Please advise which way to approach potential customers as a freelance developer directly?

Question

I am a contractor who lives in UK and does work targeted at an exotic programming platform. It is a niche market with a limited number of available developers; unfortunately there seem to be no specialised recruitment company. There is a list of companies that use this language and tools, some for software products they sell and others in-house.

It is time now to start looking for a new assignment and I was contemplating about approaching the companies directly without any help from professional recruiters (who tend to be little informed about the platform specifics still take a disproportionate cut of the deal). Unfortunately, with most companies from the list I am not aware who is making hiring decisions or whether they currently require someone with my skills. It is also might be difficult to find these things out using Google or company web site.

What would be a gentle way of making people responsible for software development staffing in these companies aware of my existence, availability and skills? In most cases I would not know the name of a person responsible for development.

Has anyone here been successful at a similar “sales effort” and managed to bring such relationship to fruition? Have you been on the opposite, hiring end, in a similar scenario?

Answer 1

In the past, I have successfully (rightly or wrongly) gleaned key personnel names from reception staff, and have targeted applications directly to these people.

Do not make direct applications to anonymous HR drones - apply to the people who need and understand the skills you can bring.

Answer 2

If you post the name of the platform I imagine that someone within the SO network will know somebody who knows somebody who can help you. If nothing else, we can push the number of Google hits for this esoteric keyword much, much higher and so confuse future statistical historians who will spend their days mining decades/centuries old web logs.

If it's a small market, and you're already working in it, then I suggest you shake your existing network of contacts/friends/former colleagues and see if they know who's hiring. If it's a vendor system (Murex, Summit, whatever) then there are agencies dedicated to placing people in that arena, I can think of two or three off the top of my head.

Answer 3

This is probably not what you want to hear, but I've tried making "cold calls", so to speak, on companies who I thought may be interested in my services. I've never gotten work from such effort.

My work has been from repeat clients or from people who know my clients; word of mouth has always been my strongest advertisement.

Looking for networking opportunities can also be fruitful, like local seminars, tech club meetings and such. You're guaranteed to run into the clueful people--not the HR folks--at those sorts of functions.

Answer 4

1. do your homework (web site, corp filings, call receptionist, etc.):
   1. find out what each company does
   2. find out who is responsible for IT in each company
   3. find out who is the assistant/receptionist for the IT person (who screens for them)
   4. find out what they use the product for, if possible
2. write a letter stating:
   1. what you have done for others in similar industries/situations (briefly)
   2. who you are (name, company name)
   3. what services you offer (very brief)
   4. when you will call on them (specific date and time)
3. send a few of these letters each week
4. make the follow-up calls on schedule
5. be concise and professional
6. be yourself - you must sell yourself before your services will be considered
7. know your availabilty and pricing
8. do not offer 'bargains'; if they balk at your price, thank them and walk away

the above is paraphrased from Parinello's VITO books, which are well worth reading

and of course, ask your current clients for 3 referrals, but follow up as per above, not with a 'cold call'; mention the referral in the letter

Answer 5

You can use LinkedIn. See Guy Kawasaki's advice here and here. And General advice on marketing yourself.