Who Called Me? What To Do When Someone Sends You A Cold Pitch.

But I'm not famous.

Cold pitches can be sent to anyone, even you.

You might be ignoring that phone call and waiting for them to leave a voicemail. You might be hesitant to open that email or LinkedIn message.

My first time receiving a cold pitch was over LinkedIn. I received a message from someone who had just opened a website for writers to collaborate on, they were asking if I would like to join in.

I was hesitant at first and didn't want to get involved with this scam, so I took things slow - only to discover they had created a really cool legitimate website that I really enjoyed being part of.

Here are some tips on what to do when someone cold pitches you:

1) Be polite. These people are human and probably shaking in their boots as they tell you about their latest project, at least if they're legit. Thank them for their time.

2) Ask them questions. Ask them in depth questions about their website/pitch; who has been using it so far; who is the target audience; what is the long term goal; how can their business help you specifically. If their legit, they would have thought all of this through.

3) Say no. If you don't think it's a good fit or you are worried this is a scam, say no. But be polite. Politely declining their offer is completely fine and if they take it with grace, they are probably a real human being, so go back to them. If they don't take no for an answer and keep pushing - probably a scam.

4) Take your time. There is no rush for you. You are on the other side now, you have something they need and you can think about this offer for as long as you like... Of course, if you take too much time and they are legit, they'll probably move on at some point.

There is no need to shut down your computer and run away when someone cold pitches you. You might not be the biggest name out there but you have a skill set and someone or some business sees this as valuable. Own it. You did it. You go this far and you can keep going.

Enjoy the cold pitches!