I think the idea is to target all the prospects on the page, sending each one a copy of the page with their competitors circled on it. That way each call you receive and/or follow-up would be a “first” contact… ;-)

Another point is to be cautious of the amount you charge for first-time jobs. My friend toileted the market by only charging 1/3 of what basic sites cost. His work showed, too, but nobody cared.

When you get 2 companies who call you back after trying the ‘compatition’ tactic- do you pick just one? (Thinking- you DID SAY ‘one’.) And if so, how long do you wait for a competitor to contact you before going ahead with the first contact?

“I’m going to help one of the companies on this page dramatically increase their business and market share with a dynamic, leading edge website. I hope it’s you, and not one of your competitors!”

The fact is, you have no credibility when you talk about increasing business and market share unless you have a track record hat proves it. If a company appraoched me with that pitch, I’d say “Great, I can do with more business and market share. Show me what you’ve done to help other companies do it.”

Like others have pointed out, I don’t think I would spend all the time to do number 3. I think it would be better to spend this time picking up the phone and calling contacts, and spreading your name around.

When I started my freelance business in 1995, I called an old high school friend who was working at a not-for-profit arts council. He referred me to four other contacts, including a museum and a wine distributor. All four became my clients and this 20 minute phone call launched my business.

You have to think like a fisherman. The larger the net you cast by contacting old and new contacts, the greater chance you have of finding work.

Thanks Andrew for the ideas.

- – - WiLd

This is perhaps a less search-intensive approach to doing what AnandC mentioned.