A Freelancer's Guide to Mastering Cold Outreach and Winning Clients
Ah, freelancing. The dream of being your own boss, setting your own hours, and choosing the projects you work on.
That is, until you realize that in this game, getting clients is the hardest part. One way of getting in touch with clients who have never heard of you is cold outreach.
The thing about cold outreach though? If you do it wrong, you're going to end up wasting your time and risking your reputation. So, let's make sure you do it right.
What we'll cover
Researching and qualifying leads
Sending mass emails to anyone and everyone isn't just lazy. It’s counterproductive.
If the recipient doesn't feel your email is relevant, it's going straight to spam and taking your reputation down with it.
Before you start typing out that cold email, dig into the company’s website, social media profiles, and recent news. Look for gaps or areas where your services can make a real difference. For example:
- Does their website look outdated?
- Are they launching a new product that could use a marketing campaign?
- Have they openly discussed problems you can solve?
Writing a cold email
Now that you've found your leads, it's time to write up that cold email. This part can feel tricky, but there are only four things you need to get right to make sure your email stands out.
1. Hook them with the subject line
Your subject line is the first thing they see, so make it count. It needs to be clear, direct, and intriguing.
The goal is to make the reader think "I want to know more". Try something specific and value-driven, for example:
- Your Website Could Be Costing You Customers - Here's Why
- Get More Leads Without Extra Ad Spend
- How We Helped [similar company] Achieve [x result]
2. Make it about them
Adding a placeholder to automatically fill in the recipient's name is no longer seen as personalization. At this point, it's an expectation.
To make your cold email truly about them, you need to take it up a notch. Mention their company by name, reference something specific you noticed, or talk about their latest project.
Show them you've done your research and that your offer is relevant. Otherwise, you'll quickly join the 71% that get ignored.
3. Tell them what’s next
You're not emailing them for the fun of it. You want something to happen, so tell them what that is.
Always end your email with a clear CTA. For example:
- Would you be open to a 10-minute call to discuss how I can help?
- Let me know if you're interested and I can send over examples of my work.
Don’t overcomplicate things. A single, straightforward CTA works best.
4. Sell yourself...
But keep the focus on them. This isn't the time to go on about your qualifications or rattle off your entire list of services. Instead, tell them how your expertise benefits them.
For example, instead of saying:
“I’m a highly skilled designer with 10 years of experience in web design and a portfolio full of amazing projects.”
Say:
“I’ve helped businesses like yours redesign their websites to be more user-friendly, which boosted their conversions by 20%. I’d love to do the same for you.”
See the difference? You’re selling your skills, but you’re always keeping the focus on the outcome for them.
Follow up
Chances are, you won't get a response right away. As a matter of fact, data has confirmed that follow-up email campaigns have an almost 2% higher reply rate than those without any follow-up.
People are busy. They might have missed your email, or it simply wasn’t the right time for them. A well-timed, friendly follow-up can be all it takes to prompt a conversation.
That said, you also need to know when to give up. According to Hunter.io's latest report, unsubscribe rates grow after the third follow-up.
Automating your email campaigns
The hardest part about creating an email campaign is matching the right people to the right message. But once you've got that part down, you can use email automation to save yourself a ton of time.
Tools like Mailchimp, Hunter.io, and Drip let you set up automated sequences, track opens, and follow up. All you need to do is create a list of potential clients and fine-tune your email templates.
Final thoughts
The trick to successful cold outreach is simple: do your homework, make your email relevant, and always follow up. People want to feel understood, not sold to.
Show them you've taken the time to understand their business and they'll be much more likely to respond. And when they do, that’s your opportunity to show them you're not just another freelancer.
By using tools like Better Proposals to send a beautifully designed, custom proposal, you instantly look more serious and professional. It’s the perfect way to turn interest into commitment and close the deal.
