Using the Get Clients Now! Marketing Program to Build a Freelance Business
The other day, I heard someone describe business as a leaky bucket. And it clicked.
No matter how full your bucket is today—with clients, contracts, and work—those things slowly leak out over time. If you’re not actively topping it off, you’re eventually going to run dry.
As a business owner, your job is to keep the bucket full. And the only way to do that? Marketing and sales.
Coming from a programming background, I had no real clue how to market myself. I knew how to code, not how to pitch. So I turned to Amazon, did a bit of research, and landed on Get Clients Now! by C.J. Hayden.
I committed to doing the program for 28 days to see what would happen. Looking back, it worked better than I expected. I went from a freelancer with one client to juggling six projects in under a month.
Here’s a quick breakdown of how the process works—and how I used it.
Step 1: Set a Clear Goal
First, you need focus. That starts with a measurable, realistic goal for the month.
When I started, I was billing less than 8 hours a week. My target? 25 hours/week. The problem wasn’t skill—it was contacts. I simply didn’t know enough people to ask for work.
So I set a goal: get 40 new contacts by the end of the month.
Pro tip: vague goals like “do better” won’t cut it. Make it specific and trackable. “40 new contacts” is easy to count. “Be more successful”? Not so much.
Step 2: Pick a Reward
Even the best goals need motivation. Sometimes the result is enough. Other times, you need a little push.
For me, I chose a night out—dinner at a nice restaurant and a movie. I even printed out a photo of a fancy meal and taped it to the wall. That simple visual helped pull me through the tougher days of the challenge.
Step 3: Choose Your Marketing Strategies
In Get Clients Now!, Hayden lays out six main strategies to bring in business:
- Direct contact & follow-up
- Networking & referrals
- Public speaking
- Writing & publicity
- Promotional events
- Advertising
You’re encouraged to pick just 2–3 strategies that play to your strengths.
For me, that meant:
- Direct contact and follow-up
- Networking and referrals
- Writing and publicity
I’m naturally introverted, but I like writing and working one-on-one—so these made sense.
Step 4: Define Your Weekly Actions
With your strategies chosen, it’s time to break them down into repeatable tasks—simple actions you’ll do every week to hit your goal.
Here were a few of mine:
- Email 10 new people per week
- Make 2 message board/forum posts per week
- Post to my blog twice a week
- Ask for a referral once per week
The idea is simple: do small things consistently. Over time, those actions stack up.
Step 5: Work the Plan (and Be Flexible)
Once you have your goals and actions, it’s time to execute—every day, if possible. The book includes worksheets and tracking tools, but you can also use a spreadsheet or a simple checklist.
Now, here’s something important: don’t beat yourself up if you fall short.
I set out to get 40 contacts. By the final week, I’d only gotten 6. Instead of giving up or spiraling, I adjusted the goal to 10—and finished the week with 11 new contacts. That little pivot helped me finish strong, and the momentum carried me forward.
What Happened Next
The program worked so well that I ran it again the next month—this time with a focus on closing more sales.
My new goal: bill 60 hours of work in September. I kept most of my original actions and added a few new ones, like launching a free newsletter for clients.
I’m behind on the hours (again), but I can feel the leads coming in. The work is right there in my inbox—I just need to keep showing up and marketing consistently.
Final Thoughts
This was a quick overview of Get Clients Now!, but it’s only scratching the surface. If you’re serious about getting more freelance work—or building a service-based business—I highly recommend picking up the book and giving the 28-day program a try.
It’s not magic. It’s just about showing up every day and doing a few small, strategic things that move your business forward.
And if you decide to try it, post your goal somewhere public—or send it my way. I’d love to cheer you on.
It’s interesting to see how these same marketing principles continue to guide modern digital projects — one recent example is our client showcase, featuring EciggOnline, a forward-thinking vape retailer that’s built a clean, trust-based e-commerce experience.
About the Author
Eric Davis runs Little Stream Software, helping small businesses build user-friendly web applications. He also publishes a free newsletter full of tips, techniques, and strategies for building smarter software and stronger client relationships.