You already have a great skill that’s in demand. Perhaps you’re the best-of-the-best with Photoshop and Illustrator, or maybe your ability to write PHP code is simply unmatched.

No matter your trade, the one ability every freelancer can benefit from is the art of having clients chase you for work. There are a number of posts on setting up a great online portfolio but sometimes using old-fashioned postal mail can grab the older generation of business owners that probably haven’t seen your impressive portfolio.

Sending letters, postcards or pamphlets takes both time and money so you can’t afford to make any mistakes. Here are nine tips to make your next mailing stand out and ensure that the recipient takes the time to read your costly marketing materials!

• Greet a real person. When I check my own mailbox, the first set of envelopes I instantly throw away are addressed to “Current Resident.” That’s a surefire way of spotting junk-mail that isn’t worth my time. Always address your mailings to someone at the company with the power to write your check. If you don’t know the owner’s name, feel free to call the business and ask!
• Give before you receive. Your mailing is asking the recipient to hand over large sums of money to you. Instead, turn the tables and use your first mailing to offer a gift. As a freelancer, you have a skill that can be of use to any business. Offer to sit down with the owner and give a free review of their current website, for example. Come up with a gift that will open the lines of communication and lead the way to a healthy business relationship.
• Speak the recipient’s language. CMYK and vector-based are fundamental terms for a designer but you’ll sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher when you use them with most business owners. Instead, use sentences that convey the same information but aren’t intimidating–”The best part is, I’ll give you a CD that contains your logo in formats that you can use with the newspaper or your embroidery company.” Talk in such a way that even non-tech savvy clients can understand you.
• Use bullet points. An effective mailing doesn’t come in the form of a long, drawn-out letter. You’re too busy to write them and your recipient is too busy to read them. Instead, craft a well thought-out introductory sentence and five or six strong bullet points. Use action verbs to accentuate your points. “Increase sales through” or “Attract new customers” are two great ways to start a sentence.
• Make it easy to reach you. You’re someone that’s very comfortable with email but your future clients might not be. Perhaps your client is too intimidated to pick up the phone and ask what she thinks is a stupid question. Make it easy by providing a number of ways to reach you including your phone number, email address and website address.
• Buy some stamps. Another quick way to spot junk mail is to see a metered letter without a traditional stamp. How many people do you know that use a meter to send out a letter? Businesses use them to save time when sending out thousands of pieces of junk mail at a time and you don’t want to be associated with that. Instead, go old-fashioned and pop a stamp on your mailings. The recipient will know that an actual human sent it and not a junk-mail machine.
• Get your pen ready. Another way to get people to read your mail is to have something hand-written on it. At a minimum, you’ll want to sign your letters to the person but adding a neatly written phrase to your mailing can yield excellent results! Try writing on the back of your postcards: “You have a great website but I can make it better” and see what happens.
• Ask for an appointment. I am shocked at how many pieces of mail I get where the sender doesn’t ask me for what they want! The entire reason you’re sending this material is to book an appointment and close the deal. If you don’t ask for an appointment to speak with them, you’re selling your efforts short.
• Always follow up You cannot send a letter or a postcard and expect results on your first try. Plan to send different material to each recipient four or five times. Then, pick up the phone and call or drive to the business and stop by. Start your phonecall by asking for the person you addressed the letter to and saying, “Hi, Mr. O’Neil. I sent you a few examples of my work this past month and wanted to see if you received them.” If nothing else, you will have the chance to make a great impression.

Chris Farrugia is a freelance writer and marketing enthusiast. He has been working with freelancers for the past few years to help improve the quality of their marketing campaigns.