How to find your first advisory clients without cold outreach

The short answer. Start with the people who already know your work. Write about the situations you know. Message only the people who have engaged with what you wrote. Give them one free place to see how you think, such as a short workshop. Your shortest route to a first paying client is the warmest part of that.

Why cold outreach is the wrong first move

For a senior adviser, your credibility is the product. A message from a stranger with a calendar link reads like a sales sequence, and it spends that credibility before you have earned any attention.

I do zero cold outreach. I never message a stranger. I message the people my post already warmed.

Start with the people who already know your work

Former colleagues and the people you helped. They already know how you think, which is the one thing a stranger has to take on trust.

Try this today. Write down the last few problems colleagues brought to you because you were the one who could solve them. That list is closer to an offer than your job title is.

If you are still employed or recently left, check your contract for any restriction on approaching clients or colleagues before you do.

Write about the situations you know

Short text posts, one situation each. Name what you saw and where you saw it. A post that only you could have written does more than five posts anybody could have written.

Write for one reader. Second person, as if it were a message, not a broadcast.

Message the people your posts already warmed

The people who viewed your profile or commented have told you something. They are the only people you message.

When they reply, ask what they actually want before you offer your time: Are you looking to talk this through with anyone or still sitting with it? It costs nothing, and the answer tells you whether the conversation is worth an hour.

Own the list

You don't own LinkedIn, you don't own the connections. With email you do.

A weekly email to people who asked to hear from you is where trust builds between posts.

Give them one free place to see you think

A short workshop on the problem you solve. Serve in the room and sell after it. The ask at the end is a conversation, not a purchase.

That is also why I am running a free masterclass, on Tuesday 3 November.

The first conversation

Say back what you heard before you make one clear ask. If it is not a fit, say so. A client you cannot help costs more than an empty slot.

Questions people ask

How do I get my first consulting client without cold outreach?

Start with the people who already know your work, write short posts about the situations you know, message only the people who engage with them, and invite them to one free session where they can see how you think. The ask at the end of that session is a conversation.

Is it OK to contact former colleagues about my new practice?

Check your employment contract first for any restriction on approaching clients or colleagues, and ask an employment lawyer if a clause is unclear. Once that is clear, they are the warmest people you know.

How often should I post on LinkedIn?

As often as you can keep up with your own material. A post only you could have written does more than several that anybody could have written.

What if nobody replies?

Change who it is for before you change the channel. A post that does not land is usually written for nobody in particular.