How to Cold Email Potential Clients for Freelance Work
Cold emailing is a powerful way to connect with potential clients and secure more work — but only if you write it well.
If you’re new to cold emailing and pitching, it can feel nerve-wracking to reach out to strangers over the internet. But the more cold emails you send, the more confident and comfortable you’ll be with the process.
Below, let’s go over why you should be sending cold emails for freelance work and what to include in your cold email. We’ll also share a cold email template that you can use to help you get started, and you can view all message templates as well.
What is a Cold Email for Freelance Work?
A cold email is an email sent to a potential client with whom you don’t have a prior relationship. Freelancers often send out cold emails to clients as a way to introduce themselves before proposing a project. The email is considered “cold” because you’re essentially emailing a stranger.
Sending a cold email to a potential client is a common way for freelancers to solicit more work, especially if you’re just getting started and don’t yet have a network of people who can refer you. If you’re looking for a more casual approach, you can also send a cold DM over social media.
Start by putting together a list of clients you think could be a good fit for what you do. Next, find the right person to contact. For instance, if you’re a freelance writer, you should look for an editor or content marketing manager at the company. Then use a tool like Hunter to find the correct email address for that person.
5 Things to Include in a Cold Email to Potential Clients
Once you have a list of dream clients to reach out to, the next step is to craft the perfect cold email. Here’s what to include in your cold email if you want to get the attention of potential clients and land more work.
1. An introduction
Imagine this: You’re working from a coffee shop and minding your own business when, out of the blue, a stranger comes up to you. Instead of introducing themselves, they immediately jump right into what they do for work, hand you their contact info, and walk away. Not only would this leave you feeling very confused, but you most likely won’t want to contact this person because they’re basically still a stranger.
Sending a cold email is the same thing. The receiver has no idea who you are. Instead of jumping right into what you do and how you can help them, start with a simple introduction. Share who you are, how you found them, and why you’re reaching out. All it takes is a sentence or two to warm up the connection and feel less spammy.
2. The type of services you offer
Next, you can get more specific about the services you offer. Need inspiration? Check out Wethos free proposal and service templates to build your services out.
Don’t just say “I’m a social media manager.” Be specific. What do you specialize in? Do you focus on Instagram only? Do you handle creating both the graphics and captions? Do you have a great track record when it comes to engagement? Make sure your potential clients know from that first email what they can expect from you.
And don’t forget to tailor your pitch to whoever you’re sending the cold email to. If you see that they don’t have a big following on Instagram, emphasize how you’ve helped brands grow their following.
3. A brief client rundown
It’s important for potential clients and target brands to know what you’ve done in the past. Remember, you’re practically a stranger to them. So anything you can do to help break the ice and let them know you’re legit is welcomed.
Use your first email to mention brands that you’ve worked with that they’d be familiar with. Not only does this break the ice, but it also provides more context and social proof — which is the concept that people are more likely to trust or follow other people’s actions (e.g., reviews and testimonials).
Pro tip: Don’t share past clients or experiences that have nothing to do with the current job or project you’re proposing. Stick to sharing a few of the most relevant client projects.
4. Relevant results
One thing I always tell my mentees is that at the end of the day, their proposals and cold emails should focus on what the client will receive from working with you. Emphasizing the results you’ve helped clients achieve helps communicate the value you offer.
In a few sentences, detail how your content writing, social media strategies, or web development skills have served your clients in the past. For instance, you could mention how your website development projects have helped clients increase web traffic by X percent. Or, the social media strategies you’ve created have grown your clients’ following and increased conversions.
As always, keep it short and succinct. The point is to share enough to capture their interest and get them to respond. You can go into more detail in your next email or over a discovery call.
5. Your pricing
I know… we’re all scared of sharing our numbers. But hey, if a potential client doesn’t have the budget and they know your rates immediately, that saves both of you the time and effort and emailing back and forth. Some freelancers prefer to get this out of the way in the first email, but this can also wait until you actually get a response.
If you don’t want to share your exact price right off the bat, you can at least give them a sense of how you structure your services. For instance, if you’re an email marketer, you could share that you work with clients on a monthly basis rather than doing one-off emails. This lets the potential client know that working with you would likely be a long-term investment.
You can also link to your services page on your freelance website so they can do their research if they want to learn more.
3 Reasons Why Your Cold Email May Be Declined
One reason why cold emailing can feel so scary is that most people are afraid that they’ll be rejected. But we’re here to let you know that aside from ignoring you, the worst that will happen is that they’ll say no.
While it may feel personal, it’s not. There are many possible reasons why your pitch or cold email is rejected. Let’s do a quick rundown on the reasons why a potential client may decline your cold email.
It’s not a good fit for now
Sometimes, a no simply means it’s not a good fit for now. Don’t take it the wrong way, and definitely don’t overthink it. If a potential client declines your cold pitch in as few words as, “no thanks,” it could mean that now is not a good time for it. Feel free to follow up in the next three months or so.
They don’t have the budget
Some potential clients would express this immediately, and I for one really appreciate it. It’s so helpful to know why my cold email is being declined. Not all brands have huge budgets for content marketing. Some brands also don’t prioritize their blogs. If you’re not a writer, it could be that your department also doesn’t have a huge budget. Take note and move forward to your next target client. Plus, if the client ends up getting a bigger budget down the road, you’ll be top of mind!
They don’t have all the information they need
This is the reason why we’re writing this article! Too often, a potential client declines a proposal because they’re busy and don’t have the time to entertain empty emails. By empty, I mean the kind of email that doesn’t give them the information they need. Maybe you’re a good writer or a social media manager, but if you don’t know how to write a solid cold email, you’d probably struggle to close deals.
Follow the steps we outlined above to make sure you include everything a potential client needs to know in the first email.
Freelance Cold Email Template
Now that you have an idea of what to include in your cold email to potential clients, it helps to have a framework to get started with.
Below is a sample cold email to use when you’re conducting client outreach. Feel free to copy this cold email template and customize it for your project needs. One thing I want to note is the importance of keeping it short, concise, and relevant.
Reminder: If you followed our steps above, you should be contacting a specific person, not a general company email.
Hi [contact’s first name],
My name is [your name] and I’m a [title, e.g., website developer] for [descriptor about your business or niche]. I stumbled upon [recent project] that [company] is doing and would love to see if I could help support future projects.
I offer [briefly describe your service(s)] that have helped clients [list a few results you’ve generated for clients]. Clients I’ve worked with include [mention notable and relevant clients].
You can learn more about my services here [include website or portfolio link] if you’re interested in working together.
Let me know if you’d like to set up a discovery call or if there’s anything else I can share. Hope to connect with you soon.
Thanks!
[Your name]
Cold emailing is not for everybody. I know many freelancers who are not fans of it but are still quite successful. In my case, it’s the method that worked best, and almost all of my clients came from cold emailing.
Does this mean cold emailing is the answer to becoming a successful freelancer? Or that it is the most effective tool when starting a freelance business? Nope.
This simply means if you know how to write cold emails, know how to follow up, and how to keep the conversation going, then you increase the chances of sealing more deals and growing your freelance business.
Looking for more ways to grow your freelance business? Take the guesswork out of freelancing and explore Wethos Pro.