How I Banked $76K and Acquired 40 Clients In My First 9 Months as an Offline Consultant...

46 replies
Over the past 9 months Offline Consulting has been very good to me. In fact, out of all my internet marketing ventures over the years, offline consulting is what I have managed to be most successful with. There is no doubt in my mind, that one's internet marketing knowledge is extremely valuable and sought after at the local level. If you know internet marketing but can't seem to find extreme success online, take that knowledge offline and watch what happens...its magic!

Instead of sharing my knowledge, stories, and successes through a $17 WSO, I am going to spill the beans right here in this thread ... detailing exactly how I managed to go from $0 to $76k in less than 9 months - all through selling internet marketing services directly to local businesses situated in Toronto, Canada and surrounding areas.

I am going to tell this story through a series of posts ... so if you like what you're reading or have any questions ... please take a moment to drop a reply

Here we go ...

How I Became an Offline Consultant...

I got my start online about 4 years ago when I came across a Clickbank sales letter that sold me on the dream of making millions over night. That led me to spinning my wheels with affiliate marketing and specifically PPC affiliate marketing for about 2 years straight. While I found some success in this space, the profitable campaigns quickly died off and I was left with no solid business to show for all my hard work and continuous investment into this misinforming guru products and membership sites. I then turned to product creation and managed to launch a few moderately successful info product websites that produced solid revenue and later allowed me to sell on Flippa.com

Going through the process of failing continuously as an affiliate and having moderate success as a product owner pretty much put me in the position of having some really good knowledge in the web design and internet marketing space. It was also around this time when I learned of people talking a lot about the endless offline consulting opportunities that existed at the time. Without buying a single offline consulting product I took to the streets and gave offline consulting a shot...

The First Step and the First Customer

I got someone from India to design me an internet marketing consulting website. I paid him $250 and he got it up and running for me within 1 week. The website was clean, simple, and had a "Request a Free Quote" call-to-action sprawled across the top of every page. To beef up my portfolio ... i took the websites I designed for my info products and had my designer in India add some of his work as well. With my new site up, I posted an ad on a local classified website here in Toronto, Canada. Within 1 day, the first lead came in. From there I called up the prospect and just improvised the sales call. Amazingly, he bought into my expertise. Finally, all those late nights and wasted money on courses had proven to be worth something

Anyway, from that first lead I generated - it eventually led to a $4,500 deal and included a huge list of services:

web design
search engine optimization
social media marketing
email marketing
CRM integration
content writing

And that's pretty much how the direction of my offline consulting business was born.

I...

-put up a website
-posted an ad
-got a lead
-improvised a sales pitch
-made up a contract
-got the contract signed
-collected a check
-outsourced the fulfillment of the order to India

and now I simply ... rinse and repeat

That's it for today. In my next post, I will explain more about how my company is structured today.
#$76k #acquired #banked #clients #consultant #months #offline
  • Profile picture of the author buziness11
    very ncie post regarding the topics....
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  • Profile picture of the author Chad Heffelfinger
    Nice post emjayce, I always like to hear success stories and how people got started along with what they do in their offline business. I think it can be a help to others to hear what others did and show them that they can do the same thing even if they think that they can't sometimes.

    I look forward to the rest of the story.
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  • Profile picture of the author George Phillip
    Sounds excellent.. Congratulations
    Signature
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    • Profile picture of the author eyfohtik
      Great story, you've shown a history of taken action and it was just a matter of time before success would fall into your hands. Which classified site did you use?
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      • Profile picture of the author emjayce
        Originally Posted by eyfohtik View Post

        Great story, you've shown a history of taken action and it was just a matter of time before success would fall into your hands. Which classified site did you use?
        Thanks! I am based in Canada and the most popular classified ad site is kijiji.ca, so that's what I used and continue to use to this day.
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  • Profile picture of the author lissylou
    Looking forward to the next post!
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  • Profile picture of the author eshber
    You are an absolute legend! Well done mate! Love to hear it when people become successfull! Thanks for giving me some extra motivation!

    (Thumbs up at the screen).
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  • Profile picture of the author LasseKohau
    Well done,
    LASSE
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  • Profile picture of the author eshber
    BTW,

    I was just wondering how you come up with the prices to charge your clients? I mean, if they want you to create a site what do you charge for that? Do you have a fixed fee? And what about the rest of the services you offer?

    Thats my only problem right now. I believe I know enough to make this work but I never know how much to charge.

    And what about your contract? Did you make it all up yourself?

    Your response would be much appreciated!
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    • Profile picture of the author Mike Grant
      Originally Posted by eshber View Post

      BTW,

      I was just wondering how you come up with the prices to charge your clients? I mean, if they want you to create a site what do you charge for that? Do you have a fixed fee? And what about the rest of the services you offer?

      Thats my only problem right now. I believe I know enough to make this work but I never know how much to charge.

      And what about your contract? Did you make it all up yourself?

      Your response would be much appreciated!
      Aim for about 20% of the revenue you will bring to them.
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      • Profile picture of the author FivestarHB
        oh, you make it sound so easy:-) Great post, and it is good to hear of stories that demystify the scary. Consulting sounds daunting, but you are right, the basics we know of IM, SEO ect is so much more than any average accountant, dentist or signwriter. Looking forward to the next installment.
        Signature
        I have Found the Ultimate IM Retirement Plan
        Done for you Marketing System
        17 Year old Company Recurring Income
        It is the Perfect Home Business!
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        • Profile picture of the author emjayce
          Originally Posted by FivestarHB View Post

          oh, you make it sound so easy:-) Great post, and it is good to hear of stories that demystify the scary. Consulting sounds daunting, but you are right, the basics we know of IM, SEO ect is so much more than any average accountant, dentist or signwriter. Looking forward to the next installment.
          Don't be scared. The people that are scared are the business owners that don't understand the internet. If you know your stuff when it comes to internet marketing you should not be afraid to pick up the phone or visit for a sales call. You have valuable knowledge and they will kiss your you know what for it.
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          • Profile picture of the author suemax
            WELL DONE - not only for "going out there and doing it", but for sharing it with us so freely. This is something I am planning to do.... "when I have just learned a little more..."!!
            Signature

            Master Resale Rights are so versatile, and these are educational, too. All kinds of IM material. Read, sell, break up into articles, combine into bundles, and there are 250 of them, complete with MRR, here for a bargain price! I'm even throwing in the sales page. Only £37 for Warriors. http://www.250mrrproducts.com

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            • Profile picture of the author Bronwyn and Keith
              Hi emjayce

              Well done and thanks for sharing.

              Shows that with a bit of effort you can create a full time income.

              Regards

              Bronwyn and Keith
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        • Profile picture of the author suemax
          You are SO right - we all know SO much compared to those who have never ventured into the online arena.
          Signature

          Master Resale Rights are so versatile, and these are educational, too. All kinds of IM material. Read, sell, break up into articles, combine into bundles, and there are 250 of them, complete with MRR, here for a bargain price! I'm even throwing in the sales page. Only £37 for Warriors. http://www.250mrrproducts.com

          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[3233700].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author emjayce
      Originally Posted by eshber View Post

      BTW,

      I was just wondering how you come up with the prices to charge your clients? I mean, if they want you to create a site what do you charge for that? Do you have a fixed fee? And what about the rest of the services you offer?

      Thats my only problem right now. I believe I know enough to make this work but I never know how much to charge.

      And what about your contract? Did you make it all up yourself?

      Your response would be much appreciated!
      Hi There,

      I aim for a 60% margin on my costs. I outsource all design, content, and SEO work. Whatever my suppliers charge me, I mark up to maintain a 60% margin.

      I have standard packages that I see. I have some web design and on-page SEO packages that range for $1k to 2k, and I have monthly off-page SEO packages that I sell in the range of $200-500/month depending on how aggressive customers want to be.

      All other stuff is custom. So I price it out with my suppliers depending on the specs provided by the customer...

      My advice to you would be to find suppliers in countries like India, Philippines, and Romania and get them to do all the work for you. Its much more scalable this way. Your role should be the consultant. You add value by understanding the clients needs and providing your suppliers with added value direction to get the job done.

      Hope that helps!
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      • Profile picture of the author George Phillip
        Originally Posted by emjayce View Post


        All other stuff is custom. So I price it out with my suppliers depending on the specs provided by the customer...
        How do you track your outsourcers work ?
        How do you vet/filter, candidates ?
        Signature
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  • Profile picture of the author MWGrubb58
    Great post!

    Keep up the good work!!!

    I like the fact that you took action!
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  • Profile picture of the author qantar
    That is really good for you, becoming a consultant. I've tried outsourcing before this but it seems like my business niche is not that good like yours, hoping to try another niche and to be successful like you. Thanks for sharing the story with us. Looking forward to hear more from you about your success.
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  • Profile picture of the author Osman_M
    Hey Emjayce, did you post featured ads or sponsored ads on Kijiji.ca?
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  • Profile picture of the author 7dbear
    Hi,

    Great post thanks for sharing.

    Where are you using to find outsourcing?

    Thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author eshber
    How detailed is your own website? Is it important to have your website before you start touting for business?
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  • Profile picture of the author John Durham
    Nice post. Will be looking forward to seeing more!
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  • Profile picture of the author DavidT12
    Thanks for encouraging us with this. It seems to me that there is a significant market out there for this, bit as with all businesses, the important thing is to take action, and take the right action.

    I joined Offlinebiz.com and I think it's probably the best source of help on this type of business.
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  • Profile picture of the author Adrian John
    Very motivational post.I'm gathering couple more things too and i'll get it started soon with my business.I'm from Romania and i'll be trying to pitch businesses in US for services like Google Places, Seo, Video marketing and maybe something more.
    Can't wait for the next post
    I'm subscribing.
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  • Profile picture of the author MrNewsh
    You've definitely inspired me to get started today. I'm not sure what niche will be most beneficial but I'm sure a bit of research will help. Whenever considering a new pursuit I've always had a tendency to get bogged down on planning and research and trying to eliminate risk of failure and that can waste a lot of time. It seems like the 'get up and go' attitude is the way forwards.

    Did you manage to pick up most prospects through placing ads? or do you use other approaches? And what do you find most successful?

    Great post btw! Thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author Sean D Kelly
    Thanks for the shared experience, its refreshing to see someone share their story outside of WSO format!
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    Kindle, Adsense and LinkedIn Expert


    Loving life on a beach in paradise
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  • Profile picture of the author Demond Jackson
    emjayce, thanks for sharing your remarkable story. I have recently opened for business and greatly value hearing other people's success stories. Continued success to you and thanks again.
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    Commitment is the difference between people who "have potential" and people who have results.
    Demond Jackson
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  • Profile picture of the author Backlinks Weekend
    So in US, you can use craiglist.org, right? What would be some recommended advertising sites for US-based companies?
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  • Profile picture of the author InHwan Park
    great job. offline marketing has been a game of confidence for me. there really isnt much to fear.

    if you have zero clients and a client says no...well its still zero... its not like you are losing anything except time. and over time ppl will say yes. and it will only add to your revenue. build the confidence and build a sales pitch and than it's all a number game.

    good luck to everyone.
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  • Profile picture of the author mancmusicman
    Hi Emjayce,

    i have done something similar..my website is up and I have posted on my local classified ads website. any idea on how to generate interest from these classified websites? what sort of titles to use in the ad?
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  • Profile picture of the author WikiWarrior
    That's a tough act to follow emjayce, congrats on your dedication and success. Look forward to the next installment.
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  • Profile picture of the author stew1111
    Love to hear these kind of stories.

    I suffer from "Getting-ready-itis" - buying WSO's, reading this report, watching that video, subscribing to the latest newsletter, joining membership sites and really doing nothing but help a lot of other marketeers by buying their stuff.

    You are right in that we accumualte a lot of knowledge but you are now using it to start living your dream.

    I commend you for taking the steps to build your business and getting out there to claim your piece of the pie.

    If you have a day job, I predict it won't be long before you tender your resignation!

    BTW - I believe I may have sold my first client this morning on a 6 month contract, just working out the details now.

    Thanks for the inspiration.

    PS - Toronto rocks - my wife I sail down to the Toronto islands and love it.
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    [B][SIZE="2"]Stew Babcock

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  • Profile picture of the author Autobot
    Nice earnings, but imho you've written only the intro to your success Btw you can make more money per client offline. On the internet the competition is larger and the customer may pay you more just because he knows you're around the corner.
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  • Profile picture of the author GCooper
    Well done Emjayce!

    -G
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  • Profile picture of the author ShadyRay
    Sorry to bring up such an old thread!

    But, emjayce, you promised a series and have left me wanting to hear more. What kind of progress have you made recently? Would you mind going into more detail about how you handle your outsourced work?

    Thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author Marcel Pamphile
    Truely Insperational... thank you
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    Business Funnels - http://businessfunnels.com

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  • Profile picture of the author mrktxprt
    Solid advice. Straight forward and to the point. This should encourage those who are on the fence about offline marketing.
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    • Profile picture of the author chereevj
      Banned
      Hey ! Good to know your hard work paid off ...

      There's hope for the rest of us afterall
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      • Profile picture of the author prosperwithdnb
        Good job look forward to your next post. Just wondering where you found your outsources from.
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  • Great post Emjayce and I am sure that it will prove an inspiration to people that are just getting started in the offline business.

    Look forward to hearing the rest of your story.

    Best wishes

    Neil
    Signature

    Tap into the Video Gold Mine with my Free 4 Part Offline Cash Secrets video course.

    If you want to FINALLY start making money online then check out Instant Internet Lifestyle blog.

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  • Profile picture of the author mjbmedia
    Great stuff, so how did you source your outsourcer , trial and error, luck, recommendation etc?

    I mean reality says one contact is unlikely to bring a decent outsourcer, so how did you discover him and that he was good enough?
    Signature

    Mike

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  • Profile picture of the author kmalikis
    Originally Posted by emjayce View Post

    Over the past 9 months Offline Consulting has been very good to me. In fact, out of all my internet marketing ventures over the years, offline consulting is what I have managed to be most successful with. There is no doubt in my mind, that one's internet marketing knowledge is extremely valuable and sought after at the local level. If you know internet marketing but can't seem to find extreme success online, take that knowledge offline and watch what happens...its magic!

    Instead of sharing my knowledge, stories, and successes through a $17 WSO, I am going to spill the beans right here in this thread ... detailing exactly how I managed to go from $0 to $76k in less than 9 months - all through selling internet marketing services directly to local businesses situated in Toronto, Canada and surrounding areas.

    I am going to tell this story through a series of posts ... so if you like what you're reading or have any questions ... please take a moment to drop a reply

    Here we go ...

    How I Became an Offline Consultant...

    I got my start online about 4 years ago when I came across a Clickbank sales letter that sold me on the dream of making millions over night. That led me to spinning my wheels with affiliate marketing and specifically PPC affiliate marketing for about 2 years straight. While I found some success in this space, the profitable campaigns quickly died off and I was left with no solid business to show for all my hard work and continuous investment into this misinforming guru products and membership sites. I then turned to product creation and managed to launch a few moderately successful info product websites that produced solid revenue and later allowed me to sell on Flippa.com

    Going through the process of failing continuously as an affiliate and having moderate success as a product owner pretty much put me in the position of having some really good knowledge in the web design and internet marketing space. It was also around this time when I learned of people talking a lot about the endless offline consulting opportunities that existed at the time. Without buying a single offline consulting product I took to the streets and gave offline consulting a shot...

    The First Step and the First Customer

    I got someone from India to design me an internet marketing consulting website. I paid him $250 and he got it up and running for me within 1 week. The website was clean, simple, and had a "Request a Free Quote" call-to-action sprawled across the top of every page. To beef up my portfolio ... i took the websites I designed for my info products and had my designer in India add some of his work as well. With my new site up, I posted an ad on a local classified website here in Toronto, Canada. Within 1 day, the first lead came in. From there I called up the prospect and just improvised the sales call. Amazingly, he bought into my expertise. Finally, all those late nights and wasted money on courses had proven to be worth something

    Anyway, from that first lead I generated - it eventually led to a $4,500 deal and included a huge list of services:

    web design
    search engine optimization
    social media marketing
    email marketing
    CRM integration
    content writing

    And that's pretty much how the direction of my offline consulting business was born.

    I...

    -put up a website
    -posted an ad
    -got a lead
    -improvised a sales pitch
    -made up a contract
    -got the contract signed
    -collected a check
    -outsourced the fulfillment of the order to India

    and now I simply ... rinse and repeat

    That's it for today. In my next post, I will explain more about how my company is structured today.
    Hi emjayce,

    I'm also in Toronto. I can't PM s of yet, I'd appreciate the opportunity to
    Communicate directly with you. My email is: kmalikis@sympatico.ca

    Props to you for sharing your success so far!!!!!
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  • Profile picture of the author Ryback
    Just shows you what happens when you take action and get off the sidelines and stop watching others be successful!
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  • Profile picture of the author blueberries
    Wow. That is amazing.
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