Think client outreach is sleazy, salsey, and only for the extroverts of the world? Think again! In this part lecture, part open Q&A office hours, join The Futur's Stephanie Owens as she breaks down how her studio gets the attention of major league clients with the power of outreach.
Outreach Mindset and Process
Mindset Shift Towards Outreach Action
Do not doubt your ability - doubt breeds inaction. It's perfectly normal and expected to receive many rejections from outreach. Commit to consistent action instead of doubting.
Think like a professional salesperson - even those in sales often fail to follow proven best practices like consistently following up 5-12 times. Outreach requires persistence and patience to see results.
Focus on getting “at bats” - similar to how baseball players get many opportunities to hit by repeatedly stepping up to the plate, get exposure for your work by consistently reaching out to potential clients through multiple touchpoints over time. Quality leads come from quantity of attempts.
Always follow the golden rule - reach out to others with care, respect and genuine helpful intent. Personalize each email. Provide value first before promoting yourself. Never presume to diagnose needs without permission.
Action Steps:
1. List 5-10 potential clients to regularly outreach to
2. Schedule outreach activities on your calendar for consistency
3. Draft a template intro email emphasizing value over sales
Understand the Outreach Process
Step 1: Mindset - Shift your thinking from doubt to action-taking and follow best practices
Step 2: Target list - Identify relevant potential clients or media contacts to reach out to through web research. Keep list updated.
Step 3: Tailored intro message - Personalize each intro email to show you understand their work and how you can provide value first before promoting your own services.
Step 4: Consistent follow up - Most sales happen after the 5th contact. Set a system to follow up 5-12 times consistently over weeks/months as needed.
Step 5: Identify opportunities - Through dialog, uncover where your skills/services could benefit them for potential projects or partnerships. Suggest a follow up call.
Step 6: Nurture relationships - Stay engaged on social media. Thank contacts for their time. Keep opportunities on your radar for when timing may be right.
Action Steps:
1. Draft your template intro email
2. Schedule outreach on your calendar
3. Reach out to 5 contacts from your target list this week
Common Outreach Strategies
Cold emailing - Direct personal emails to relevant journalists, influencers or businesses to introduce your work. Consistent timing and follow up required.
Social media engaging - Follow potential clients and share/comment on their posts to be top of mind. Look for opportunities to start direct message conversations.
Thought leadership - Create blog content, assets or public speaking touching on issues relevant to your target markets. Distribute widely so others find your expertise.
Paid ads and boosted posts - For businesses, run targeted social media ads or boosted posts to expand your reach. Monitor performance and continue optimizing.
Events and conferences - Attend industry events in-person or virtually. Introduce yourself to others you meet. Distribute your business cards or promotional items.
Action Steps:
1. Choose 1 outreach strategy to start using consistently this month
2. Allocate time in your calendar for outreach activities
3. Track results and continuously improve your process
Analysis of Outreach Email Examples
Poor example: Generic, does not personalize. Quickly promotes services without understanding recipient's needs. Reads like a sales pitch.
Good example: Addresses recipient by name. Shows knowledge of their work through specific references. Emphasizes how services could uniquely benefit them. No pressure to buy, establishes rapport.
Great example: Mirrors the recipient's tone and interests in their own words. Asks open-ended questions to learn more about their business. Offers relevant industry resources first before self-promotion. Invites future conversation over making an immediate sales ask.
Action Steps:
1. Review examples and analyze what makes them effective (or not)
2. Draft a template introducing your services based on best practices
3. Have a colleague review your template for quality before using
Tracking and Measuring Outreach Success
Establish clear goals - Decide what defines success for your outreach whether leads, sales or brand awareness. Track numbers each month.
Understand metrics - Track important stats like open rate, response rate, follow ups sent, meetings booked from total outreach attempts. Use ratios.
Qualify leads quickly - Have a qualified lead/opportunity stages process. Score contacts based on fit and expressed needs for projects.
Leverage CRM/calendar system - Use project management or CRM tools to schedule tasks, document communication history and progress qualify leads through sales funnel.
Analyze and improve - Periodically review metrics to see if some outreach strategies or template content performed better. Adjust process based on data.
Action Steps:
1. Set quantified goals for your outreach over the next 3 months
2. Select software to help you track and qualify leads
3. Review results monthly and refine your process
Potential Objections and How to Overcome Them
"I'm too busy": Express understanding. Suggest a 15 minute call to get their perspective on an issue you can help with. People value experts solving their problems.
"Not interested": Thank them. Politely ask if they could recommend colleagues elsewhere who may benefit from your expertise. People appreciate referrals from trusted sources.
No response: Respond once more personally thanking them for their time. Send recommended content showing you understand their work through research. Be helpful without direct selling.
Late follow ups work: Don't be discouraged by previous lack of response. Needs change. Timing matters. Relevance earns second chances to introduce expertise at a later opportunity when they're ready.
Actively seeking "no" is better than avoiding potential "yes" situations altogether through action. Consistent, helpful outreach cultivated rapport over time.
Action Steps:
1. Anticipate objections you may receive
2. Draft thoughtful, helpful responses showing you understand their perspective
3. Commit to consistent long-term outreach
Setting Yourself Up for Outreach Success
Discover your ideal clients: Understand who truly values and can afford your services through customer interviews. Develop deep expertise in their interests and language.
Craft an irresistible offer: Don't sell services alone. Package high-value content, templates or guides showing your expertise as a generous gift establishing credibility and authority before discussing costs.
Streamline your online presence: Ensure websites, bios and profiles clearly communicate your expertise and focus. Remove distractions to tell your unique story cohesively across all channels.
Build social proof: Case studies, reviews, media coverage and industry badges establish your credibility for when people research you online. Demonstrate success stories of past clients.
Outsource low-value tasks: Focus your skills where you add the most value. Delegate administrative work so you maximize lucrative client-facing activities using your distinct strengths.
Continue growing your skills: Maintain expertise by learning industry trends. Evolve your offerings based on market research. Refresh your story over time as your experiences expand.
Action Steps:
1. Audit how you present yourself online and identify 1-2 areas of improvement
2. Schedule time this week to learn something new about your target market
3. Delegate 1 low-value task to free up your high-value skills
