(How to Create A Five- Or Six-Figure “Instant Income” – Even if You’re Stranded in a Foreign Country)
When I started freelancing in 2014 I had nothing.
No skills.
No contacts.
No portfolio.
I was desperate to get work… ANY type of work…
And I tried everything under the sun to get clients.
From cold calling, cold email outreach, inbound to IRL networking…
Most of my efforts went nowhere.
But over time I started to figure out some things.
Today I’m an established player in my industry — and I can create an “Instant Income” of five- to six-figures pretty much whenever I want.
For example, in 2023 I moved from Europe to the United States in 2023 on a work visa.
The plan was to work in-house for one of my longterm clients.
But after just 3 months in the country, the client’s company which had sponsored my VISA went bankrupt..
I was in a bad spot…
Stranded in a foreign country…
I only had 60 days to find a new gig or I would have to be deported.
But because of the strategies I lay out in this blueprint I was able to create “instant income” and replace my client.
Within five days I had an offer for a six-figure contract on the table…
Which included taking over my work VISA.
All it took was a couple of emails.
Today I want to show you how you can put yourself in a similar position.
It’s not going to happen overnight – and you have to put some work in…
But if you follow the strategies laid out in this blueprint you can put yourself in a position where you never have to chase clients again.
You will be an established player in your industry…
And you will be able to create a five- or six-figure ” instant income” – pretty much whenver you want.
So let’s get into it.
What Type of Client Should You Focus On?
Before you start to think about HOW to get paying clients, you should take a minute and think about WHO you want to attract.
In my experience, bigger is better.
A bigger client means bigger pockets… and a bigger paycheck for you.
Think about it…
Would you rather have 10 clients that pay you $1,000 a month…
Or one that pays you $10,000 a month?
Juggling a bunch of different clients is a huge pain in the ass.
When you have one you can focus on what’s important… making money.
I’ve found the sweet spot is working for companies that generate at least 8 figures per year in revenue.
Those “whale clients” have enough money to spend to make it worth your while.
They also have professional systems and operations in place.
Unlike smaller players, who might still be figuring things out.
One thing you can do right away…
Start by making a list of prospective clients in your industry.
Now that you know the WHO…
Let’s talk about the HOW.
Cold Calling
In 2016 I wanted to break into financial copywriting… and I figured cold-calling might be a good way to doit.
I cold-called 700 banks and tried to sell them copywriting services.
The only problem?
None of these people even knew what I was talking about.
I quickly found out that banks aren’t interested in buying Video Sales Letters (VSLs) or email sequences.
And for what marketing/copy needs they have, they usually work with big, established advertising agencies.
Cold-calling can be a great way to get paying clients.
But you have to make sure you’re talking people who buy what you are selling.
For example, had I cold-called Direct Response companies that work with copywriters, it could have been a different story.
But I simply didn’t know better.
The benefit of cold-calling is you immediately stand out from the crowd.
A lot of people are too lazy or too scared to pick up the phone these days.
They prefer to hide behind emails or social media messages.
I hear that some of the younger generation get nervous when they have to order a pizza!
So simply “smiling & dialing” can be a great way to get in touch with decision makers.
Just call the company you want to work for… ask who’s responsible for XYZ (the service you provide)… and ask them if they work with freelancers.
It can really be that simple to land a paying client.
COLD EMAIL OUTREACH
Another popular email is sending cold emails to prospective clients.
At one point I had a virtual assistant compile lists of companies that could be a fit for my offer…
And I would send hundreds of email per day.
It can be as simple as reaching out and saying:
“Hey my name is Pete, I offer XYZ services and was wondering if you are working with freelancers?”
The problem with this method is the success rate is very low.
You’re using a shotgun approach to blast as many emails as possible.
And the quality of clients I got this way was never great.
Usually they would give me on-off projects… no more than $500-$1,000 a month.
It was all unpredictable and felt like a lot of work.
So even though cold emailing can work – I do not recommend it.
There are simply too many desperate freelancers out there these days, spamming every inbox in sight.
Chances are your messages are getting drowned out in the noise.
If you are just getting started and trying to land your first client, by all means.
Start sending those emails.
But there are better ways create a five- or six-figure “Instant Income.”
Inbound Marketing
Inbound marketing is all about creating content and having clients come to you.
A blog… youtube channel… twitter account…
You name it.
It can be a great way to keep a flowing pipeline of prospective clients.
But here’s my problem with inbound marketing.
It’s a lot of work.
And it can take a long time to build that pipeline.
You’re putting work into a system that will give you… more work?
It never made much sense to me.
Inbound marketing can be a great way to position yousrelf as an authority… and sell products…
But to sell a service, I believe it’s overkill.
Now if you want to build a website… blog… post on social media…
By all means, go ahead.
But if you just want paying clients – and create “instant income” – there’s a much easier way.
This method has kept me steady stream of income for the past 5 years…
Here it is.
IRL Networking
Look, when I tried to break into copywriting in 2016, I didn’t cold call prospective clients…
I didn’t send emails.
I knew the guys I wanted to talk to were busy and were getting swamped with calls and emails every day.
So instead, I booked a flight to the US and went to a major conference in my industry.
ALL the big dawgs were right there in the same room.
CEOs… Marketing Managers… Copy chiefs…
There is no easier way to get access to decision makers who can cut you big checks.
It costs money — but look at it as buying access to people who can hand you an “Instant Income”… all while skipping the phone and email inbox.
That’s why I highly suggest you attend every trade show, seminar, live event and conference in your industry.
Do some reasearch beforehand.
Look up who will attend and who could be a good fit for your services.
Look up what the key decision makers look like…
then just introduce yourself to them and ask them if they are working with freelancers.
It’s really that simple.
Last and but least there is one major piece to the puzzle…
Grow Roots and Become a Known Player in Your Industry
The first 2-3 years of my freelancing I had no focus.
I jumped around from industry to industry and took whatever paid work I could get.
I was in what John Carlton calls the “shameless whore” phase.
But a major breakthrough was when I decided to go all in on the financial publishing space.
I attended conferences…
Built connections…
Made sure I delivered on every promise and kept my word to my clients…
After a couple of years of doing this, getting work becomes easy as pie.
You’ll have contacts at every major firm that you can call if you need work.
You’ll be known as a reliable service provicer with a good reputation.
And if you ever need work it’s a simple as making a couple of phone calls.
That’s how I closed six-figure contract in five days after losing my main source of income last year.
I simply sent off a couple of emails to well-connected friends in the industry…
They put in a good word for me and hooked me up with a new gig.
Sounds easy right?
Because it is.
And you can put yourself in such a position too.
So to sum it all up…
Conclusion (tl;dr)
- Make sure you talk to people who are buying what you are selling
- Focus on whale clients… Firms that do at least 8 figures in annual revenue#
- Start with cold email and cold calls if you must. But move on to IRL networking as quickly as possible
- Attend live events, trade shows, conferences and seminars
- Talk to key decision makers, ask them questions and pitch your service
- Protect your reputation, do good business, do what you said you were going to do
That’s it.
Take these steps and you’ll be able to create “instant income” on demand.
Let me know what you think in the comments below.
Good luck!
