Why Everyone’s Ignoring Your Pitches

Pitched on loads of projects but got zero interest?

When you’re stuck in freelance limbo, it can feel like you’re never going to escape. Well, it’s time to call a doctor, because we’ve got your diagnosis ready.

Here’s our list of the most common reasons why buyers don’t respond to pitches and how to avoid them.

1. You only talk about yourself

A client wants to know you’ve got skills and, but they also want to know how you’re going to help them. If you send them a long list of reasons why you’re amazing, it looks arrogant.

You need to make it obvious what you will do for them because ultimately they want a job doing, not to hear your life story.

2. Your spelling and grammar suck

Remember that you’re asking someone to give over their hard-earned cash for your services, so you’ve got to make sure our spelling and grammar are correct – you can’t get away with text speak, it’s just unprofessional and will signal alarm bells for the client.

3. Your pitch is too long

Your client doesn’t want to scroll through an essay. They just want to quickly see if you can provide what they’re looking for. If you really want them to see more info about you then provide links to your portfolio or website. That way, they can choose.

4. Your pitch is too short

There’s a thing called a happy medium, honey. If you write “Let’s work” then you’ll most likely get told, “Let’s not.”

A pitch with no detail whatsoever isn’t even a red flag. It’s just a tattered flag you’re feebly waving at them. You need to tell them your vision for the project and why you’re the best person to do it.

To do this, you’ll have to successfully produce more than two words.

5. Your portfolio is a blank piece of paper

Okay, so maybe it isn’t quite this bad, but an empty portfolio is just one of a vast array of possible freelance sins. A portfolio with work but no context isn’t much better.

Give a bit of background to projects you’ve done in the past; after all, your potential client knows nothing about that work’s aims and objectives.

It doesn’t need to be a historical novel, just a quick overview (pro-tip: bullet points are your friend.)

6. You take the scattergun approach

You send off pitches to every project you see!

Even better, you send off the same pitch to every client. Who cares that you’re a 2D illustrator and they’re looking for “Avatar-style 3D motion graphics”?

I’ll tell you who cares. The client cares.

Focus on the projects you’ve actually got the skills and experience to succeed at, and write a tailored, specific brief, and you’ll find your success rate goes through the roof.

7. Your bio sucks

Look at your tagline.

Is it specific enough and does it state what you’re trying to accomplish?

If your tagline reads anything like “I’m passionate about design and produce high-quality work for a wide range of clients” then you’re not telling anyone anything about yourself so it’s pointless even having it.

8. You didn’t do your homework

To stand out from the crowd, do some research on the client and find out what their needs are. If you know they want a website redesign, don’t just wait for them to tell you what they want (although obviously listen when they do).

Take a look at their website beforehand and have potential solutions ready to present. This looks impressive and is a great way to show off your skills and show you’re invested in them as a client.

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Now you’ve got the lowdown, it’s time to put it into action. Go to the projects board and start sending awesome pitches!

Been accepted on a brief? Here are your next steps.

Ready to get hired? At Twine, we have dozens of top-quality jobs being posted each and every day. From design to marketing, development to copywriting – there’s a job ready for your skills. Join the marketplace of creative talent here.