Talking to potential clients: 7 simple strategies to crush sales calls

I'm not cut out for sales. I'm an introverted, anti-social person by nature. So when I decided to do freelance design, sales terrified me.

Do you mean I don't just have to talk to strangers but also persuade them to pay me?

I saw sales as a terrifying mountain that I had to conquer. It turns out that I was mistaken.

After many awkward sales calls, I decided to try talking to a potential client like any other person. We are, after all, all humans.

That was effective.

Once I let go of the idea of the client being in charge and seeing them as someone to impress, sales became simply a conversation. I realized after a while that the sales call had very little to do with me. Heck, I don't even talk that much on good calls.

A sales call's goal is to determine how you can solve someone's problem.

That's all.

The best salespeople aren't the obvious salespeople; they're the problem-solvers who genuinely want to help people if their solution is a good fit.

How you interact with your clients significantly impacts how they perceive your business and can leave a lasting impression on them. But perfecting client communication is a skill that, when practiced, can take your business to the next level.

Although there are no recipes for success when it comes to landing freelance clients, a few things can help you maintain a healthy and productive relationship with your clients.

Here are 7 simple strategies to crush sales calls

Do your homework

This is the only link between client sales calls and looking for full-time work.

Most people research the company before applying for a full-time job to see if they want to work there.

They consider things like the company's mission, the number of employees, and whether or not they have money in the bank.

You should research the same information for client sales calls but through a different lens.

You're not researching a potential client to see if you want to work with them (though it may help), but you're doing your homework to prepare for the call.

A potential client will be impressed if you show up and congratulate them on their recent round of funding and inquire about the progress of their new product launch.

It demonstrates that you have a genuine interest in the company and are already familiar with where they stand, which immediately builds trust with a potential client, giving you a leg up.