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- Prerequisites vs. Selling Points
Remember I told you I’ll play the volume game for some days. Here we are with a micro essay.
I have been reaching out to newsletter operators, businesses, and creators recently. I am conscious of my pitches, trying to find patterns in ‘what works’ apart from the proven, popular ones.
One thing I noticed in my bad pitches plus the cold emails I see across the web is - PEOPLE SELL PREREQUISITES.
Prerequisites are basic skills and personality traits expected of you for a particular role. They are ‘basic’ for a reason and in no way a selling point of your service.
For example, if I pitch a newsletter agency to write their newsletters, I can’t say, “I am a good writer, so hire me.” Now, the line feels a little too direct and obvious, but most pitches translate to the same thing—selling prerequisites.
You’re pitching as a writer. Being good at writing is the minimum you must offer. That’s a prerequisite, not a selling point.
But what closes clients?
(a) What specific expertise do you have wrt to the business you’re pitching?
I have a higher chance of closing sports brands because I have been a professional athlete. I can find insights and talk to athletes better than non-athlete writers.
Technically you can work with anyone, but you can only work better when you’re either passionate about the niche or have better insights than most other marketers (or if the brand pays well :p)
TL;DR: Look at niches you know better than most people around you. The knowledge will be your selling point aka leverage.
(b) What results have you brought previously?
At the end of the day, it’s all about what you can achieve for your client.
If you have a strong proof of work, convert it into result statements.
For example, I closed four clients for email copywriting when I mentioned,
“I crafted sequences, created offers, and wrote copy for a D2C brand’s Valentine’s Day campaign and made $3500 for them in three days.”
*case study on this gig if you’re interested.
Clients look for reassurance about their decision. Before they invest in you, they want to know you’re the right person and they’re not wasting any capital. Strong PoW definitely gives your leads the reassurance they seek.
“But what if I just started and don’t have proof of work?”
Build one. Simple as that. There is no shortcut or quick way to Step 2. Working for free is something I did early on to get more gigs, experience, testimonials, etc. I am always ready to work for free if I want to explore a new category.
That’s all I have for today. Look at your pitches and check if you’re reaching out with prerequisites or actual selling points.
PS: If you have a pitch you need feedback on, I am happy to do it. Will ask nothing in return.
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See ya!
Love,
Vikra.