Conversatum
Ai
Transcription
Let’s be honest… getting your first client is brutal. You're not famous. You’ve got zero case studies. And your product? It’s probably half-baked. But here’s the truth: You don’t need to be “ready.” You need to be there. Sounds simple, right? Except… it’s also the hardest part.
My first couple of gigs weren’t even paid, but that’s alright (just take a hit to your pride). I needed to build an audience and trust first. So the first couple of logos and banners I did were for shoutouts or just for communities and things I personally cared about, completely free of charge. That doesn’t mean I didn’t get any value back. I got feedback, as well as recommendations for future gigs. I would put as much effort into those freebies as I would in any paid project, or even overdeliver. Why? Because those first impressions count, that is how people will remember you and might even come back to you and be willing to pay next time.
It wasn’t that easy to find even those who wanted stuff for free at first. Trust me though, you don’t need connections in Silicon Valley to start networking. All you need is to show up and leverage your network (even if you think you don’t have one). Post on Twitter or LinkedIn, give your feedback on Discord or other communities. Find ways to show your usefulness and skills, and show up daily, no excuses. Just like you wouldn’t skip on brushing your teeth just because you don’t feel like it, don’t skip out on being present where the party’s at.
If even after months of being present, you still got nothing… guess what? Stop being passively there. Be active, be more on the offense. Search for problems that you can solve. Don’t ask yourself “How could I get them to pay me $$$?” ask yourself, “How could I help them make their life easier?” Because if you can do that, the rest will follow. Go into founder groups, subreddits, Discords, and communities where your target people hang out and listen. Listen to what they need, what they struggle with… and use their own words in your pitch, not yours. Make your offer clear and to the point, no buzzword bullsh*t. Make your pitch easy to say yes to, because confused people won’t buy anything.
And after a couple of tries, bada bing bada boom… you’ve got your first customer. The end… or not. Definitely not. Those first customers aren’t just revenue. They’re social proof machines. You wanna overdeliver like crazy. Make them feel like they’re part of something. And once you’re done, ask for feedback, case studies and testimonials. Turn their words into marketing. Your future customers trust other customers more than they trust you.
I set up a very simple funnel (advertisement --> download page) and spent a few dollars on a poorly optimized Google ad. It just worked. The moral of the story is that you don't have to work too hard to get started if you have a product that is at least usable. We're all guilty of overcomplicating things...
Final thought: Clients don't fall from the sky. They come from conversations, from showing up, from making it painfully clear that you can help. So stop waiting for "ready" and start making offers.
What’s stopping you from landing your first client? Let’s talk about it in Oddsbreak.
