How I Wish People Cold DM'd Me

On November 22, 2023, I made a decision:

• I’m going to start posting on social media

• I’m going to start writing my own email newsletter

• I’m going to teach new copywriters how to do what I do

So, I did exactly that.

After 5 years as a full-time freelance copywriter, I decided to build my own coaching brand — HINT you don’t need a personal brand to hit six figures per year as a copywriter.

(By the way, if you’re brand new to copywriting, I highly recommend NOT “building a personal brand” until you’re consistently making $5,000+ per month as a copywriter).

Now that I have a proper online presence, I’m a pitch magnet (like any other business).

In the past 15 months, I’ve received 1,000+ cold emails and cold DMs. Basically two per day (although it’s more like 5+ per day nowadays).

You know what I’ve noticed?

Everyone sucks at pitching clients

I don’t say this to sound rude or mean.

It’s just the truth.

Everyone’s cold outreach messages are full of “ifs.”

“Hey Brandon, if I could 2-3x your revenue…”

“Hey man, just checked out your account. If I could generate 10+ leads in the next 30 days…”

“Yo bro. Your content could use some improvement. Want some help with inbounds? If you want to hear more, let me know.”

IF

IF

IF

IF

IF

You know what happens when you send this kind of outreach as a copywriter (or any type of freelancer)?

Nothing.

Blocked. Deleted. Ignored.

And I’m not talking about me here.

This is what your prospects are doing to your messages.

On my end, I just feel bad for these guys. They don’t know what they’re doing. Because someone taught them the wrong way to outreach.

Here’s a quick test whether or not you’re sending a solid outreach message or not:

If any outreach message you send could be copy-pasted and sent to another person, you’re doing it wrong.

(if the only difference is their name, niche, etc., that still doesn’t count).

If you want to stand out in the DMs, then you need to STAND OUT.

Stop doing what everyone else is doing.

You want to know the best part about this outreach epidemic?

99% of copywriters are terrible at outreaching.

Where does that leave you?

If you can figure out how to outreach properly, you can tap into the income that only 1% of new copywriters make.

You can be part of that group that doesn’t struggle for months sending ignored outreach message after ignored outreach message.

You can stand out in the DMs and land clients in under 30 days (even if you’re brand new).

So, how do you do it?

How I wished people would pitch me in the DMs:

1. Warm me up first: 
   I see people pitching me who have never once interacted with me on social media. No likes, no comments, no follows. Yet, somehow I’m expected to think they have a vested interest in my business?
   

2. Open the conversation next:
   Everybody goes straight for the pitch. Imagine if someone walked up to you on the street and started screaming a sales pitch at you. Scary. Instead, imagine if he first commented on how cute your dog is, how awesome your shoes are, or some other rapport-building first. THEN talked business. It’s a way different experience that’s more natural (and effective).
   

3. Stop with the empty promises:
   I’m not going to believe a word you say about what you can do for me. Prove you can do something from the start. Show me some tips on what I should improve with my business in your specific area of expertise.
   

4. Give me something tangible:
   Okay, so you gave me some tips. That’s a good start. You got my attention. Want to really stand out? Give me something I can use in my business today. A free copy sample. A free YouTube thumbnail. A free graphic for social media. A new email. A short form video. Worst case scenario, you might be able to convince me to test your version against mine to see how well it does.
   

5. Don’t suck at your skill: 
   Even if you do all of the above right… you could still be screwing up your outreach. How? If your copywriting skills aren’t good, it doesn’t matter if you follow steps 1-4. You’ll never hit $10k/month, let alone $1,000/month. Work on your craft first — at least 1 hour per day writing copy, or you’re wasting your time with this business model. The best outreach approach is to get REALLY good at writing copy (then distribute it).

Okay, once you’ve followed all 5 steps, go ahead and pitch me.

Or, better yet, go after your target niche that you’ve already chosen.

-Brandon “pitch me” Storey

NEW March 2025 Workshop?

P.S. Once I’m settled into Thailand (I arrive this week), I might be hosting a LIVE training in a few weeks. That’s a paid workshop with a teaching followed by an open Q&A to get all your questions answered by me.

If I host a training, what would you want to learn in it?

Last time I did the Sniper Bomb Workshop — teaching my step-by-step warm outreach system that’s getting ~70% of my students their first client in one month.

Some ideas could be - a copywriting lesson, live sales page or email write (watch me write one from scratch), other tips on how to outreach, how to craft your social media profile to be an authority, how to crush a sales call, etc.

Reply to this email now and tell me what you want to learn in the next workshop.