Panning for Prospects

I left my long-term 9-5 job a few weeks ago. So far, finding new clients has been the most interesting part of starting my own business.

In all honesty, I probably haven’t made as much progress as I could have, but I’m excited about all the traction I’ve gotten so far!

That’s why I’m sharing my top actionable tips to landing new clients! So what are my key takeaways from my first three full-time self-employed weeks?

1. It’s a Numbers Game

The most important thing is to reach out to as many clients as possible. I’ve scheduled time into my week to look for new businesses in my niche that might need some SEO support.

If you focus on your process and reach out to as many prospects as you can, you’ll land a new client eventually. It’s just a matter of time.

The hard part is showing up everyday and being consistent.

But once you define these processes, it becomes much simpler.

In the last 3 weeks, I’ve spent dozens of hours in Notion and spreadsheets planning out my processes.

I just need to keep showing up. And the trick to not get overwhelmed is to…

2. Focus on what you control

To avoid overwhelm, I need to gain as much control as I can. As a business owner, I control my processes and routines. But not my revenue.

What do I mean by that?

• I control how many leads I generate. Not how many new clients I land.

• I control my plan. Not how much money I generate each week.

• I control my actions. Not my business’s success.

By not worrying about things outside my control, I'll be at ease

I can’t help how long it takes. But I can control how much time and energy I dedicate towards the process.

This lesson on control was the key takeaway from my Stoicism journey. If you want to learn more about this framework, check out my free Stoic ebook!

3. Clarify Your Offer, Experience & Case Studies

First, nail down what you offer! This includes your service, the packages you offer and the associated costs.

It’s good to understand your USP at this stage.

The best advice I’ve gotten is to niche down in a way so I position myself as the leading expert in a substantial market. That’s why I started targeting the Web3 market in the last few months.

It doesn’t mean I’ll work exclusively with Web3 brands, but it does mean that I’ll be one of the best (if not THE BEST) SEO for Web3 businesses.

Once you’ve clarified your offer, you need to show off your experience with case studies and testimonials. Put this together in a PDF or Notion site, and you can share the same file with all your future clients!

Every prospective client will ask you for this eventually, so you might as well get it ready right away!

Now, this next part is the juicy bit that transformed the way I look at prospecting.

4. Start with a Freebie

Of course if you’re not a salesperson (I’m definitely not), there are ways to generate inbound leads - with zero cost to you! And that’s by offering a lead gen magnet, like a free SEO audit in my case.

I’ve started conversations around SEO with several Web3 entrepreneurs - simply by offering a free SEO audit to my audience on Twitter (or X)!

Of course, an SEO audit is the first step you’d take when working with a new client - so why not offer it for free? That way I demonstrate my value as an SEO specialist. I also start our relationship in good faith by offering a piece of value before any transaction takes place.

But most importantly, I hammer down all the issues with their site (and trust me, each site so far has had SEO problems) and I suggest my service as the simple solution to their problems.

I want to hear from you!

Those were the four key lessons I’ve learned since I started my client prospecting journey.

What have been your biggest struggles landing new clients?

Let me know by replying to this email. I read all my emails 😉

Join me again next week to flush out the 9 to 5 with your weekly dose of Day Job Detox!

Yours truly,

HoboMojo