So, I'm a business owner. And the dialog has totally shifted: "Close the deal. Close the deal, and a contract should be coming your way. Close, close, close."
Now that we know our value, how do we get other people to see it? Promotion, marketing, funneling, sales calls. The good news is that there's no need to do any other social media updates... for now. That's like creating content for free.
How have I found clients in the past? Facebook. Connecting with people in the industry, chatting with them about their project, upcoming events.
This week, I found a Facebook ad on a kid's toy, and decided to message them cold and try to sell a service. Something that's crucial to note... listen to them first. 80% of the dialog should be from them, but I introduce myself lightly. And it's not an intuitive formula-- because I still don't believe they realize why they need UX research. It's hard to explain that to someone who isn't in tech. It's hard to explain that to someone who IS in tech.
Cold-calling seems to be what a lot of businesses do. It sounds pretty lame. I have a high call-to-conversion rate because I only call founders / developers that I think would respect what I do and believe in me. I don't call people without feeling like I know who I'm dealing with, on an individual level.
However, what happens when the weeks start to run dry? Do you start to search on social media for more companies and just "cold-add" and "cold-DM" them?
Sometimes I'm confident about something that starts out great but starts to dive. So, I know my guerilla tactics won't work forever. Hiring someone else to find leads for me? Doesn't feel like it works, since it didn't work once. But, it could work if I tried again.
Another thing I learned the hard way... if you have something on your portfolio, it dictates what kinds of future leads you'll get. So, if I wanted to go into kids' toys, it wouldn't be as quick as staying in AR and games. However, there's so few indie game companies that have any money. Or so it seems. What's great about games is that remote testing is easy, and testers are easy to find. Who doesn't want to play a game?
I answered my own question... I need to focus in on ARVR and games 100%
I drive Lyft in the morning, and then I come home and "try to focus." On what-- that's the harder question. That Facebook ad I boosted didn't help me much. Maybe people know who I am somewhat? But the idea is to convert them.
This is probably why strategies need to be drafted. When I get on social media, what do I see? Shiny toys that probably don't believe in UX. Job listings that I'm not qualified for. Other activities that are a waste of time. And boom-- my focus is gone.
I admittedly really don't understand corporate culture. Write a cookie cutter medium article about how you messed up, and what you learned. Where is there room to bring my unique expertise to the table?
Welp, this is why I'm a sole proprietor. I'm going to have to work extra hard to make this work. It'll be worth it, because no matter how the tech industry changes and if my services change-- knowing how to sell people on your services is going to be crucial when the next economic crash comes.
Now that we know our value, how do we get other people to see it? Promotion, marketing, funneling, sales calls. The good news is that there's no need to do any other social media updates... for now. That's like creating content for free.
How have I found clients in the past? Facebook. Connecting with people in the industry, chatting with them about their project, upcoming events.
This week, I found a Facebook ad on a kid's toy, and decided to message them cold and try to sell a service. Something that's crucial to note... listen to them first. 80% of the dialog should be from them, but I introduce myself lightly. And it's not an intuitive formula-- because I still don't believe they realize why they need UX research. It's hard to explain that to someone who isn't in tech. It's hard to explain that to someone who IS in tech.
Cold-calling seems to be what a lot of businesses do. It sounds pretty lame. I have a high call-to-conversion rate because I only call founders / developers that I think would respect what I do and believe in me. I don't call people without feeling like I know who I'm dealing with, on an individual level.
However, what happens when the weeks start to run dry? Do you start to search on social media for more companies and just "cold-add" and "cold-DM" them?
Sometimes I'm confident about something that starts out great but starts to dive. So, I know my guerilla tactics won't work forever. Hiring someone else to find leads for me? Doesn't feel like it works, since it didn't work once. But, it could work if I tried again.
Another thing I learned the hard way... if you have something on your portfolio, it dictates what kinds of future leads you'll get. So, if I wanted to go into kids' toys, it wouldn't be as quick as staying in AR and games. However, there's so few indie game companies that have any money. Or so it seems. What's great about games is that remote testing is easy, and testers are easy to find. Who doesn't want to play a game?
I answered my own question... I need to focus in on ARVR and games 100%
I drive Lyft in the morning, and then I come home and "try to focus." On what-- that's the harder question. That Facebook ad I boosted didn't help me much. Maybe people know who I am somewhat? But the idea is to convert them.
This is probably why strategies need to be drafted. When I get on social media, what do I see? Shiny toys that probably don't believe in UX. Job listings that I'm not qualified for. Other activities that are a waste of time. And boom-- my focus is gone.
I admittedly really don't understand corporate culture. Write a cookie cutter medium article about how you messed up, and what you learned. Where is there room to bring my unique expertise to the table?
Welp, this is why I'm a sole proprietor. I'm going to have to work extra hard to make this work. It'll be worth it, because no matter how the tech industry changes and if my services change-- knowing how to sell people on your services is going to be crucial when the next economic crash comes.
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