okay long post ahead

i do website and app development. i know $3670 is not a lot for the number of clients, but i started freelancing only a few months ago and this is how i got 8 clients in a single month without any ad service or paid ads.

what worked for me was visibility. it always worked. here’s everything i did, in detail.

i was spending almost 16 hours a day on all of this (and ofc skipping college classes). i’m not saying you should do that. but the first 2 weeks i was doing it just to figure out what works.

step 1: a portfolio that doesn’t look like AI

first i made a decent portfolio that shows what i can actually deliver. and see, it should not look like AI at all. this is where most people mess up. same purple gradient, same “Hi, I’m a passionate full-stack developer” hero, same 3 cards with emojis. clients have seen it a hundred times and they scroll past in 2 seconds.

what i did instead:

- only 4 projects of my previous work with clients, not more than that. each one has a one-line results which my previous clients got.

- wrote all the copy myself in simple readable english no fancy showoff keywords

- real screenshots, a live link for every project, and a 20 second screen recording on the best one

- one button only: “book a free 15 min call”. no 5 different contact options

- loads in under 2 seconds, so many people underestimate this. i tested it on my phone and other different devices, because most of the clients open links on their phone

step 2: discord (3 clients came from here)

i joined servers where my target clients actually talk: indie hacker servers, startup founder servers, no-code communities, shopify/ecom servers, and a few dev servers. i left the ones where it was only developers talking to developers, because developers don’t hire developers.

my approach:

1. read the #help and #feedback channels first, not #general
2. when someone posts with intent for hiring like “my site is slow” or “can anyone look at my landing page”, i actually opened their site and gave a real answer. like “your hero image is 4mb, compress it to webp and your load time drops, here’s the tool”
3. after 3-4 days of this, people started to recognise u in the community which is very essential
4. only then, if someone asked “who built this / can you help me with this”, i’d say “i build this kind of stuff, here’s my portfolio, happy to do a quick call”

i never dropped a link in the first message. never posted in #self-promo as my main strategy. helping first is what made people dm me.

my 2nd client from here literally dm’d me saying “you helped me in the server last week, can you just build it for me”. that’s the whole game.

step 3: X (1 client)

i followed around 80 founders and indie hackers who post “building in public” updates. every day i replied to their latest posts with something useful.

example: someone posted their landing page. i replied “your headline talks about your product, not what the customer gets. try ‘get X without Y’ and move the demo video above the fold. here’s what i’d change” and attached a quick screenshot.

at the end of some replies i’d add “you can dm me if you need any help with this”. not every reply. only where it made sense.

no threads, no “10 tips” posts, no cringe. just useful comments under the right people’s posts. my replies got seen by the founder and everyone scrolling the thread.

step 4: linkedin (1 client, but the best one)

this was the easiest one. i followed founders, startup ops people, and agency owners, then commented on posts where my clients could be found: someone hiring for a website, someone complaining about their developer, someone launching a product.

my rule was no “great post!” comments. every comment had to add one real point or answer a question. 3-4 lines max.

i also turned on notifications for about 20 founders so i could comment in the first 30 minutes of their post. early comments get way more visibility.

the founder who became my highest paying client ($900) first saw me because of a comment i left on someone else’s post. he checked my profile, my portfolio link was in the featured section, and he dm’d me the same day.

step 5: instagram (2 clients)

i searched keywords like “home business”, “handmade”, “cafe”, “clothing brand”, “home baker”, “boutique” and picked pages with 500 to 5k followers (big enough to have money, small enough that the owner reads the dms themselves) and also uses the google map techniques to find the businessess.

i never copy-pasted. i spent 2-3 minutes on each page and found one specific problem:

- link in bio goes nowhere

- they take orders only through dm

- no website at all, just a linktree

- google shows them but with no site

then i’d send something like: “hey, love your products. noticed you take all orders through dm, i build simple ordering websites for small brands like yours, i made one for a cafe recently. want me to send a quick example?”

i sent about 20 a day. around 1 in 10 replied. around 1 in 4 of those replies became a call. it’s low, but those clients were the easiest to close because the problem was obvious to them.

step 6: skool communities (1 client)

i joined tech and startup skool communities where founders hang out. for the first week i only helped. answered questions, gave free feedback on people’s landing pages, shared a few resources i actually use.

after that people started asking “wait, do you do this for clients?” that’s when i shared my work. the pitch was never me going to them, it was them asking me.

how i closed the clients

- every lead got a 15 min call. no long proposals up front

- on the call i always asked 3 things: what’s the goal of the site, are u really into it, what’s the deadline, what have you tried before

- after the call i sent a 1 page message to them with scope, price, timeline

- reply as fast as u can cause clients love the developers which is easier to work with them

how clients became retainers (the part nobody talks about)

one-time projects are a treadmill. you finish, get paid, and start from zero again. so many of my clients ended up on a monthly retainer, and i never pitched any of them. they stayed because of how the project went. i delivered fast, fixed bugs before they even noticed them, and kept their site running smoothly after launch.

what i learned

- be where your clients already hang out, don’t wait for them to find you

- provide value first, pitch second. always

- a small, specific portfolio beats a big generic one

- personalise every message, even if it’s just one line

- consistency matters more than any trick. i did this every single day for a month

if you’re starting out rn: pick one type of client (startups, local brands, whatever) and go deep on them instead of trying to be everything for everyone. simple, not easy.

ask me anything in the dm or comment below or any other idea, would be happy to help you.

Cold Email
Trade Shows
Social Media
Paid Ads

Bit of context first so this doesn’t read like a scam.

I’m building an AI Instagram appointment setter called Magnet Engine. It finds people who match who you sell to, writes each one a DM based on their actual profile, and keeps the conversation going until they book a call. Before I open it up properly I want to run it on real businesses and see real numbers. So for a few people I’m going to do the whole thing for you, for way less than it’s worth.

What I do:

set up a new Instagram account for your business

warm it up for a couple of weeks before it sends anything (this is the step people skip, and then they wonder why they got banned)

build it out with posts and followers so it looks like a real business

find your leads and send 3,000 cold DMs over the month, each one written for that person

handle the replies and book calls straight onto your calendar

What you do: tell me what you sell and who buys it, send me your calendar link, and show up to the calls.

It’s $200 for the month.

If I don’t book you at least 3 sales calls, you get the full $200 back.

Who it’s for: anyone who sells on a call. Coaches, agencies, consultants, high-ticket services. If you sell $25 products, skip this. Nobody’s getting on a call for that.

I’m only taking 5. Every account needs its own warm-up and I’m watching every campaign myself, so I can’t do more than that right now.

Would love feedback on the script for a new campaign I’m about to start. Have done one previously with not great results, I think in hindsight, the emails sounded too much like AI slop

I’m going to A/B split test the following two emails in this next campaign. Would love some feedback…

Email A
Hi (name),

Pull your website up on your phone and look at it they way a new customer would.

I did, and (observation).

Why does that matter? Because when someone gets your name from a mate, they look you up before they ring. If the site looks tired, some of them call the next firm instead, and you never find out.

So here’s my offer. I’ll build (their business) a brand new homepage from your own photos, reviews and services, live on a private link within 48 hours.

You don’t pay a penny. You don’t send me anything. You don’t even have to reply if you don’t like it.

Why would I do that? I’m in construction myself, and I build sites for trades around (local area), and showing you beats any sales pitch I could write.

The catch is that I can only build 5 a week, so it’s first come, first served.

Reply “yes” and yours goes into this weeks batch.

(My name)
(My business)

P.S. I’d you don’t like it, delete the link. All it costs you is two minutes.

Email B

Hi (name)

I had a look at your website on my phone and (observation).

When someone gets your name from a mate and checks you out, that’s the moment they decide whether to ring you.

I’m in construction myself and build websites for trades around (local area). I’ll build (business) a new homepage from your own photos and reviews, free, on a private link within 48 hours. I only do five a week, so I’m offering them to a handful of local firms first.

Shall I put you down for one?

i run a small creative studio offering strategic animated explainer videos for B2B SaaS, FinTech and tech companies, and i’ve been struggling with lead generation for the past 3 months

i’ve been trying LinkedIn, cold emails, Facebook groups and networking, but getting even one paying client has been harder than i expected.

with LinkedIn, i’m not sure what kind of content i should be posting to attract the right audience

educational posts? industry insights? showcasing my services? i’ve also been connecting with founders and trying to have genuine conversations about their businesses, but i struggle with knowing when and how to introduce my services without making the whole interaction feel like a sales pitch

cold emailing has been another headache. finding the right decision-makers and their contact details is difficult, especially when you’re trying to work with a limited budget. i’ve sent emails and reached out through company pages too, but getting responses is another challenge

i’m doing everything solo, from researching prospects and creating content to outreach and follow-ups, so i’m trying to figure out where my time is actually best spent

also, just to clarify, i don’t currently have the budget to invest in paid lead generation tools, ads, or hiring someone to handle outreach. i’m trying to land my first paying client before reinvesting that money into growing the business. so i’d really appreciate advice on organic methods that have actually worked for others starting from scratch, rather than recommendations for paid services.

for those who’ve successfully generated B2B leads for a service-based business:
1. what worked best for you when you were starting from zero?

1. how do you identify companies that might actually need your services rather than reaching out randomly?

2. what kind of LinkedIn content helped you attract potential clients?

3. how do you move from networking to discussing business without forcing a pitch?

i’m not looking for shortcuts or overnight results. i just want to understand what i might be doing wrong and how to build a more effective process, especially as someone working alone with a limited budget.

would appreciate advice from people who’ve actually been through this!

Is it a common thing to post about product you generate leads for , lets say app, where you need to understand how it works, what functions it has, and its constantly developing new features, so keep educating people is important. Do you post about it on your Linkedin or other channels, or do you redirect prospects to companys social media where they can read all updates , or do you send link to their website and couple images?
What i worry about is if i mention the name of product/ company on social media, people will just google it themselves and register or try free trial without contacting me. Isnt it? Does it happen to you?

What are some the basics of cold Emailing and how to get better in it.

I will be honest and i am not consistent and 100% Approachable sounding on the Cold emailing scene and i think i am lacking a lot and daily daily wasting each day and getting a bit behind my building days and don't feel good about it.

Can someone help me from experience giving out pointers on how to Up my Emailing Game and just shoot 20-25 Emails everyday !

I used to be heavy in lead gen. Organic seo and gray hat maps...home services. Still have clients who want more leads but I don't have time to generate leads due to other commitments.

Looking for a jv partner to bring traffic/lead generation. I have 15 to 20 clients. Relationships, crm, phone system for tracking, contracts, etc. If u can generate leads via seo or inexpensively via paid pm and let's talk. No games. Thanks

Hi

I am totally new to this area. I'd really appreciate some honest tips to generate leads. I have really no experience in getting clients so any feedback, suggestions or how to even get started with the hard part of this journey (landing first client) will be highly appreciated.

Brief about me: 3+ YoE. Domain is GenAI/Data Science. I have worked across sectors like City Surveillance (Computer Vision), Healthcare (RAG), Logistics (Forecasting) and Enterprise Cloud (GCP/Azure/AWS).

TIA

I have been generating leads from ads. I am just curious and want to improve my skills in this space. What are the other ways to generate leads and are there any videos or website I can learn from?

What are the Non-Negotiables in generating Solid Leads for B2B SaaS website.

For me the current setup looks like , twitter , LinkedIN , Cold emailing and commenting etc.

I want to change that and explore and learn some real Fruitful ways.

Is it just me or does it seem like email campaigns are simply dying out. For safety’s sake I send out about 50 a day from my own domain and about 1000 a week from other warmed domians. Offer is set to precision. Total replies I’ve had in a month from almost 5 thousand emails is 4. Only one was interested. Am I being overly critical or has there been a real downturn in the industry? What are your thoughts?

Hi there,

I’m a co-founder of a B2B SaaS company selling to aesthetic clinics.

Some context:
- we’re a small bootstrapped team selling an ai receptionist to clinics and salons. It answers enquiries on instagram, WhatsApp and the clinics website and books into their diary (voice still in beta).
- one proper trial client (multilocation Italian business) is converting to paid so will have real results to show.
- price is 199-399 a month gbp per location but voice will again change this.

What we’ve tried so far:
- meta leads ads (instant forms) only spent 100 gbp so far, one static is getting about 8 gbp per lead but due to meta budgeting we can’t scale this yet.
- cold calling clinics (we contracted a belizian to trial this but got nowhere, receptionists screening calls and owners rarely available)
- walking into clinics in person (I’ve done a very small amount of this but initial results were strong but I was being a pussy with interrupting their work. Going to do it again this weekend and firm it.
-will start attending local networking events throughout the week to try get referrals.

Would love advice on how to get a repeatable channel to get us or our product in front of people so we can actually start growing.

For small local businesses which channel should I be going for and why?

How do I stop meta concentrating all spend on one loosing ad so I can properly test creatives and get my winning ad in front of people?

What’s worked for you in the past to get conversations with owner-operators who are wary of being sold to?

How do you qualify instant-leads so the demos are with real decision makers and not curious browsers?

Has anyone built partnerships with industry suppliers or training academies to reach clinics and was it worth itv

Happy to share numbers back on whatever we test, happy to share more details at request. Thanks in advance.

we run a small lead gen agency and gave A leads two shots. First time a couple months ago it was just okay, phone accuracy was not really good enough for cold calling.

Went back about a month ago to retest and tbh it was worse. Like 70 to 75% of our pickups were just "sorry wrong number" lol. At that point its not usable for us.

Billing was annoying too. I meant to grab monthly and clicked annual by mistake. Hit up their support chat and waited days with nothing, then messaged the founder directly and got the classic "forwarded it to my team" and then radio silence after a few follow ups. When I went back to check, the Fin widget I originally used to contact them was just gone so I could not even follow up there.

I am looking for a lead generation partner in the EMEA, the service we are offering starts at 5K EUR and can go up to 15-20K depending on the specific service being bought.

Already have organic traffic & mouth to mouth sales + proof.

Looking for someone that can explain me in the comments how they would generate leads and what kind of split they would take on it, this is in the technology niche and is a highly sought after service.

Let's get it!

We've run Expandi for about a year on ​​​​2​​​​ ​​​​p​​​​r​​​​o​​​​f​​​​i​​​​l​​​​e​​​​s​​​​ ​​​​a​​​​n​​​​d​​​​ ​​​​i​​​​t​​​​'​​​​s​​​​ ​​​​b​​​​e​​​​e​​​​n​​​​ ​​​​f​​​​i​​​​n​​​​e​​​​.​​​​ ​​​​ The issue is we're going to 6 profiles next quarter and I want to compare before committing to that many seats.

Shortlist so far: D​​​​r​​​​i​​​​p​​​​i​​​​f​​​​y​​​​ ​​​​a​​​​n​​​​d​​​​ ​​​​H​​​​e​​​​y​​​​R​​​​e​​​​a​​​​c​​​​h​​​​,​​​​ ​​​​p​​​​l​​​​u​​​​s​​​​ ​​​​R​​​​e​​​​p​​​​l​​​​y​​​​ ​​​​i​​​​o​​​​ because it would also take over our email sequences. HeyReach seems designed for exactly this many-senders setup and Dripify looks simpler.

If you switched off Expandi at a similar size, what did you move to? Thanks in advance.

We run a fully remote software testing agency with a rock-solid technical team, but we need someone to take ownership of our sales pipeline.

We’re looking for an experienced lead generator or freelance sales rep who can bring in qualified clients. This is a 100% commission-based opportunity with attractive payouts per closed contract. Perfect for someone already selling tech services or looking to partner with a reliable QA agency.

Drop a message or DM if you're interested!

Hey everyone! Is anyone here doing rank and rent in Canada?

I have a couple hundred sites in 40+ trades and services businesses. Would love to connect with others in the space, swap ideas, and hear what’s working for you.

I’m also looking to buy and sell leads across multiple trades and service industries. If you’re active in this space, drop a comment or send me a message. Let’s connect!

Hi all,

I'm the founder of Reply10X, a lightweight tool that cuts repetitive typing for customer service, sales, and recruiting teams by turning common replies into templates that can be used on any website.

Where we are: The product is live and actively used.

What I'm looking for: a B2B salesperson to lead sales. Ideally you've sold to e-commerce customer service teams and can run a full sales cycle, from prospecting to close.

What I offer:

• 20–30% commission on lifetime revenue from deals you close
• Full product support and demo materials
• Warm leads where available

Location: Remote, EU or US time zones

If this sounds interesting, DM me with a short note about your sales background and the markets you've sold into.

I am looking for Ontario, Canada business owners, email and direct number (cell number or direct). I have been buying some in small amounts and I am wondering what the cost is looking like to buy a larger amount in bulk?

Hey guys, I was actually planning to buy an outbound lead generation coaching so that I can start my only generation agency. Would you guys recommend me some of the good coaches out there? The ones that maybe I could afford some of the coaches that I heard are basically charging six $7000 and more than that.
What are your thoughts on this? Any guidance would be appreciated. Thank you.

I run a dedicated web development team, and we are looking for a front-end sales or lead generation partner to bring in clients from high-market regions (US, UK, Canada, Australia, Europe).

We handle 100% of the build behind the scenes; you handle the client relationship and take the lion's share of the profit.

How the Model Works

1. You find the lead / project: When a client needs a website, landing page, or web application, you send over their scope or requirements.
2. I give you a flat wholesale quote: Because our dev team operates with low overhead, our build costs are significantly lower than local agency rates (for example, standard 5-page business websites typically start at around $500).
3. You set the retail price: You quote the client standard market rates—whether that’s $2,000, $3,500, or $5,000+.
4. You keep the spread: You invoice the client directly, pay our flat wholesale fee, and pocket the entire remaining difference immediately.
5. We deliver white-label: We build, test, and polish the site strictly under your agency or brand name. We never contact your client directly.

What We Deliver

• Modern responsive business websites and landing pages (fast loading, SEO-friendly, mobile-optimized).
• Clean CMS setups (WordPress, Webflow, or headless) so your clients can easily edit content.
• Custom dynamic backends and web app functionality if complex features are needed.
• Rapid turnaround times (typically 5 to 7 business days for standard sites).
• Dedicated revisions until the client signs off.

Why This Setup Works

• Zero technical headaches for you: You don't have to touch code, debug servers, or manage freelancers across multiple time zones.
• Massive profit margins: You aren't earning a tiny 10% commission; you keep 70% to 80% of every deal you close.
• Predictable delivery: You get a fixed cost and guaranteed turnaround before you ever commit to the client.

If you have an active outreach pipeline, run cold email/calling, or already have clients asking for web development, shoot me a DM. I will share our unbranded live portfolio links, standard turnarounds, and wholesale rate sheet so you can start pitching immediately.

I own a sales agency so I am always going to be biased against this but hear me out.

What is with all these companies who only want to hire people and pay them when they sell.

This is not a good model for your business.

Sales Hunters like and need quick wins in order to make money.

If you’re only offering them money when you sell your product or service then they won’t stick at it long.

Why should they only be rewarded if you’re good enough to seek your product or service.

The reason you’re always looking for new appointment setters is because the good ones won’t want their income reliant on your ability to sell.

If you can’t book your own appointments then save up some money and pay a good lead generator for their time and efforts. You will get more sales this way.