How to Get Your First 10 Clients Without a Fancy Funnel

Rahim
May 18
3 min read

A practical guide to finding warm leads, using confident outreach, and turning your network into paying customers

Why Is It So Hard to Land the First Few Clients?

Starting a business often means staring at a blank screen, wondering where the money will come from. The truth? You don’t need a complicated funnel, a viral video, or a thousand LinkedIn connections. You need a short, curated list of people who already know, like, or trust you—plus a script and a strategy.

According to the Small Business Administration, 20% of small businesses fail within the first year, often due to poor customer acquisition strategies. Yet many of those failures could have been prevented with a strong early sales foundation—built not on ads, but on conversations.

“When you’re just starting out, your most valuable asset isn’t your product. It’s your personal network.” — Steli Efti, CEO of Close.com

Where Do I Find My First 10 Clients?

1. Start with People Who Already Know You

Your first clients will likely come from your inner circle. Pull out your phone, open your email inbox, and scroll through your LinkedIn connections. You’re not pitching your mom (unless she owns a mid-sized logistics firm), but friends-of-friends, former colleagues, or ex-bosses? Absolutely.

Use a tool like Hunter.io to find email addresses if you're short on contact details.

For example, if you’re offering bookkeeping services, former coworkers from your finance department or LinkedIn peers in small business groups are natural leads.

🔥 A Harvard Business Review study found that businesses that tapped personal networks early on saw 35% faster customer acquisition during their first six months.

2. Referrals: The Easy Button You're Not Pressing

Your best marketing tool is someone else's mouth.

Use referral language like:

“Hey, I’ve just launched my business helping [target customer] with [specific service]. If you know anyone who might benefit from [short result], I’d be grateful if you passed my name along.”

This works because you're asking for help—not making a hard sell. And according to a report by Nielsen, 89% of people trust recommendations from someone they know.

3. LinkedIn Isn’t Just for Job Seekers

Search your niche + "founder," "marketing lead," or "ops manager" on LinkedIn. Then send a short, direct message like:

“Hey [Name], I noticed you're running a [type of business]. I work with founders to [specific result], and I’m currently booking a few no-pressure intro calls. Would it be helpful if we connected?”

Keep it casual and confident. Don’t oversell. Let your message feel like the start of a conversation—not a pitch deck in disguise.

What Should I Say to Land the Deal?

4. Try This Outreach Script (It Works)

Here’s a simple framework that feels like a real conversation:

Hi [First Name] – I wanted to reach out because I’m working with [specific type of client] who need help with [problem]. I thought of you because [personal connection or relevant trigger].

I’d love to hear how you’re handling [specific challenge]. If there’s any way I can be helpful—or if you’d be open to a short chat—let me know!

It’s short, clear, and shows you’re not a spammer. According to Salesforce, cold emails under 125 words have a 50% higher response rate.

5. Offer a No-Risk First Step

The first sale is all about trust. Make it easy by offering a small, low-commitment service—what marketers call a “tripwire.” Something like a 30-minute audit, consultation, or mini-project works great.

Not sure how to price it? Look at platforms like Fiverr and Upwork to get a feel for entry-level service pricing. Then anchor your offer slightly above the lowest tier—but not by much.

What If They Say No?

Good. You're in the game now.

Each “no” gives you a data point. You’ll learn which offers resonate, what messaging falls flat, and which niches are worth your time. Keep a spreadsheet of every outreach. Track replies, objections, and results. Iterate like a product manager.

As Paul Graham of Y Combinator puts it: