Me: I have 17+ years commercial experience in exactly what is described on my "What kind of things can you do" page.
You: Ok I have read what you can do but there is no mention of my exact requirement.
Me: I am a high-calibre developer but can offer prices considerably less than other companies.
You: How can that be?
Me: Easy I have a day job as a software contractor and do my freelance work in the evenings and weekends, what that means to you is that I can charge significantly less than other freelancers/software houses because I have no overheads.
You: If you have a day job how will you find time to do my work?
Me: I am one of those lucky/unlucky people who doesn’t need much sleep so I can comfortably fit in 20 hours of freelance work per week without breaking a sweat.
You: What kind of companies have you worked at in the past.
Me: I have worked for some well known companies including Microsoft, British Telecom, United Utilities, Unilever, Bet365 and even Chester Zoo ... as well as some less well known companies including Software Houses, IT Support companies and numerous eCommerce companies.
You: Ok so you have worked for some pretty big companies, but the project I had in mind is to convert my business critical Excel spreadsheet into a more web based system ... you probably won't be interested in that.
Me: The work for the big companies above is my day job, so yes I would be interested in your project ... that is the kind of project that keeps me busy in the evenings and weekends.