How to Get Your First 10 Clients

Are you ready to turn your digital marketing contractor-work into a sustainable business? 

Then you need to hit the ten-client mark!

To help with that, we’ve created a three step process to  get you your first ten clients. 

And not just any clients. 

Below we’ve provided exactly what we would do if we were in a new market and needed to to get our 1st 10 clients in the next 90 days.

This is an actionable strategy designed to attract more clients, who are excited to work with you, that actually implement your advice, and, most importantly, pay you what you’re worth. 

If you’re a coach, consultant, or agency that has been operating below the ten-client mark for any length of time, you’re probably tired.

Tired of prospects failing to see your value.

Tired of delivering excellent work at sub-par rates. 

Tired of working a “side-hustle” just to make ends meet.

Tired of the “feast or famine” every month.

Tired of losing clients to competitors that are less qualified.

Tired of taking on difficult or pain in the a** clients just to pay the bills.

And just tired of being tired, overwhelmed, or burnt out.  

We know the struggle and we have a solution.

Follow this 5 step formula  and you’ll have your first ten clients in no time.

(Btw, this is meant to be a “get out and go get’em” guide to take massive action today but if you’d like a full, in-depth training on how our coaches, consultants, and marketing partners use similar principles to build full client acquisition machines, you can check that out here >> 

“How To Generate $3,500/Mo In Retainer Clients And Build A Marketing Consultancy That Sets You Apart” )

Now, Let’s get started! 

STEP 1: IDENTIFY YOUR IDEAL CLIENTS

OBJECTIVE: List 10-15 prospects that you can create a quick win for.

To understand who your “ideal clients” are, you need to understand yourself. 

What digital marketing skills are you good at? Which of those skills can be best demonstrated through a single project? What pursuits are consuming most of your time? What issues are you currently struggling with? Answering these questions will put you in the right mindset.

Start by listing your top three digital marketing skills. 

Maybe you’re an excellent graphic designer, or a master email campaign creator, or a talented social media professional. 

Now, create a short list of projects that can visibly demonstrate your talent. 

A graphic designer may be able to create an amazing Facebook ad. An email marketing expert could make high-converting email funnels. A social media professional could construct amazing Instagram stories.

Now, look at your life and categorize the activities that consume most of your time, energy, or effort. 

It could be parenting, remodeling your home, golfing, exercising, dieting, playing video games, etc. 

Next, create a list of issues that you struggle with. These could be finding time to play with your kids, dealing with contractors to find the best price, stinking at golf, learning how to exercise without hurting yourself, finding new healthy recipes, or getting your butt kicked by 12-year-olds online playing your favorite game.

Your ideal clients are people with which you share interests, experiences, and problems . 

Now that you know your personal skills, issues, and struggles, you can be much more intentional about finding 10 ideal clients.

For example, let’s say that you’re a 45-year-old graphic designer who’s remodeling his home and struggling to find a good quote for your new patio. Your research into contractors has led to you being targeted by local businesses with Facebook ads. Many of these ads are probably nowhere near what you can design, and now, you have a prospect.

STEP 2: CONNECT, ALIGN & PROVIDE VALUE IN ADVANCE

OBJECTIVE: Contact each prospect with a custom message.

The mistake that most agencies make is believing that they can construct a broad campaign that can be blasted out to everyone and succeed through sheer numbers. 

Not only is this strategy ineffective, it’s counterproductive and could damage your brand. 

How many times have you received a direct message from a vendor that is obviously not targeted specifically for you? It’s cheap and offensive, and will probably lead to a social media block or spam report.

The cornerstone to this part of the process is delivering value in advance. 

Your messaging to each prospect should evolve from the research you conduct into their offering, current marketing methods, and brand image. 

You need to identify a specific problem you see with what they’re doing, demonstrate your expertise, and sell them on what you’re offering. 

Specifically, your initial message should contain the following:

• Compliment the prospect on their brand/offering/achievements/etc.
• Align yourself with a specific problem you notice based on your research.
• Provide evidence of your capability to solve the problem.
• Present a custom (but incomplete) solution.

Here’s an example message from the 45-year-old graphic designer we referenced in the first step:

Dear Mr. Smith,

I’ve been looking to remodel my patio and I found your portfolio of work online. I have to say that they are some of the most attractive decks that I’ve seen and your reviews on Google are amazing. 

I’m not quite ready to pull the trigger, but I did start to receive targeted ads on facebook for your company. 

I’ve done quite a few Facebook ads myself, and I have to say that your ads don’t do you any justice for your work. I didn’t even realize it was you until I saw it several times and recognized your business name in one version.

Here is a version of an ad that I think will lead to a lot more traffic (LINK TO VIDEO). It’s animated, shows off your portfolio, and has a clear call to action for your potential customers.

I’d be happy to implement the ad for free if you’re interested. Let me know and I can get that up right away.

This message over time should get enough desired responses from the right type of clients.

Side note: If you want to go deeper on the value in advance step, and client acquisition as a whole, I would encourage you to schedule time for the full webinar we mentioned earlier.

In that Ryan shares how to use his “one sentence pivot” script at the end of any message, video, or presentation to convert those conversations into a sales meeting without looking needy or “sales-y”.

That one sentence pivot script has been proven to have prospects begging to book a meeting with you!

STEP 3: The Strategic Consult Session

OBJECTIVE: Document their strategic plan.

Your goal is to get a quick win for your prospect.

 If they don’t see how your skills, talent, and willingness to get them results at no cost is a benefit, they may not have been the right prospect. 

If you’ve done a good job, they will see your value and be ready (and excited) to keep working with you.

At this step you need to deliver a concise path for your prospect to become a new client.

 If you don’t have your offer, pricing, and onboarding in line, you may not close the sale, or you’ll have to close the sale for a lot less value.

STEP 4: Ask If They Want Help Implementing

OBJECTIVE: “Need some help with that?”

Stay by their side and walk them through the process. 

Ideally, they will see more immediate success, and it will incentivize them to continue working with you. Especially if you complete the project and have another potential contract in mind. 

Prove your value in the short term, and then re-pose the simple question: “it looks like you’re also struggling over there. Need some help with that?”

STEP 5: Make the Sale

OBJECTIVE: Propose an ongoing solution.

All you had to do to get them was ask that one simple question: Need some help with that? 

Then, once you’ve got your client up on their own, all you’ll have to do is keep asking it. You’d be surprised at the fact that, a lot of the time, the answer will probably be no.

If they do encounter problems later on and need serious help, there is no one better qualified to help them than you. 

You understand their business, their pain points, and their customers. 

You’ll officially have a relationship where everyone wins, and both you and your client will be able to reap the benefits of it.

There is a lot more that goes into the process of the Agency Growth Funnel, so be sure to check out our free training webinar. https://www.digitalmarketer.com/lp/fractional-cmo-playbook-b/ 

Once you’ve mastered the process, it’s almost impossible to stop! 

Many of the agencies we work with have seen 25–30% of their free discovery session meetings turn into paid clients. And yes, they actually want to work with those clients.

As we mentioned, this is a down and dirty guide to getting to your 1st 10 clients in the next 90 days. 

If you would like the full playbook on “How to Make $336,000 a Year, Part-time as a Fractional CMO” you can register for that here.

In that free training, we cover:

• What exactly a “Fractional CMO” is (hint: if you’re reading this, its you!)
• The math behind a $336,000 a year, part-time as a coach, consultant, or agency
• The exact, 4-step client attract, convert, and onboard process we teach our agency partners at DigitalMarketer
• The one-sentence “pivot script” that has prospects begging to book a meeting
• A simple little “trick” that filters out virtually all the “lookie-loos” and crazy clients with unrealistic expectations…
• When to sell retainers (and when NOT to sell retainers)

Until then, happy selling! 

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