If you use the web a lot to find clients, you may be ignoring this potentially great source of “buyers” for your writing (or other) services. This happens because the Internet tends to seduce people into thinking they will be seen by all those they need to reach, once they’re there.

The hard (or harsh?) truth is YOU won’t!

Why? Because some potentially profitable buyers of your services could be “searching” for what you offer, but they may be offline! Yes, even in this day and age – and not just in my part of the world too!

What’s more, sometimes these offline (or web-indifferent) potential buyers many not even realise they need your help.

In other words, their need for your writing (or virtually any other) service would still be un-felt or unconscious. It is therefore only if/when you show up, and point it out, that they might decide it’s worth doing something about. Since they’re offline, your best bet to get their attention would be to look for them there i.e. offline.

I suggest 2 specific examples of such potentially profitable clients – likely – to be found offline.

1. Wealthy, Retired/Aged – But Offline – Persons With a Story to Tell, or Something to Teach

They’re rich, and have been that way possibly for decades. They probably did most of their wealth building the old fashioned way. For those that own companies, they probably don’t directly run them, and instead have young and smart CEOs who report to them periodically on the state of affairs.

Most will often say they’re too old to be bothered about straining themselves to use make elaborate use of computers and the Internet.

These kinds of people often have stories buried in them. Some may even nurse the desire to not just write a book, but also to offer coaching ideas for others.

Put your expertise to use here. Identify people like this and “sell” the idea of ghost-writing for them to achieve such goals. It could take some doing, but some could welcome this as an opportunity to purse a new dream or challenge, that would not require exerting themselves much.

Money will rarely be an issue. Just make your offer in a way that demonstrates benefits they want.

2. Successful – But Internet “Unfriendly” – Persons with a Story to Tell, or Something to Teach

This group typically use the net “grudgingly”. Some successful business owners I know only use email, and argue that the rest of the web is a distraction. You won’t find them reading articles on websites – they have their copies of newspapers and magazines delivered to them!

I once read an article about the Mexican billionaire declared to be the world’s richest man. The article revealed that he travels by public transport, does not use a laptop and rarely uses the web.

Someone like this may be hard to reach or “sell to” – using his company’s e-mail for instance.

His attitude towards the web makes it likely that reaching out to him offline would be a smarter move.

People who fall into this group often express a preference for direct interaction via phone or in person.

Interestingly, if you win them over, they could later let you take work you do for them online. And if positive benefits accrue to them that could get you assigned additional paid projects!

Successful Online Service Providers Today Still Use Offline Marketing – That’s a Clue!

This strategy is not new. It’s just little used, because people let the lure of the web blind them to it.

Notably successful service providers, who market online, still market offline, and done so for years.

Burt Dubin and Jason Leister – in that order – are two examples I have carefully studied.

For over 25 years, Burt has delivered certain special reports to interested persons via post or snail mail. You have to give him a real address to send it to. No emails or PDF downloads. It comes to you in an envelope. If I recall correctly, Burt even pays the postage – including international destinations.

Update (11th June 2013): Oops. Got that last bit wrong. Burt requires you to send a self-addressed stamped envelope to him. And if you’re outside the USA, you have to include a dollar to cover the postage. Otherwise the report is still free.

Jason Leister sends his own special report (The Rainmaker letter) on paper to each subscriber. And he swears by the effectiveness of this strategy.

If this strategy did not work, Burt would not have continued doing it for over 2 decades either!

Final Words

So, now you know.

It of course goes without saying, that adopting this strategy will not dig a hole in your pocket.

Moving around to meet such potentially profitable buyers of your “service” will require expenses on just a few phone calls, and some transportation. The rewards to be had are certainly worth it.

You will have to decide how wide you spread your net. Burt and Jason decided on “how”, based on a good understanding of their target audience, and what reward ONE sale could bring to them.

Meet “high value” prospects using this method. Those you can propose big budget writing projects to.

Use the web to make initial contact with the rest. After initial contact, you may make offline contact.

You can establish valuable face-to-face contact with real people, who have money to spend this way.

All sorts of good things can come out of that, if you play your cards right.