The Formula That Ended My Freelance Cash-Flow Roller Coaster

It can all start with a simple conversation. I was walking to dinner with Josh Turner at an affiliate mastermind when he turned to me and said, “I’d like to buy your company.” He’d heard I was thinking about selling, and something about his directness felt right. Our companies were mirror images—his focused on LinkedIn, mine on Facebook. We shared the same values about taking care of our teams and clients, and our visions for a healthy work-life balance were perfectly aligned. He was ready to make a move, and frankly, so was I.

Just three months later, he owned the agency I had spent 18 years building. Since then, I’ve been consistently impressed with his team’s work and the results they deliver. That’s why I knew Josh was the perfect person to explain how to use social media to land your next client.

The One Thing Every Business Needs to Survive

What if I told you that even an eight or nine-figure business could collapse overnight? It can happen if it’s missing one crucial element: a dependable system for bringing in new customers. This might sound obvious, but countless small-business owners find themselves in a bind. You’re busy servicing your current clients, but if you’re not actively generating new sales opportunities, who is? It has to be your number one priority.

I learned this lesson the hard way at just 21 years old. I was helping out with my dad’s remodeling business between college classes. On the surface, things looked great. He was constantly busy. But being busy isn't the same as having a full pipeline of future work. When the market shifted, there were no leads to fall back on, and he had to close up shop. I was floored; I never thought that was possible.

A few years later, I saw it happen again. I was working in the finance department at a construction company that grew from $5 million to over $23 million in annual revenue. The problem was, we were living project-to-project. Our sales team was great at getting referrals, but that was their only focus. When the 2008 market crash hit, our team had no experience with prospecting because it had never been a priority. The work simply dried up, and in 2009, the company shut its doors.

Both businesses failed for the same reason: they couldn’t generate enough new business consistently. We had happy clients and provided great services, but that alone wasn’t enough to stay afloat.

Breaking the Cycle in My Own Freelance Business

After being let go, I was determined not to make the same mistake. In early 2010, I decided to of my own. With a finance background and about 500 LinkedIn contacts, I branded myself an “outsourced CFO.” I designed a terrible website and printed some equally terrible business cards, but I was in business.

Soon enough, I was riding what I call the “cash-flow roller coaster.” For a month, I’d be swamped with client work, which meant I wasn't looking for new projects. Then, inevitably, the work would dry up, and I’d be left with an empty pipeline. It was the same trap all over again. Anyone knows this feast-or-famine cycle.

That’s when I finally got serious about creating a consistent flow of leads. I realized the solution was simpler than I thought. The only way to get more clients was to get in front of more prospects. I wrote a simple formula on a Post-it note: . This became the foundation of my . I streamlined my marketing to focus only on activities that led directly to setting appointments.

Using this focus, I developed a systematic way to use social media to find my ideal clients and book sales calls, turning my struggling operation into a seven-figure . This journey showed me how a if you have the right systems.

Common Myths About Getting Clients on Social Media

When I first started, I ran into the same myths that stop many entrepreneurs from succeeding with social media. Let’s clear a few things up.

Whether you’re B2B or target C-level executives, your prospects are online. With over 1.56 billion people on Facebook daily and over 40% of LinkedIn’s 640 million users logging in each day, your audience is there. In fact, studies show that business decision-makers are likely to be daily Facebook users. Ignoring these platforms means leaving opportunities on the table. This is a crucial first step when .

Many people think social media is just for cat photos and vacation pictures, so they assume the leads are poor. But lead quality isn’t about the platform; it’s about your strategy. You can absolutely find high-ticket clients if your approach is targeted and professional, rather than using a “spray-and-pray” method. We built our entire lead generation company on delivering measurable ROI, which would be impossible with bad leads. It's a key part of successfully.

It's easy to find people who complain that social media ads didn't work for them. The reason is simple: they were using the wrong strategies. Many try to use complex sales funnels or focus on vanity metrics like likes and comments, which don’t pay the bills. The key to making profitable is a direct, simple approach.

A Simple Process for a Steady Stream of Leads

Here’s how to build a system that consistently brings in new prospects without being salesy.

1. First, get crystal clear on who your ideal prospect is. Use platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook to identify thousands of people who fit your profile. Then, optimize your own profiles and messaging to speak directly to them.
2. The next step is to systematically reach out to these prospects to connect. Once they’re in your network, the golden rule is: . Instead, focus on building a relationship. Send them valuable content like case studies or helpful articles through personal messages. Use status updates to stay top of mind.
3. After you’ve provided value and built trust, you can transition to asking for a phone call. Because you’ve established yourself as a helpful resource, you’ll see a high response rate. We found that 21-30% of prospects agreed to a call at this stage. Some will be ready to buy now; others will be ready later. Either way, you’re now their go-to person.

How to Scale Your Efforts with Paid Ads

Once your organic system is working, you might be ready to scale. Paid advertising is the fastest way to get in front of hundreds or thousands of leads every month. When it comes to ads, people often ask whether to use Facebook or LinkedIn. Facebook often has a lower cost per lead, but LinkedIn typically delivers higher-quality leads for B2B. We use both, tailoring our message to each platform.

Here are the three simple funnels we use to book appointments with cold traffic.

• This is a simple, three-step campaign. The ad calls out your prospect and their problem, directs them to a pre-populated lead form on LinkedIn, and then you proactively follow up to book the call. It’s direct, efficient, and it works.
• This two-step funnel offers a valuable lead magnet, like a report or playbook. After they download it, the thank-you page immediately gives them the option to book an appointment. You capitalize on their attention when it’s highest.
• Webinars are a powerful tool for establishing authority. You run an ad for a webinar, provide immense value during the presentation, and then offer attendees a free strategy session or consultation. This can turn a complete stranger into a paying client in less than an hour.

These strategies simplify marketing and put the focus where it belongs: getting qualified leads to book appointments. That's the engine that drives and turns them into successful full-time businesses.