I was afraid to send my first cold email 😨
Hi there,
I remember the moment so clearly like it was yesterday. Sending my first ever cold email.
I was terrified. What are they going to say? What if they won't open it? What if they won't reply? What if I get a nasty reply back? And what if they reply and want to set up a discovery call? I was afraid of failure, ridicule, shame, but also success.
Cold emailing didn't feel natural to me at first. I resisted the idea. When I first heard about cold emailing, I felt icky. I wasn't just going to spam people. That's gross. My traumatized inner child was afraid of judgment. It wasn't going to work for me.
But the idea of cold emailing just didn't leave me alone. I watched countless videos on the topic. I read blogs. I followed Facebook conversations.
But I was still afraid.
Yet, in my heart, I knew I had to give it a shot.
So I signed up for a course. Why a course? There is so much content on the topic.
I needed direction. I needed clarity. I needed a guide. I needed support. And frankly, I needed a major but gentle kick in the ass and some accountability.
I was living on food stamps at the time. My husband was unemployed (without unemployment benefits), and I was barely making enough to cover our rent and bills. Buying a course was a huge investment. It was a risk. But I knew I needed that: to save time, to provide structure, and to fast-track my process (and success) with a step-by-step guide.
I was terrified when I signed up.
Once I did, I followed each step of the process. I gave the middle finger to fear and hit send on my first ever cold email.
And guess what?! I didn't get a response. And the world didn't end.
I sent another, then another email, followed by many more. It didn't take long to hear back from some amazing clients. Before I could blink, my schedule was full.
Since then, I have learned a lot about cold emailing, the business aspects of freelancing, and the importance of mindset work. I learned a lot that wasn't covered in that course. But one thing is for sure, getting over my fear of investing in a course and starting cold emailing was life-changing. And I don't use this world lightly.
If you've ever thought about cold emailing, I encourage you to try it. It's one of the best tools to get clients, especially if you are new or struggling. If you are considering any other new steps in your business but fear is holding you back, don't let it.
Being afraid is okay. But look fear in the eye, say f*** it, and do it anyways. Do it afraid.
Now I will leave you with today's pep talk. Until next time, happy writing,
Kat
nohustlefreelancer.com & katgalwriter.com
Today's pep talk:
"Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life...I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right, you won't have to die. The truth is that you will die anyway and that a lot of people who aren't even looking at their feet are going to do a whole lot better than you, and have a lot more fun while they're doing it." -- Anne Lamott