# Best Method to Find the First Client

#query #sales #outbound

## Question asked

> What would be the best method to find the first client?

## Answer

There is no single magic channel in the corpus, but the sources do converge on a
best *method* — a short sequence, not a one-off tactic. For a **literal first**
client (no case studies, no referrals yet):

**Pick one narrow niche, then work a warm / repeat-contact (in-person) channel with
disciplined multi-touch follow-up — rather than leaning on cold online outreach.**

This is the highest-confidence recommendation because it is the one prescription two
otherwise-disagreeing traditions in the vault independently endorse ([[ab-analytics]]
and [[sebastian]]).

### The sequence

1. **Niche first — it's a precondition.** "Niche is upstream of everything": without
   an ICP you cannot outbound, productize, or delegate sales at all
   ([[niche-selection]], [[2026-06-15-more-clients-dev-agency]]). Sell to leadership
   not implementers; go where AI is weak; be specific ("Shopify dev for fashion
   brands", not "web developer").
2. **For client #1, favor a warm/in-person channel** where the audience is
   pre-qualified and you can show up repeatedly. AB Analytics' most-underrated pick is
   the **Chamber of Commerce** (member directory = pre-qualified list; show up 3× =
   "regular", 6× = "trusted", then invited to speak); also BNI / local business groups
   ([[2026-06-15-17-ways-first-client]]). [[sebastian]] describes the identical
   mechanic — trust forms when someone meets you *the same in different circumstances*
   → recognition → referrals ([[relationships-as-moat]]).
3. **Work it with discipline, not intensity.** 3 channels × 90 days; **5+ follow-up
   touches** (Day 0→3→7→14→30) — ~80% of deals reportedly close after the 5th contact,
   most quit after the first; the founder does the selling. "A year of repackaging is
   for people afraid to pick up the phone." ([[sales-discipline]])
4. **Convert client #1 into [[referrals]] immediately** — highest-converting, ~zero-cost,
   but it cannot bootstrap you (needs an existing client). Exploits the gap: 91% would
   refer, only 11% are asked. "Client #1 is hardest, #5 easier, #10 comes to you."
   ([[2026-06-15-17-ways-first-client]])

### Why in-person over cold online for the *first* one specifically

The vault's sharpest unresolved split is online-vs-in-person: [[sebastian]] rates all
online outreach "Big zero"; [[ab-analytics]] and Tony run cold email / LinkedIn as
live channels. Best current read: **audience-dependent** — enterprise buyers ignore
cold outreach (→ in-person), SMB/startup buyers still convert on it (→ online is a
legitimate lower tier). In-person is the low-variance bet *both* sides endorse (even
AB Analytics rates its in-person Tier 2 as the highest-value ground, with a
recognition-through-repetition mechanic identical to Sebastian's). Lean on cold online
only if the target buyer is SMB/startup. See [[client-acquisition-channels]].

### Application to the likely vault owner ([[eugene]])

Eugene's stated blocker (~6 months) is building a professional network, and he had
been investing in LinkedIn/articles. The corpus points squarely at **reallocating that
effort to recurring in-person events** — exactly Sebastian's advice to him in the
interview. This is the concrete, self-directed reading of "best method" for this vault.

## Evidence trail

- Channel taxonomy, Chamber of Commerce, 3×/6× recognition, referral 91%/11%, "client
  #1 is hardest" — [[2026-06-15-17-ways-first-client]] ([[ab-analytics]])
- Niche as precondition ("niche is upstream of everything") — [[2026-06-15-more-clients-dev-agency]], [[niche-selection]]
- 5 touches / Day 0→3→7→14→30 cadence, 3×90, founder sells, "afraid to pick up the
  phone" — [[sales-discipline]]
- In-person trust as the AI-proof moat; recognition-through-repeat-contact — [[relationships-as-moat]], [[2026-07-06-sebastian-interview-ai-and-software-engineering]] ([[sebastian]])
- Online-vs-in-person split and the audience-based reconciliation — [[client-acquisition-channels]]
- Eugene's networking blocker and channel reallocation — [[eugene]]

**Caveat on evidence quality:** every quantitative claim (80% after 5th touch,
91%/11% referrals, 47% subject line) traces to promotional YouTube videos —
*attributable, not independently verified*. The vault also has **no adversarial or
failure-case source** on any of this. Treat the sequence as the corpus's best
consensus, not a proven playbook.

> *Lint note (2026-07-18):* the vault's first adversarial source, [[ai-productivity-evidence]], has since been added — but it tests the **AI-capability premise**, not these channel/sales claims, which remain un-countered. This caveat still holds for the method above.

> *Successor (2026-07-26):* this page answers **what method**; [[2026-07-26-eugene-90-day-plan]]
> answers **on what schedule**, with named venues, a Day-90 gate, and the
> in-person-vs-[[marketing-system]] tension resolved by stage. It keeps this page's core
> recommendation intact — warm/in-person first — and adds the parts left open below.

## Follow-up questions

- What is [[eugene]]'s actual niche and buyer type? The online-vs-in-person choice
  hinges on it, and no niche has been selected yet.
- What is the minimum in-person cadence that builds "recognition value" for someone
  operating largely remotely?
- Is there a warm-intro path faster than cold-in-person — e.g. mining Eugene's existing
  content audience or embedded/CV professional contacts for the first engagement?

## Whether this output changed existing pages

Yes — added inbound links to this query from [[client-acquisition-channels]] and
[[eugene]] (both had this exact question open in their "Next Questions"). No concept or
source claim was altered; this page is a synthesis of existing pages, not new evidence.
Cataloged in [[index]] and logged in [[log]].
