I enter a crowded cafe. The sun is setting and I’m wearing a name tag and an N95 mask. I drop off my backpack with its peers behind some tables, but my backpack is a navy blue and gray child’s backpack with someone else’s initials on it. Every single one of the other backpacks is square and black.
I tell myself I biked all the way over here so I should stay for an hour. I note the time, smile, and start weaving through the room, looking for anyone who’s not currently deep in conversation.
I find a person eventually and do a big wave and smile, then extend my hand for a handshake. We exchange names, glancing down at each other’s name tags because we can’t hear anything. I say (yell through my mask and the cafe noise) that I do websites, marketing, and graphic design. They ask where I work. I say I’m a freelancer. They say that’s cool.
Some people, clearly, are not looking for business services. They either are looking for a job, work for a super big company, already have a great designer, or think AI can do everything. That’s fine.
But sometimes, when I say website, or design, the conversation shifts, subtly, to an evaluation. They ask me to describe my recent work. They ask me if I do this, or that. I say yes. I tell them I have ten years of experience working on websites, and that I’m good at fixing and updating sites and helping clients share their work in a compelling and clear way.
Then I ask them about themselves. We continue chatting for a minute. I can see them considering my services. Right before we shake hands and move onto the next people, they ask,
“Do you have a portfolio? My website probably needs some work, actually.”
This is a small success. But these in-person interactions haven’t gained me a ton of clients.
When I first started doing this, about a month ago, I was scared and full of anxiety about entering a room full of people when I didn’t understand the social rules. Repeatedly going to these types of events and having frequent conversations in which I pitch my services has helped me become more comfortable and reduce my fear of the unknown.
From these interactions, I learn how to reach out to potential clients online. I can better predict what questions people might have for me, or what they are interested in hearing about.
One-on-one conversations have a way of unblocking me from being able to express myself in that direction.These conversations don’t need to be in person. I have most of my conversations online, actually. I’ve seen this many times with writing, how being able to chat with someone supportive about an upcoming project can help break through writer’s block.
Emailing people who don’t know you yet is a form of (hopefully compelling) writing, and the writer’s block can be hard to get past. Remembering those real-time, real-life conversations can help me understand and predict how someone might respond to receiving such a message (if they read it). That can be comforting.
So if you’re looking for clients, or an audience for your writing, or wondering how your latest project idea would be received, I highly recommend finding someone you can pitch your idea to. Even if they aren’t who you’re looking for, you’re going to learn so much from that interaction.
And yes, as a consultant I would be happy to offer you supportive, encouraging, yet honest feedback on your latest venture or writing project. Message me ;)
Thanks so much for reading! Let me know what you think in the comments.
Take care,
Rey
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