u/Informal-Math-2679

I’ve been building businesses in India, but one thing I’ve consistently struggled with is getting clients.

I can build the product/service, figure out the business side, and put in the work, but actually finding people who are willing to pay has been much harder than I expected.

For those of you who have successfully built a service business, agency, startup, or freelancing business in India:

• How did you get your first few paying clients?
• What outreach methods actually worked for you?
• Did you use cold DMs, cold email, calls, networking, referrals, ads, or something else?
• How did you approach potential clients without sounding desperate or spammy?
• What made people actually trust you enough to buy?
• Any specific strategies that consistently converted for you?

I’m especially interested in practical things that worked in the Indian market, rather than generic advice like “build your network” or “provide value.”

Would genuinely appreciate hearing what worked for you, even if it sounds unconventional.