How to Get Your First 10 Clients: 8 Things I’d Do If I Started Again

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How to Get Your First 10 Clients: 8 Things I’d Do If I Started Again

If I had to get my first 10 clients again, I wouldn’t start by posting more. I’d start with people: the ones who already know me, the ones asking for help in groups, and experts who are too busy to take every project. Then I’d build a simple system that keeps bringing clients after those first ones.

Below are the eight things I’d do, in this order, from the fastest way to get a client this month to the one that keeps working for years. I’ve been helping solo service providers with their brands, websites and funnels for more than 10 years, and I share what has worked in my own business and what I’d do differently today.

Your first clients come from people, your next clients from systems

This is the one thing I keep in mind from day one. The first ideas on this list are about people, and they can bring you clients quickly. The last ones take more time, but they keep working long after you set them up.

8 ways to get your first 10 clients

1. Ask the people who already know you

Start with past clients, friends, former colleagues and family. What matters is how you ask. “I do branding, let me know if you need anything” doesn’t work, because nobody remembers it.

Ask something specific instead. For example: “Do you know a woman who is starting her own business and needs a website that actually brings clients?” When you’re specific, people immediately think of a name. When you’re vague, they think of nobody.

I’d ask my existing clients and the people close to me, and I’d post the same specific question on social media.

2. Answer people who are already asking for help

Go to the communities where your ideal clients spend time, such as Facebook groups, forums and local business groups. Look for one type of post: “Can anyone recommend someone for this?” That person is asking for help right now.

Don’t just drop your link. Answer their specific question and show one example of your work that fits exactly what they need.

To this day I’m often recommended in Facebook groups when someone is looking for help, and it all started with simply being helpful in those groups. It pays off in the long term.

3. Build real relationships with 10 ideal clients

Make a list of 10 or more people on Instagram you would genuinely love to work with. Follow their work, leave thoughtful comments and reply to their stories, over time and not just once.

Only when you’ve connected, and only if you truly believe you can help, invite them to a call or suggest working together. No copy-paste messages to 50 people.

4. Take the projects fully booked experts say no to

Somebody in your field has a full calendar and is turning away exactly the clients you’re looking for. Find five established people who are fully booked and offer to take on the smaller projects they decline, the ones that are too small for them but perfect for someone who is just starting.

Instead of just saying no, they can send those people to you. You get clients and experience, and if you do the work really well, very often more referrals later.

5. Partner with businesses that serve the same clients

Your next client might be someone else’s client first. Think about who works with your ideal clients just before you or right after you.

For me, that’s social media managers, people who run Facebook ads and brand photographers. I do branding, websites and funnels, so their clients often need what I do, and my clients often need what they do. That’s why partnerships with complementary businesses have been so valuable for me. We recommend each other and nobody is competing.

If I started today, I’d take it one step further and offer a partner something useful for their clients. For example, a photographer could host a monthly website review for her clients, and I’d do the reviews as a bonus. Her clients get extra value, and I meet people who need exactly what I do.

6. Organize an online summit

This one is bigger. I’ve organized three online summits in Slovenia. You invite several experts to share their knowledge, people sign up for free and everyone promotes the event. It helped me grow my email list and put me in front of other experts’ audiences for free. At the end, you can invite people to a call or make them an offer.

To be honest, a summit is a lot of work and not a one-week project. It makes the most sense when you have a higher-priced offer or want to build your audience fast.

7. Use ads once you know what sells

If you have the budget, ads can be a great way to get new clients, but not on day one. Ads don’t fix an offer nobody wants. They just show it to more people, faster.

I’d use ads only once I know which offer actually sells, what people say when they buy it, and have a few testimonials. Then ads can bring you more of the clients you already know how to help.

8. Build a simple client system and start it now

This is the one that takes the longest, and the one I’d start right away. A simple client system has three parts:

• a freebie that brings people in,
• an email sequence that builds trust,
• an offer as the natural next step.

On top of that, I’d send a regular newsletter with genuinely valuable content that people look forward to reading, not “buy my stuff” in every email.

My first email list was me, my test email and my mom, and that was totally okay. It’s still one of the best things I ever started, because the first seven ideas bring you clients, and this one keeps them coming even on days you don’t post. Email is still very much alive, and freebies still work when they’re made strategically.

I explain how the three parts work together in How to Get Clients Without Posting Every Day. If you want to build it step by step, I put my whole process into Client Machine.

Which of these should you start with?

You don’t need to do all eight. Pick one or two from the top of the list this week and one from the bottom, and just start. The ones at the top bring clients sooner, and the one at the bottom makes sure you don’t have to start from zero again.

If you already have a few clients but aren’t sure where the next one will come from, or where people get lost on the way to you, the free Client Flow Check shows you where your client flow breaks and gives you a 30-day plan to fix it.

FAQ

What is the fastest way to get your first clients?

Usually through the people who already know you, asked with a specific question about who you help, and by answering people who are already asking for recommendations in groups. Neither needs a big audience or a budget.

Should I use ads to get my first clients?

Not at the very start. Ads show your offer to more people faster, but they don’t fix an offer nobody wants. Wait until you know which offer sells and have a few testimonials.

Is an email list worth it if I only have a few subscribers?

Yes. A small list lets you build the habit and get to know your first readers, so you’re ready when more people join. My first list was me, my test email and my mom.

How do I ask for referrals without sounding pushy?

Be specific about who you help and what they need, so people can think of a real person. “Do you know a woman starting her own business who needs a website?” is much easier to answer than “Let me know if you need anything.”