in case itās helpfulā probably is.
4. Convey your USP
You know, your USP: Your unique selling point. What you bring to the table that no other copywriter does. You need to convey what makes you different from other copywriters theyāre in contact with, and you need to help them understand why youāre the best person to take on a project.
Think about it: If a creative director gets pitched by three different copywriters at the same time and all of them sound roughly the same, who is she going to pick? Frankly, your guess is as good as mine. Maybe the one with the more recent samples, maybe the one who emailed her last, maybe the one whose last name reminds her of her third-grade teacher.
My point is that when thereās no clear differentiator, you lose any kind of input in her decision making. Conveying your USP is how you set yourself apart and give yourself the best chance of getting her to reach out to you.
5. Make the ask
This seems obvious, too, but itās shocking how many people never ask for what they wantāor, more commonly, kind of āhalf ask.ā I get it: Sending an email out into the ether, to a stranger no less, seems kind of scary. (Though, again, Iāll remind you of the many reasons it shouldnāt be.)
So, when people get to the end of their pitch, theyāre hesitant to actually say what they wantāto actually PITCH the client. Instead, they say things like, āFeel free to reach out if youād like more tipsā or āIād love to chat about a few more of my ideas; let me know if you have time.ā
Hereās the thing: At this point, youāve already established that you know what youāre doing AND you have good ideas for them. This is not the time to be subtle or to dance around what you want. (Youāre a copywriter! Remember the clear CTA!) Instead, be clear and be confident.
You can even start out with āIād love to chat about a few more of my ideasā but then follow that up with something like, āDo you have time next week to talk?ā Youāre a business person. Theyāre a business person. Nobody has time for the back and forth of āMm, maybe, do you want toā¦.?ā Get to the point. Again, be friendly, but be efficient! Inviting someone to reach out for more tips isnāt a pitch and isnāt going to get treated like one. Youāve done your research, made it personal, offered well-thought-out ideasānow is the time to show up like a professional and make the pitch.
Okay, there you have it! Now, itās your turn: Which one of these points was the biggest revelation for you? Or which one do you think you most need to work on? Let me know in the comments below!
Last Updated on February 13, 2024
Mike says
Is there anything different I would do than the above if I was pitching to agencies as opposed to non agencies?
Nicki Krawczyk says
Hey Mike,
The fundamentals are really the same – check out the Client Pitching Masterclass in the Academy for more specifics about exactly *how* you include these elements and ways to turn a “cold” prospect into a warm one.
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
Dorothy says
Excellent! This would a great checklist to use before sending any pitch. That reminds me, I need to revisit my copywriter USP. =)
Nicki Krawczyk says
Hi Dorothy,
Great idea! It’s always good to have a double-check before sending a pitch and this would be a perfect one. And yes – it’s always a good idea to regularly review our own USP! š
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
Zachary McCord says
These are great points! Especially #1 – I don’t like using the “Contact Us” email to pitch potential. But if you don’t mind me asking, how do you get the email of the owner/manager? A lot of times it just isn’t on the company website.
Thanks
Nicki Krawczyk says
Hi Zachary,
I’m glad you enjoyed the post! Regarding getting the email, there are a couple of different options. For a larger company, if you can get the email of *anyone* who works there, it’s usually the same naming convention and you can figure it out. For example, if you’ve found Sara Jones’ email and it’s [email protected], it’s very likely that Kate Anderson’s is [email protected]. Does that make sense? There are also lots of websites that list the email addresses of important people at a company. And, if all else fails, pick up the phone and call to ask! š
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
Katrina says
Nicki,
I am aspiring to be a copywriter. As someone with zero writing experience, what would be great examples of USP that would-be clients would find valuable aside from the obvious?
I’d love to take one of your masterclasses but I lost my job of 12 years as a virtual assistant almost a year ago,. I’m newly separated with 14 large dogs that prevents me from working anywhere else but from home. There are a lot of WFH jobs even during the pandemic but despite the fact that I am a computer savvy 50-year old, I keep getting rejected. In other words, I’m pretty much penniless.
Thanks for sharing your expertise.
Katrina
Nicki Krawczyk says
Hi Katrina,
Obviously, the key is that everyone’s is going to be different. But it’s a matter of examining your life and career experience, choosing one element from it that has helped you develop particularly important or unique trait or skill, and then conveying how that trait or skill makes you a better copywriter. It’s not a quick process, but it’s definitely an important one! š
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
Kim says
This is THE best place for copywriter business training. In a relatively short amount of time, I have learned quite a bit. Invaluable.
Filthy Rich Writer says
Hi Kim! So glad you’re finding our blog helpful!
Joseph Jacob says
I had to bookmark this page and also draft the points in my diary.
You have done a great job here.
Kudos to you.
Fadila says
Hey Kate,
I personally love all these points. They’re just so true!
There’s really nothing holding anyone back from success as a copywriter … except yourself.
It’s not rocket science… but there’s no Aladdin’s lamp for getting there, either
The methods are there, plain and simple.
It’s left for the aspiring copywriter to go the extra mile and apply them as efficiently and consistently as possible.
But I do have this request, Kate…
Please, do an article on steps/methods for developing “pitch-worthy” ideas for potential clients.
I find I struggle with that… and need some clarity.
Thank you! š
The Filthy Rich Writer Team says
Hi! Thanks for the feedback! If you take a look at our podcast (www.filthyrichwriter.com/podcast) and search “pitch” there are at least three episodes that give great tips and guides for pitching new clients.
Holly says
Hi Nicki!
I have loved these posts and the podcast you and Kate have. Definitely learning a lot and Iām excited to get started with the academy. How often do enrollment periods open up?
Thanks!
Holly
The Filthy Rich Writer Team says
Hi Holly! We run enrollment periods every three months. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to [email protected] with any questions!