Why Do Writers Fear Cold Pitching?
You’re a writer, so you shouldn’t fear writing a cold pitch… right?
You hear about it everywhere, and people swear by it. It’s how successful writers “got their start.” It gets easier. It’s not that bad. Yet, despite all the positive feedback about cold pitching, it makes both new (and seasoned) writers a little nervous. But why?
In this post, we’ll talk about common cold pitching fears that writers have. As we work through each one, I’ll try to help you calm your nerves so that you too can benefit from cold pitching. And yes, I got my start by cold pitching - but I live to tell the tale!
8 Cold Pitching Fears Holding You Back
Although there are various ways to find writing clients, cold pitching is one of the best, easiest and most straightforward ways to gain work – especially in the beginning.
Many writers are so turned off by cold pitching that they avoid doing it at all costs. That’s what I did for 3 years, and I missed out on big opportunities because I did so.
For example: I would have loved having my first 5-fig month long before it actually happened. After about 5-6 months of cold pitching, my first 5-fig month became a reality.
Let’s talk about some cold pitching fears that I had, and maybe, you have too. The goal is to break down these barriers so that you feel confident enough to cold pitch and go after the jobs you want. Or at least, go after the jobs that will help you get a good start in your career.
#1 “The Recipient Will Be Offended”
Your pitch should detail how you can help your prospect, and yet so many writers worry that they’re going to offend a potential client with their pitch. Remember that you are offering something they need, something they can benefit from.
Only the high-strung prospects will be offended, and you won’t want to work with those kinds of people anyway.
In your pitch, you want to sound enthusiastic, genuine and helpful. Any reasonable person can respect that. And if you’re offering a writing service that they need, even better.
#2 “I’m Bothering the Person”
Your prospects probably receive hundreds of emails per day, so why should you bother them with another? Answer: Because your email is probably one of the most helpful and valuable ones they’ll receive that day.
Instead of generalized promotions, work drama and project management, your pitch is a solution to their problem – whether that’s helping them meet their goals, grow the business or take writing tasks off their plate.
#3 “It’s So Much Work with Little Payoff”
Okay, yeah. Cold pitching takes work, especially if you want it to work for you. But it’s an investment into your future income, experience and career.
To be honest, it’s best to send out lots of pitches, even as much as 5 new pitches per workday so you gain practice and boost your chances of getting work.
However, I’d be lying to you if I said I never took shortcuts when pitching. Back when I started, I created several pitch templates for myself. Most of the pitches remained the same, but I would customize them for each prospect. I never sent out an email blast though. Every pitch was still 1-to-1.
But I get it. Even creating the templates takes work. But think of this “unpaid” work as an investment to your future paid jobs.
#4 “Most Cold Pitches Fail”
In the beginning and/or without proper guidance, yes. Many pitches will fall short and either get no response or a “no” response.
That can be very discouraging. However, it’s important to establish an easy system and create personalized pitch templates to expedite the process.
Once you know what to write in your pitch and you pitch consistently, you’ll be able to improve your pitches over time. Rewriting and revisiting your pitching strategy will help you send out less pitches and receive more positive feedback.
#5 “They Say No, or Worse”
What if the prospect says “no” to your services?! It can happen, but at least you get a response. With that response, you can check them off your list and devote your time to better leads.
And what if they send an angry email back? In my experience, despite sending hundreds of pitches, only a handful have ever been rude. All you have to do is cross them off your list, and then delete the email for your own sanity.
A negative response can be crushing, and it’s only human to be hurt by them. But while getting hurt is a powerful and overwhelming feeling, your new writing business doesn’t care. It just wants to keep moving the needle forward. So, when it comes to pitching, think like a business, not a person.
And most importantly, don’t take it personally!
#6 “I Don’t Know What to Say”
Although this was one of my biggest cold pitching fears, this can easily be remedied with the right guidance. Education is empowering!
In the past, I’ve actually put together entire courses about successful email cold pitching. All of them were basically the actionable guides I needed when I was starting out, but something that simply didn’t exist. Until I recreate those courses for AWS, check out some of our cold pitching blogs here.
#7 “I Don’t Know Who to Pitch”
Another big barrier to cold pitching. I was always so confused about who to contact, especially in a big company. I didn’t want to look stupid if I emailed the wrong person!
Luckily, if you’re pitching small businesses, you’ll want to reach out to the owner directly. In bigger companies, you want to target the decision makers. This could be the execs or a director who covers marketing, content, branding, etc.
#8 “Is a Random Email Even Allowed?”
Yes! You can send a 1-to-1 email to anyone. Many writers worry that taking an email address they found online and emailing that person is not allowed. Whether you randomly email an old friend after 10 years or a business person, it’s all game.
What you can’t do is take a person’s email and subscribe them to your email list without their consent. And I’m not a lawyer, so don’t use my words as legal advice, but emailing someone after a negative response should also not be done either.
However, when it comes to sending your initial pitch, you’re emailing someone 1-on-1 with a custom pitch. If they say don’t email them again, then don’t. But otherwise, a simple message won’t do any harm.
