Imagine you message ten boutique owners on WhatsApp: "Good day ma, I am a digital marketer and I help businesses grow. Please do you need my services?" Maybe one replies, and it's usually "How much?" That message fails because it talks about you, it's vague, and it asks the owner to do the thinking.
A good pitch is short, about one specific problem in that owner's business, and easy to answer with one word. This guide shows you how to build one, how to use AI tools to speed up the drafting without sounding like a robot, and how to follow up without being annoying.
Why most pitches get ignored
A small business owner reads your message between customers, deliveries and power cuts. They decide in about five seconds whether it matters. Most pitches fail for the same few reasons:
- Generic opening. "Dear Sir/Ma" or "Hello dear" signals a copy-paste message sent to hundreds of people.
- A list of services. "Logo, flyers, website, social media, video editing" tells the owner you don't know what they need.
- No proof. Claims such as "I am hardworking and fast" can't be checked.
- A big ask. "Can we have a call?" or "Can I send my portfolio?" is work for the reader.
- Too long. Four paragraphs on WhatsApp usually get left unread.
The four-part pitch structure
Keep every pitch to four short parts. On WhatsApp or Instagram DM, that's five or six lines in total.
- Something specific you noticed. Proves you looked at their business.
- The likely cost of that problem. Lost sales, wasted time, confused customers.
- A small, concrete offer. One fix, with a clear scope.
- A low-effort question. Something they can answer with "yes" or "send it".
Part 1: Notice something real
Spend three minutes on the business's page, Google Maps listing or Instagram. Look for something you can name exactly: prices missing from posts, orders taken in a long chat thread, a menu photo that is blurry, no way to see what is in stock, replies that take a day.
Don't invent a flaw to look clever, and don't insult them. "I saw you post prices only on some items" is observation. "Your page looks unprofessional" is an insult.
Part 2: Name the cost, gently
One sentence is enough. "Customers who can't see a price often just don't ask." Don't quote statistics unless you can point to where they came from. Your own plain reasoning is more believable than a made-up number.
Part 3: Offer one small thing
Offer a limited fix you can finish in a day or two, not a package. For example: "I can turn your last month of WhatsApp orders into a one-page sales summary" or "I can redo your five best-selling product photos' captions with prices." Small offers feel safe. If it goes well, the bigger work follows. If you offer spreadsheet work, our guide on pricing a spreadsheet cleanup job helps you set a fair figure before you're asked.
Part 4: Ask something easy
"Would you like me to send a sample using three of your products?" is easy to answer. "Let me know if you're interested" is not, because it asks for a decision.
A worked example (hypothetical)
Say you do basic sales reporting in spreadsheets. You find a provision store on Instagram that posts "DM to order" and takes orders by chat. Here's a weak pitch and a better one.
Weak: Good afternoon sir. I am a data analyst with skills in Excel, Google Sheets, Power BI and SQL. I can help your business grow with data. Kindly let me know if you need my services. Thank you.
Better: Good afternoon, Mrs Adebayo. I saw you take most orders through DM. That usually means it's hard to see at month end which items actually sold best. I can turn one week of your chat orders into a simple sheet showing top items and total sales, free, so you can judge it. Should I send it if you share the screenshots?
The second one is about 60 words. It names the exact situation, offers a small free sample with a limit (one week), and ends with a yes-or-no question. Free samples are fine when they're small and bounded. Don't do a full month for free. If the owner agrees, use the method in turning a messy WhatsApp order list into a clean sales report.
One caution: ask only for what you need. Customer phone numbers and addresses don't belong in a sample, so tell the owner they can crop them out or hide them.
Using AI to draft without sounding robotic
A general-purpose AI chat tool can help you write the first draft and trim it. It can't know the business, so the noticing is your job. Here's a workable process:
- Write your three observations about the business in plain words, in your own notes.
- Give the tool those notes and ask for three versions of a message under 60 words, in a polite, direct tone, ending with a yes-or-no question.
- Pick one and rewrite it in your own voice. Remove phrases nobody says aloud, such as "I hope this message finds you well" or "elevate your brand".
- Read it out loud. If you'd feel odd saying it to the owner's face, change it.
- Check every claim. If the tool added a statistic or a promise of results, delete it.
Never paste private customer details or someone's phone number into an AI tool. Our post on drafting polite follow-ups covers handling names and data more carefully. Also, don't let AI write twenty pitches at once from one template. Owners in the same market talk to each other, and identical messages get noticed.
Choosing where to send it
| Channel | Works best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp (business number on their page) | Shops, food vendors, salons, fashion sellers | Don't send voice notes cold; text is easier to read at a counter |
| Instagram DM | Online sellers who already reply there | Messages from strangers can land in a hidden requests folder, so allow time |
| Schools, clinics, logistics firms, small offices | Needs a clear subject line and a slightly more formal tone | |
| Walking in | Local shops near you | Go at a quiet hour, not during a rush; carry one printed sample |
Use only the contact details a business has put publicly for customers. Don't dig up personal numbers. If a business lists a business WhatsApp, that's the invitation to use it.
Follow-up: one nudge, then stop
Most replies come after a follow-up, because the first message arrived at a busy moment. Wait two or three days, then send one short message that adds something: "Sharing the sample I mentioned, using the three items on your page. Happy to adjust." Attach the actual work, not just a reminder.
If there's still no reply after a second try, move on. You can come back in a month with a different observation. Persisting past that turns you into the person they block.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Pitching 50 people in a day. Five well-researched pitches beat fifty generic ones. Aim for five to ten a day at most, each taking about ten minutes.
- Hiding the price. When they ask "how much", answer with a number or a range for the small job, not "it depends".
- Overpromising. "I'll double your sales" is a promise you can't keep. Promise a deliverable, such as "a one-page summary by Thursday".
- Sending to businesses you can't serve. If you can't work in the owner's language or understand their product, pick a different target.
- Ignoring payment safety. Agree scope and price in writing before starting paid work, and confirm payment in your own account, not from a screenshot.
- Skipping the pitch log. Note who you messaged, the date, and the reply. Without a log you'll repeat yourself and lose follow-ups.
Adjusting for your situation
If you have no portfolio yet: Do a practice sample on your own or a friend's business and offer that as proof. If you're a student with limited hours: pitch businesses near your campus or home, where you can meet in person. If you're outside Nigeria: in Ghana and Kenya the approach is the same, though mobile money habits differ, so mention the payment method you accept in your first reply. In South Africa, businesses often prefer email or a website form for services, so check how they say they want to be contacted.
If your skill is spreadsheets, our list of spreadsheet skills that get small-business clients paying shows what to offer.
Frequently asked questions
Should I send my portfolio link in the first message?
Usually not. A link is a task for the reader. Send a sample made from their own business instead, and share the portfolio when they ask.
Is it okay to offer free work?
One small, limited sample is reasonable. Define its size in the message, such as three products or one week of orders. Don't let it grow into unpaid project work.
What if they reply "How much?" straight away?
Give a clear price for the small job, say what is included, and ask when they'd like it delivered. Avoid sending a long rate card.
Should I write in Pidgin or a local language?
Match how the owner writes. If their page uses English, use clear, polite English. If they write in Pidgin, Yoruba, Hausa or Swahili and you speak it well, a short message in that language can feel warmer. Only do it if you're confident in your spelling.
Your next step
Today, pick five local businesses, write down one specific observation for each, and draft a message under 60 words for the first. Send it, log it, and set a reminder for three days later.
Results from any side hustle or online work vary widely, and nothing here is a promise of income. Be wary of anyone who asks you to pay upfront to start earning.