Finding local web design business over the phone.

Has anybody ever done local web design business over the phone? For example, you find a small business near you, look up their number in the phone book and give them a call telling them you feel it would be beneficial for them to have a website? I’m not sure how to do this over the phone, for example, what to say. I’m kinda stumped. It’s very hard considering as soon as you say you’re a freelance web designer, they immediately think you are trying to sell them a bunch of stuff are are immediately turned away. So I’m not sure the way to approach this. If any of you have tried this and have had success, I’d love to read your stories

I believe you’re talking about cold calls.

Well honestly I haven’t tried this approach yet, but, as always, Envato to the rescue:

The Fine Art Of Telephone Prospecting For Freelancers

Freelancing 911: Turn Your Business Around With Cold-calls

Getting Freelance Work: The Hacker Technique

Hope these help a little (in case you didn’t knew the articles already)

Very interesting. I’d like to see where this conversation goes I’ve debated this for months and decided not to as I thought it would be a bad decision. Perhaps these discussions will alter that decision