Building a Pipeline of Potential Consulting Clients

How to Get Consulting Clients Without Sending a Single Resume You don’t “apply” for consulting work. You attract it. Most executives make the mistake of treating consulting like a job search: ❌ Tweaking their resume ❌ Blindly reaching out to recruiters ❌ Hoping someone “gives them a shot” That’s not how this game works. Companies don’t hire consultants the way they hire employees. They hire trusted experts who can solve urgent, high-value problems. 👉 You don’t need a resume. You need conversations. Here’s how you start landing clients—without ever applying for a “job.” Step 1: Tap Into Your Network (Your Fastest Path to Cash) 80% of your first consulting clients will come through people you already know. Your past colleagues, peers, and industry connections already trust you. They just don’t know you’re available. Here’s your script: “Hey [Name], I’m helping companies [solve big problem]. Who do you know that could benefit from that?” 🚀 Example: Maxwell’s First $50K Client Maxwell, 60+, landed his first consulting deal by reaching out to former colleagues. Instead of asking for a “job,” he positioned himself as an external marketing strategy consultant. Lesson? Your first client is probably sitting in your phone right now. Step 2: Build a LinkedIn Presence That Attracts Clients Your expertise is invisible until you make it public. When companies look for consultants, they don’t check job boards. They check LinkedIn. The 3-Post Strategy to Build Credibility Fast: 1️⃣ Your Availability Post – Announce your transition. Example: 🔹 “After 25+ years in [industry], I’m now advising companies on [problem you solve]. If you’re facing [specific challenge], let’s connect.” 2️⃣ Industry Insights Post – Share a valuable tip, case study, or framework. 🔹 “Most companies struggle with [big challenge]. Here’s a 3-step framework I’ve used to solve it.” 3️⃣ Client Win Post – Share a real success story. 🔹 “Just helped [company] increase [key metric] by X%. The key? [Insight you applied].” Do this for 30 days, and you’ll start getting inbound leads. Step 3: Create a Referral Pipeline That Works for You You should never be the only one promoting you. The One-Line Referral Ask: “Who do you know that needs help with [your expertise]?” 🔹 Why It Works: It’s not a sales pitch—it’s an invitation to help. 🔹 Bonus Hack: Offer a free strategy call to build relationships before selling. 🚀 Example: Gordon’s 5-Week Sprint Gordon, a former teacher pivoting into software sales, had ONE interview in two years. After consistently engaging his network, he booked 50 calls in 5 weeks—leading to 3 paid offers. Final Thought: Stop Applying. Start Connecting. 💡 Your network is your client pipeline. 💡 Your LinkedIn is your credibility builder. 💡 Your referrals are your growth engine. Instead of sending out 50 resumes this month… 📌 Start 50 real conversations. 👉 Who in your network needs to see this today? Drop a comment or tag them below. 🚀

If you want more consulting clients, stop waiting for your marketing to bring prospects to you. There’s a faster, more direct way to start talking to the right people: Reach out to them yourself. One by one. And suggest a call. It’s easier than it might seem. AND it even works in a business environment like ours. This is the approach I’ve used for over 10 years - with my own business and with my clients. Here’s what it looks like: 1️⃣ Make a list of people you’d genuinely like to work with. Start with people already in your extended network. They might be past colleagues, warm-ish LinkedIn connections, or second-degree contacts who fit your target market. 2️⃣ Choose a reason to reach out that’s real - and not about selling There are a few ways to do this, but they all need to come from a place of curiosity and respect. Here are three that I use often: Ask for their help. → You’re doing informal research on a problem in their space → You’re writing a short piece and want their input or quote (This only works if you’re actually doing it - and you should be.) Rekindle an existing relationship. → A quick check-in or follow-up after a long gap React to something they’ve shared → You saw something they posted and have a thoughtful POV to add   3️⃣  Keep it simple and easy to respond to Here’s an example using the research approach: “Hi [Name], I’m talking to product marketing leads at B2B SaaS firms about how they’re positioning their analytics tools right now. I’m seeing some interesting patterns and blind spots. If you’re open to a short call, I’d love to hear your take and share what I’m seeing.” Follow up once if you don’t hear back. Then move on. If you do hear back? You’re in a real conversation, which is where clients come from. This is still the fastest path to more and better clients. Most consultants never try it. What’s holding you back?

Have you ever wondered why some businesses grow quickly while others stall? After two decades in sales consulting the answer keeps circling back to one idea: disciplined daily outreach. Flashy tech, clever funnels and viral posts help, yet nothing beats a structured rhythm of real conversations. My version of that rhythm is the Rule of 3+. It asks you to complete a few concrete actions before lunch every business day. First, call one prospect who fits your ideal client profile. Not an email, not a comment, a real phone call. The goal is one genuine exchange about their goals, fears and projects, not a scripted pitch. Second, speak with one center of influence, someone who regularly hears the problems you solve. Offer them a valuable introduction or resource. Treat this as deposit, not withdrawal. Third, reach out to one existing client, preferably an account you have not touched in thirty days. Ask what new problems are keeping them up at night. Finally, follow up with each contact in writing: a concise email, a handwritten note, or a quick article that delivers immediate value. Why does this low‑tech cadence outperform complex campaigns? Frequency builds familiarity, familiarity builds trust, and trust opens wallets. One conversation with each stakeholder group gives you a daily micro‑cycle of pipeline creation, referral cultivation and expansion revenue. Multiply that by twenty business days and you rack up at least sixty meaningful touchpoints every month. I leaned on this system when my consulting practice flatlined during the pandemic. In the first six months I logged 372 such calls. The result was more than one hundred thousand dollars of new business, entirely from referrals and up-sells. No ads, no webinars, no cold spam. Clients told me the personal approach felt rare in an era of automated noise. The Rule of 3+ also produces data you can bank on. Track calls completed, next steps scheduled and dollars booked. Suddenly sales forecasting becomes a math exercise instead of wishful thinking. If you need bigger numbers, increase the multiplier. Doing three of each action daily turns the dial from sixty to one hundred eighty high‑quality touchpoints a month without adding software or staff. Will every call be perfect? Absolutely not. Some prospects will ghost you, some clients will say they are happy, and some centers of influence will be too busy. That is fine. Success here is measured in conversations attempted, not flawless outcomes. Persistence smooths the variance. Try the Rule of 3+ for the next thirty days. Block ninety minutes on your calendar every morning, protect it like your first meeting with your biggest client, and log the results. Your pipeline will not explode overnight, but you will feel momentum within two weeks.

People are less predictable than software. When we buy HubSpot, Zoom etc. - we know exactly what we are getting. When we buy talent...sure we interview them, do reference checks...but we never 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 know what we're getting at first. So, if you're selling services (human capital), cold outbound generally isn't the best way to build your pipeline. Occasionally, it can work if you're selling cheaper/commoditized services (bookkeeping, virtual admin, etc.), but it gets rapidly less effective when the services are more specialized and expensive. Why? Because people are unpredictable and cold outbound is well, cold. There is far less trust and far less faith in the 'known' outcome. So, how do you effectively build pipeline for your fractional business? My advice - #1 Personal brand and thought leadership through LinkedIn, newsletters, and podcasts Let people get to know you, how you think, and how you approach your craft. If you're a fractional executive you should have strong, distinct, and unique opinions about your area of expertise. When you become known or familiar - you become approachable. Attract people to you. And don't let them forget you exist. This helps with both awareness and nurturing. #2 Ecosystem and referrals Strategically build an ecosystem of potential referral partners who are already trusted advisors to your ICP. In my case, that's VCs, but for your ICP - it might be different. Find out who they already trust or turn to and build bridges with those people. #3 Become discoverable • Make sure you've optimized your LinkedIn profile to speak to your services and your ICP • Join appropriate talent marketplaces like Catalant Technologies, Bolster, or  Business Talent Group so people can find you/your skill set • Make a website • Get listed on popular B2B review sites like G2 That's your #fractionalfriday tip of the week. Happy Friday y'all. ________________________ If you don't know me well, I'm Jess 👋 . Fractional CRO + CMO for B2B startups and coach to fractional GTM executives. Making go-to-market simple(r) and scalable for founders and solopreneurs.

If your ICP fits half of LinkedIn, it’s not a strategy. It’s a list. Too many B2B teams say they’ve defined their ICP. But when you look closer.. 👇 It’s just: → Industry → Company size → Job title And that’s it. No urgency. No context. No insight into why now. And then they wonder why: – Their messaging feels generic – Their ads don’t convert – Their pipeline is full of people who never buy A real ICP isn’t a demographic profile. It’s a prioritized signal of who’s already in motion. Here’s how modern GTM teams build ICPs that actually drive pipeline: ✅ 1. Define your “compelling trigger” layer Not just “CMOs at B2B SaaS companies”, but: → CMOs at B2B SaaS companies who recently raised Series B, hired their first RevOps lead, and are moving upmarket → Those are people in motion, under pressure, with a reason to act ✅ 2. Identify signals that disqualify (not just qualify) → 5-person teams that “might be a fit later”? Not ICP. → Someone who fits your persona but has no budget or priority? Not ICP. → Teams who’ve adopted a competitor and are deeply embedded? Maybe not worth chasing ✅ 3. Align your content + sales motion to ICP tiering → Tier 1: Strategic ABM, direct plays, personalization → Tier 2: Programmatic awareness, retargeting, newsletter inclusion → Tier 3: Educate passively, monitor for trigger signals ✅ 4. Let your ICP evolve quarterly based on win/loss data → Who actually bought? → Who moved fastest? → Who churned even though they looked “perfect on paper”? ✅ 5. Make it visual. Make it real. → ICP doc should include actual company examples → Screenshots, language samples, red/green flags → And shared access across sales, marketing, product, CS Because if your ICP still looks like a TAM, you’re not targeting - you’re spraying. And if your pipeline isn’t full of buyers under pressure, you don’t have a lead gen problem. You have a relevance problem. Tight ICP = better messaging, clearer value props, cleaner ops, and less friction everywhere. Start there.

If I had to build pipeline from scratch again, I’d follow this exact plan. I inherited a fully greenfield territory. No pipeline. No momentum. Nothing. The hardest part? Staying consistent without a plan. Spraying random messages wasn’t going to cut it. I needed a simple, repeatable process I could run daily. So I built one: 1. Build your account list. Start with your states/region/territory. Use your CRM, Google, LinkedIn etc. 2. Prioritize list by industry. Focus on where you already have traction. Use cases, referrals, or client stories. 3. Then, segment by size. Know who you're calling on. SMB, Mid-Market, or Enterprise. 4. Identify your Top 10 target accounts. Accounts you’ll invest in for the next 1 to 2 quarters. 5. Map out 5 to 10 decision makers per account.   6. Create a multi-channel outreach. (Email, in-person, audio, video, LI, mail). 7. Use your cadence to send meaningful outreach. That became my rhythm. It helped me build trust, pipeline, and momentum. I exceeded my goals that year. Greenfield doesn’t mean guessing. Like most things in life, I've had the best results making a plan and consistently working the plan.