D_Blackwell - 4:03 am on Jun 8, 2008 (gmt 0)

That might include building a website for them in advance as a selling tool to get me in the door.

I have used this effectively as well. Started that way. Doesn't even have to be a full blown site; just a few key pages/navigation that really hits them with the difference between what they have and what they could have. So much the better if they really like it over their top competitors. (Or at least whoever they perceive to be their top competitors.)

And no, not for the faint of heart as it goes beyond cold call and into providing some work 'on speculation', but that can do a lot to warm up that cold call.

If it doesn't work out - then it's a design ready to go for somebody else on another project.