Start Pounding the Pavement
[by Leslie Burns-Dell'Acqua]
Jump start your marketing by calling three targets every day for the next two weeks. Not the same three, of course. If local, try to get a meeting. If not, ask if you can send your book.
(you can keep doing this after two weeks, but commit to that time to start)
If you don’t have a book, don’t do this. Instead, your assignment is to draw up a plan to produce a great book. Several, in fact. Priority.
Remember, personal meetings are the most effective way of getting work. You have to have a real book to do that. And you have to make the calls.
4 Responses to 'Start Pounding the Pavement'
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I’ve always read that editors/art buyers/etc. hate receiving unsolicited cold calls.
How do you deal with that? Are emails a safer route? I certainly don’t want to annoy the people that I want to work for.
What is the best practice when you get a voicemail? I have been making some calls and so far all I get are VMs and I’m curious if I should leave a message or just keep trying until I get the person on the phone. If I leave a message, should it be my vision/marketing statement plus my contact info or should I keep it simple and informal?
Leslie is right on. Today I just came back from a terrific meeting with the biggest ad agency in town that gave me high compliments on my work. For a year now, I have been trying to angle in to get a showing of my book. I called, and didn’t get past the receptionist as far as who to direct my book to. Finally, after taking my two month old to the doctor for her shots, Instead of going home, I drove down to the agency’s office and walked in. I introduced myself to the receptionist (BTW, the receptionist can be your MAJOR ally in a firm you want to work with. ALWAYS get their name and find a good chat up point!!!) and told her I was fairly new in town, and who would be the best person to show my book to? She immediately gave me the contact I so desperately sought and called her later that day and the receptionist happily put me through to her answer line and I got to set up a meeting.
That has worked 100% of the time for me since doing this with some smaller firms in town. Actually beating the streets is a great way to go. Just make sure you go with the intention to greet the gatekeeper, make an ally, and let that lead you to the decision maker you are really after!
I wouldn’t bother trying to sell a mission statement. Just introduce yourself, if you live nearby, say you would love to take a few minutes to introduce yourself in person and show them your book. If they are not within travelling distance, perhaps ask if you could send them your book, maybe compliment a campaign of theirs or something having to do with their presence that entices you to want to work with them.