I was sitting in the driver's seat of my Subaru Forester with a yellow legal pad on my lap, palms sweating, about to dial the number for my first sales call as a freelancer.
My 700 sq. ft. house was overrun with moving boxes, a hyperactive puppy, and my husband, who was inside, finishing up the final prep for our big move.
So, my car had become the only quiet space where I could take a phone call without background noise.
I had zero context going in — just a name and phone number from a friend's referral. No research on her business. No preparation whatsoever.
When she mentioned needing SEO blog posts, I froze. Despite some experience in marketing, I had no SEO experience yet.
"I've never done this before," I blurted out, "but I'm willing to do them at a discounted rate while I learn."
... Silence
And then: "Yeah, okay, we can try that."
Somehow, in what can only be described as a sheer act of God, she hired me. (What really happened, though, was that she had just had a terrible experience with another writer that she figured I couldn't possibly be any worse. 😅)
And luckily, she was right.
We worked together for three years. She became a huge advocate for my services, often referring me to her network of entrepreneurs.
Even though I landed the gig, after that first call, I was painfully aware that I needed a better approach for future calls. So I bought a sales call template.
It covered all the traditional sales tactics:
- Creating scarcity ("I only have two spots open this month!")
- Using aggressive closing techniques
- Overcoming objections before the client even raises them
- Following scripts for each part of the call
- Pushing for a same-day decision
There's nothing inherently wrong with these approaches. They can work.
But when I tried implementing them on my next call, I felt like I was pretending to be a dude named Chad. Too scripted. Too aggressive. Too salesy. Not... me.
I've learned a lot over the five years since that first bad sales call. And these days, my approach to sales calls looks quite different.
🤑 How I Handle Sales Calls Now
The Golden Rule
My entire goal of a sales call is to build trust built on connection. And it's not rocket science: I show them I'm listening. Give them signals that I understand them. And remember what they said. (Which is required for the service I offer: ghostwriting.)
Ask Really Good Questions
No big deal, but I've been called the "best question asker" many-a-times 💁♀️. For me, the power in a sales call doesn't come from what I say — it comes from what I ask. That skill alone builds trust.
I want to know what business goals are driving their content needs, who their ICP is, which topics they want to be known for, and what's currently working or not in their current strategy. I take notes, ask thoughtful follow-ups, and genuinely try to understand how my solution can move the needle for them.
Share My Ideas Freely
If our conversation sparks any content ideas, I share them right there on the spot. I don't hold back thinking "I should save this for when they pay me." I might suggest a content angle they haven't considered or point out a unique story they could be telling.
Some might say I'm giving away too much, but honestly, being helpful — whether they hire me or not — always comes back around in some way.
Keep the Service Options Clear
I keep this super clear: two core options with specific deliverables, exactly what I need from them, when they can expect things from me, and the price range. I've found being crystal clear here helps avoid the fumbling I used to do when I offered too many different things.
This is the part of calls that used to make my palms sweat. Talking about money still isn't my favorite thing, but having clear packages has helped a lot. I've also learned a few tricks that make this easier: I consciously slow down my speech (I'm a nervous rambler by nature), I practice the pitch until it feels natural, and I've done the mental work to believe my services are valuable.
Closing the Call
This is where I break from traditional sales advice. I never pressure for a same-call decision. I don't use fake scarcity tactics. And if I need time to put together a custom quote with add-ons, I'm honest about that.
For clients who seem like a great fit, I'll do a quick story-mining exercise in the last few minutes to give them a taste of my interviewing skills and end things on a high note.
Then, I wrap up the call with the clear next steps to move forward. For example: "I'll send over that proposal by tomorrow, and you can take a week to review it. If you have any questions, feel free to email me directly. Does that timeline work for you?"
Within a day after the call, I send over a recap of what we discussed, along with detailed package information. And for clients I really want to work with, I might include a free LinkedIn post draft.
Lead with Integrity
Something I feel strongly about is leading with integrity, even if it costs me the sale. If someone's not quite ready for my content investment, I (kindly) let them know.
I've even referred potential clients to other marketers if I thought they'd be a better fit for where they're at.
Because at the end of the day, good business is about being helpful. This approach might not immediately fill my bank account, but it builds the kind of reputation that creates long-term sustainability. People remember when you put their interests first.
🤫 The Secret
IMHO, the most powerful shift in my sales approach had nothing to do with what I say during calls – it happened before I even got on the phone. And that is...
I stopped trying to convince people about the value of good content.
Now, I only get on calls with people who are already solution-aware – aka, they know they need professional content help; they just need to figure out if I'm the right person to provide it.
My pre-call qualification process filters for the right clients through questions in DMs like:
- Whar service they're interested in
- Why they're interested in hiring me
- Their budget range
- Their ideal timeline
When someone says 🚩 "I could do this myself but don't have time" it usually signals they see writing as just a task to delegate rather than valuing the strategy and expertise behind great content.
Because yes, as freelancers, we save clients time. But the compounding value in what I/we provide goes far beyond that. There's a skill difference here that's important for sales.
By qualifying leads before calls, I spend my energy where it matters: connecting with potential clients who already value what I do, rather than trying to convert the unconvinced.
💜 A Few Cool Things in Freelanceland
- This post about turning your LinkedIn Profile into a lead magnet
- In case you missed it, the last newsletter featured my interview with Kendall Cherry
- I took Kendall's advice and forced myself to start writing more sales content. And the result? This post brought in 3 leads, and I closed the deal with one!
✍️ How We Can Work Together
I'm now offering mini content audits, exclusively for my newsletter peeps. (That's you, Reader 😉!) Let me know if you're interested.
That's it for today! In two weeks I'll be back in your inbox, sharing my interview with the one, the only... Erica Schneider!! It's so good.
Talk soon,
Erika
Ps - If you enjoyed this email, can you help me grow this newsletter by forwarding this link to a freelancer friend who would appreciate it?
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Thanks for hanging out!
I'm Erika, a fractional content strategist, content lead @ ZenMaid, and freelance ghostwriter. When I'm not writing this newsletter, I'm probably procrastiposting on LinkedIn.
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