How do you feel about doing outreach?

I asked that question in a LinkedIn poll recently, and it brought up a lot of feelings.

Here’s how people responded after just one day…

What’s interesting is that a few commenters said they do it because it works… despite not liking it, or needing to fine-tune their approach.

Consistent outreach is one of the best ways to keep your business healthy for years to come. (Still not sure what it is? Watch this.)

The #1 key to successful outreach is starting with the right mindset so you won’t get discouraged and stop doing it.

And the right mindset might help you like it, too.

But what is the right mindset?

It starts with knowing what to expect.

Outreach - like all marketing - is about timing. Your message needs to reach your prospect right at their moment of need.

So, if you’ve done your homework, you should expect about a 10%-20% response rate.

In other words, if you reach out to 10 people, one or two of them will most likely respond.

Some of those responses will be, “No thanks, we’re all set,” and others will be, “Sounds interesting, tell me more.”

Spend 30 minutes a couple days a week on outreach and it will bring in new projects and keep your business healthy.

Still not ready to try it?

Here’s another thing that’ll help…

If reaching out to people you don’t know feels uncomfortable, start with people you know: current and “dormant” clients.

In this clip, I share three easy ways to do it - and three word-for-word examples of messages you can send:

Doing your outreach consistently is what makes it work. You can’t do a few, then drop it for a while. And that means not getting discouraged when it doesn’t work immediately.

Remember, you’re building relationships, which require trust. And consistency builds trust over time.

Start with the strategies in the video, above… then make your outreach process your own.

Do you have an approach that works for you? Share your insights with the community here on LinkedIn!