Start That Consultancy: Land Your First Client 🤝
Part 3 of 3: Your guide to getting started this summer with the help of AI
💜 Hey M(AI)VENS,
In Part 1, we explored how to discover your zone of genius and how to determine market demand. In Part 2, you designed your consulting offer with the help of AI — complete with pricing and trusted feedback.
Now, in Part 3, we’ll get into outreach, follow-up, and client agreements (with assistance from AI). This is where things start to move from idea to action.
✅ Mindset = You’re Not Selling. You’re Solving.
This is the mindset I hope you’ll embrace as you begin outreach:
You’re not bothering anyone. You’re offering a solution to a real problem. Someone out there needs exactly what you’ve spent years learning how to do. And now, you’re brave enough to say it out loud.
If I were starting over now, I would focus on this shift (along with the use of new AI tools). It can feel daunting to say you’re trying to “launch a business.” Instead, try telling yourself that you’re simply looking to land your first client.
That’s it. Just one. Once you land that first client, things will start to flow more easily. You’ll refine as you go, and momentum will build.
Let’s dive in!
Step 6. Begin Outreach 💬 with AI’s Help
After creating your offer, this may be the second most important step. Without outreach, your beautifully crafted consulting offer just sits on your desktop. Outreach is where opportunity begins.
In my experience, it’s human relationships and conversations that close deals. Not fancy pitch decks and long proposals. You can spend countless hours (days, weeks!) designing and redesigning pitch decks. But in over 10 years, I have personally never closed a consulting deal with a pitch deck, so I’m not going to recommend that you spend time on them.
What’s really important as you begin outreach is that you know what you offer and what problem it solves or pain point it mends for a potential client. THAT is what you want to focus on.
A simple flow for outreach:
Warm, personal opening
One line stating what you help solve
Invitation to chat OR ask for a referral
Friendly close
✒ Now, let’s have AI help you write it.
For outreach, you may find Claude more suitable than ChatGPT. Why? Claude has a special way with tone. It tends to write in a warm, thoughtful, and more human-like style which I think is especially useful in relationship-based communications like consulting. Claude is great when you’re communicating with extra care and when tone is nuanced.
Use these prompts to craft a series of warm, confident messages to each person on your list. It should be specific to each individual and clearly show how your offer could solve a real need.
Try these prompts in Claude:
For someone you know well:
I’m reaching out to a past colleague I know well and want to share my new consulting offer [insert your offer]. Help me write a short email that sounds warm and friendly, invites a quick call, and positions my offer as helpful to their business.
For a loose connection or someone you follow:
I’m reaching out to a professional acquaintance (or LinkedIn connection) I haven’t spoken to in a while. Help me write an email that re-introduces myself, mentions my new consulting focus, and asks if they might know someone who would benefit from what I offer.
For someone you’d like to ask for referrals:
I’m reaching out to a trusted friend or former colleague to share that I’m starting a consulting practice. Help me write an email that invites them to refer me to anyone in their network who might need my services.
Example — let’s use me as an example:
I’m reaching out to a business colleague who I think might benefit from my consulting offer. I help [owners and leaders of private members’ clubs] create [membership experiences that foster connection, loyalty, and long-term brand value]. Write a short, professional email that feels personal but professional and invites a short conversation.
💡 Offer a No-Pressure Intro Call or Discovery Session
Invite them to a short call to learn more. You can position it like:
“If you’re open to a 15-minute chat, I’d love to hear what you’re working on and see if there’s a way I can support you.”
Bonus: You can also ask ChatGPT or Claude to:
Create a “30 second intro” you can use in a conversation with someone new
Create intros to use in a variety of different networking situations
🌀 Step 7. Follow-up Like a Pro
Here’s something no one likes to talk about. Most people won’t respond the first time.
That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re not interested. It means your outreach was not their top priority. Don’t think of follow-up as being pushy. Follow up demonstrates your professionalism. It shows you’re serious, confident, and reliable. In my experience, many women hesitate to follow up because they worry about seeming pushy or bothersome. But professional follow-up is simply part of good relationship building. Often, it’s the follow-up that helps a busy potential client finally take action.
Ponder these sayings about follow-up…
“The fortune is in the follow-up.”
Real momentum often comes after the second or third touchpoint.“Follow up or fall behind.”
Staying top-of-mind matters, especially in competitive spaces.“If you don’t follow up, someone else will.”
Your offer might be the perfect fit. But if you go quiet, someone else may step in at the right time.
Set a reminder to follow up within 7–10 days of your first outreach and ask AI to help you write tailored follow-up messages that feel respectful and confident.
Prompt:
Help me write a follow-up email to someone I reached out to about my consulting services [x days ago] that reaffirms the value I bring. I want it to feel friendly, not pushy. Let’s give them a nudge in case it got lost in their inbox.
Prompt:
Help me write a second follow-up email to someone I reached out to about my consulting services. This should feel helpful and warm, and gently ask if now is a better time for us to connect.
Prompt:
Help me write a third follow-up message to someone I’ve emailed twice about my consulting services. I want it to feel light and give them an easy out if they’re not interested, while still leaving the door open.
✅ Engage on Social
As part of your outreach and follow-up work, start engaging on social with your future clients. Your next client might be one thoughtful nudge away. Here are some suggestions:
Follow each prospective client and company on LinkedIn and Instagram
Engage with decision-makers via thoughtful, personalized comments and responses
Share resources:
timely news articles
research papers
recommend an upcoming event, industry conference, or an interesting webinar
Offer congratulations
career promotion
new product launch
new location
a funding round
other achievements
Provide recommendations
a book
a new podcast
an industry newsletter or blog
other thought-provoking content with ties to their industry or work
👋 Make Introductions
Offer to connect your prospective client(s) with someone in your network — a fellow consultant, a vendor, or a trusted business contact — who could help them in some way. Even if they don’t hire you right away, you’ll be remembered as someone who adds value and builds relationships.
Doing all of the above puts you on a path toward building a long-term relationship and being seen as a potential advisor or partner. 💥
When your outreach, follow-ups, and engagement result in a “yes” — it’s time to move to the final step: making your agreement official.
Step 8. Seal the Deal with a Simple MOA (Memorandum of Agreement)
Congratulations on landing your first client! Now it’s time to make it official with a one-page MOA (Memorandum of Agreement).
Some women (especially when starting out) feel sheepish about "formalizing" the work or about asking for money in writing. Consider it an essential act of professionalism. You’re setting clear expectations and honoring the value of your work.
An MOA isn’t meant to be full of legal jargon. Think of it as a simple, professional summary of what you’re going to deliver, how much it costs, and how payment will work. It helps everyone stay clear and builds trust right from the start.
📝 What Your MOA Should Include:
What you’ll do – The scope of work / description of consulting services provided. Be specific about what is included and what isn’t. Women tend to over-deliver. So, a clear scope helps prevent “scope creep” and protects your time.
For how long – Start date, end date, or number of sessions/hours
What it costs – Pricing structure
How you’ll be paid – When and how you’ll invoice (and accepted payment methods). Note that payments are due within X days of invoice. This sets clear expectations and protects your cash flow.
Any other expectations – Things like scheduling, meetings, progress updates, and/or communication preferences
A simple termination clause – how either party can end the agreement with notice (e.g. 30 days’ written notice)
Simplicity and clarity are your friends here. Even if your first client is someone you know well, always use a simple MOA. It helps both parties and prevents misunderstandings later.
A simple MOA isn’t the same as a full legal contract. For larger or more complex projects, you may want to invest in consulting an attorney. But to start, this kind of one-pager is perfectly appropriate and common.
💬 Use AI to Help Draft Your MOA
Here’s a prompt to try in ChatGPT:
Prompt:
I just landed my first consulting client and need to send a one-page Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). I want it to sound professional but friendly, not overly legal. Please help me write a simple agreement that includes: 1) services I’ll provide, 2) the timeline, 3) my fee, 4) payment terms, 5) other expectations, 6) a simple termination clause. Format it so I can copy and paste it into an email or Google Doc.
📌 Optional Add-On:
Use Canva, Notion, or Google Docs to format it into a branded document
Ask ChatGPT to help you write a friendly email to send it along with the subject line: “Excited to Get Started – Here's Our Agreement”
✅ Pro Move:
Once a client says yes, don’t leave the details floating. Use AI to help you write a simple, one-page MOA, and send it off with confidence.
This final step turns your idea into an active, real consulting business.
🪅 Congratulations!
If you’ve made it through this series, you’ve done more than dream about starting a consultancy. You’ve taken real, concrete steps: identifying what you do best, shaping it into a clear offer, pricing your services, building a prospect list, reaching out with intention, and preparing to confidently seal the deal. That is no small thing!
And remember, you don’t have to do this alone. If you’d like more support, inspiration, and connection as you build this next chapter, come join us inside M(AI)VENS Premium. Our monthly meetups are where we take these kinds of ideas off the page with real conversations, shared experiences, and a community of women cheering you on.
You’re already well on your way. I can’t wait to see what you create!
Cheyenne 💜
Founder, M(AI)VENS
📚 Additional Resources
Why Companies Are Replacing In-House Roles With Curious Consultants — explores how consultants bring fresh perspective, cross-industry insight, and faster results.
How to Build a Successful Consulting Business* — shares advice from women who left corporate roles to start their own consultancies. *This article is from 2020 but has some helpful tips that are still relevant today.
How to Package Your Genius to Transition Into Consulting
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has resources, training and funding opportunities available specifically for women-owned businesses.
U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce
Association of Women’s Business Centers - a national non-profit of 150 centers working to secure economic and entrepreneurial opportunities for women.
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