Some people dive into consulting. Others dip their toe in first. I was a toe-dipper. I was so nervous about investing my dollars and my time, reaching out to my network, telling everyone this was my new goal, and then failing. So I started by just telling a few people, mostly people I had worked with in the very recent past. No marketing, just sales. Here’s the difference between marketing and sales: marketing aims to reach many, and to help you in the long-term, while sales is 1-1 and is about short-term results. I focused on sales, going out to one person at a time, both in person and via email. My first project was a 1 week project for a former classmate, to provide recommendations on a business he had just bought. I was paid in equity, even though I needed cash. (8 years later, that equity turned into a check for $20K…but that’s total luck. I don’t recommend working for equity unless you really don’t need money and really trust the entrepreneur). My second project was for a portfolio company of a venture investor who really gave me the project as a favor. It didn’t require my level of skill or expertise, but I took it anyway, because what I was testing was whether people would pay me for marketing help. My third project was a 2 week project for Sun Microsystems, which at the time had a market cap of $49B. That project turned into 12 more projects that generated several hundred thousand dollars over the next few years. It was only after Sun started that I invested in marketing. I got a website, a business card and started looking for speaking opportunities.
So, what can you take away from this?
1. Think about what you need more, sales or marketing (or both). Sales keeps you in cashflow, but you may take projects that aren’t in your sweetspot, and it’s hard to grow quickly. Marketing takes awhile to reap what you sow, but in the long term is what creates a robust pipeline.
2. When you’re ready to launch, reach out to everyone you know. Divide people by A, B, C. A=people who could hire you (sign the contract, sign the check). B=influencers/connectors (people who are trusted by A types) C=people who are well-disposed toward you but aren’t A or B…like college friends, neighbors, former colleagues etc. As get personal outreach. Some Bs do too. Cs get mass stuff, just to give them enough to know who you help, and how you help them. Look for ways to provide value for the As. Give to get.
3. Better than your own blog or video content is stuff you do in partnership with orgs that have a great list of A types. For example, I do a lot of guesting on well-known podcasts. I also do a lot of webinars for software companies that have platforms for subscription businesses.
Getting started can feel hard, because you're trying to get the wheels in motion. Once you have a few clients, and do good work, you will have more referrals as well as more content that you can share…but those first few clients can be tricky.
How did you get your first client? I'd love to hear!
