🤖 From “Hope Marketing” to a Real Game Plan: My Clarity Call with Ian
If you’re an AI automation or cold email geek trying to break out of the Upwork grind-->or just tired of sending campaigns and hoping for the best-->this post is for you. 🚀 Where I Started I’m build AI-powered outbound systems for B2B SaaS and tech companies. But up till now, my only clients came through Upwork, and my first cold email campaign (1,300 sent!) got me… crickets. Reply rate? Under 1%. Positive leads? Zero. I realized I was running my business on hope, not a system. 💡 What My Clarity Call with Ian Unlocked 1. Differentiate or Disappear Ian challenged me with the “Kevin O’Leary elevator test.” If you can’t explain what makes you different from every other automation specialist on Fiverr/Upwork, you’ll get ignored. My new focus: - Real experience in the trenches (not just theory) - A clear promise, plan, and proof-->so I’m not just another “me too” offer 2. Stop Automating What Isn’t Working I was ready to scale up with automations and tools, but Ian showed me why you have to test your offer and messaging manually first. If you’re not getting replies, it’s not a volume problem-->it’s a message problem. 3. Lead With Value-->Reciprocity Wins Instead of pitching or asking for a call, I’m now sending a simple value-driven first message (e.g., “Here’s a free AI agent template-->can you tell me if it’s on point?”). When people reply, I can ask about their real pain points and start a conversation-->not a pitch fest. 4. Track, Test, and Tweak Don’t just hope for results. - 100 DMs = ~10 replies - 10 replies = 1 booked call (if your copy is right)If you’re not hitting those numbers, fix the copy or targeting before you scale. 5. Community Is a Shortcut Ian pointed me to masterclasses, copy review threads, and Friday coaching calls inside the group. Why guess alone when you can get real feedback, faster? 🛠️ My Next Steps - Practice my new offer and outreach copy manually (not just with automation) - Post my draft emails in the community for feedback from real copy pros - Engage more on LinkedIn (and groups where my ideal clients hang out) - Show up to Friday calls with my biggest questions