#380: What I Use Instead of Proposals (And Why It Works Better)
Traditional proposals are a massive waste of time.
You put all this time and effort into a long, fancy 10-page proposal that you THINK is going to impress your clients…
When in reality, there’s a better way to close that deal.
This week’s episode is for you if you rely on proposals to do the heavy lifting for you.
Instead, use my 4-step “anti-proposal sales process” that lands you more clients:
HINT: Don’t sell them the flight and logistics, sell them the vacation.
This episode will dive into:
What to do instead of sending proposals
Why proposals = ghosted clients
My BAMFAM follow-up tip that always works
BONUS - how to turn your “proposal” into a paid product (this one is genius)
For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/380
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#379: The 6‑Star Client Experience That Doubles Referrals & Repeat Work
Let me make something clear:
Referrals aren’t BAD.
Just don’t rely on them as your ONLY source of leads.
But a client is a client, and if people are sending them your way, you’re not gonna say no!
And the best way to bring in more referrals is to deliver a “6 Star Client Experience.”
If you’ve ever been to a 5-star hotel, you know it’s the little details that make it luxury:
The chocolate on your pillow, the handwritten note, how your bags somehow appear in your room while you're checking in…
There's no such thing as a 6-star hotel. It doesn't officially exist.
Which is exactly why, as a freelancer, you should be aiming to create a 6-star experience SO smooth and thoughtful that your clients would feel stupid NOT referring you.
This week’s podcast episode is full of ways to create that 6-star client experience.
Easy to implement - but 99% of freelancers will NEVER do it.
I’m breaking down:
What to do RIGHT after you take payment that instantly reverses any buyer’s remorse
The surprise and delight offboarding that triggers your client’s “natural referral instinct”
The post-project nurture system that turns one client into many
For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/379
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#378: Still Not Getting Leads or Clients? It’s NOT Your Website, Funnels, or Ads...
If you’re not getting the number of leads and clients you want…
It can be tempting to think that you need to DO more.
No, it’s not time to update your website again.
No, you don’t need a higher-converting funnel.
No, you don’t need more content.
No, the latest AI miracle isn’t going to save you.
None of that matters if your positioning is vague and you’re saying something nobody really cares about…
OR you have zero evidence to back it up.
Quick diagnostic:
No clicks = you have a positioning problem
Clicks but no opt-ins = you have a proof problem
Discovery Calls but no sales = probably a proof + offer problem
Which one are you? Listen to this week’s episode to find out (and how to fix it).
For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/378
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#377: The Best Ad Platforms for Freelancers (Ranked & Explained)
If you think that running paid ads for your freelance business is a complete and total waste of time and money, with no chance of ever getting you clients…
Don’t bother reading any further.
I get why many freelancers believe this - especially if you’ve tried to run ads in the past and been burned with low-quality leads, high costs, and NOTHING to show for it.
It can be easy to conclude that “paid ads just don’t work.”
So here’s a fun fact:
Google and Meta made $424 BILLION from ad revenue in 2024.
That’s $48.5 million an hour.
$808,000 per MINUTE.
These platforms are printing money because they work.
So the question isn’t whether paid ads generate results…
It’s whether you know how to use them properly.
That $808k a minute?
It’s coming from businesses who figured out how to make the math work (and that includes my business).
Most freelancers are burning money on the wrong platforms with the wrong strategy.
We’re here to fix that.
We broke it all down in this week’s episode:
Meta vs. LinkedIn vs. YouTube vs. Google.
Which one’s best? Which ones to avoid? And how to know if ads make sense for your business.
Joining me is Dennis Schneider, one of our coaches who’s spent over $15 million on ads (not a typo).
He’s also the person running our ads right now.
By the end of this one, you’ll know:
The exact platform we use to bring in thousands of leads every single month
Why some ad platforms are a total waste for freelancers
And 4 specific situations where you should NOT run ads
For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/377
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#376: Meet The 5 Freelancing Villains Secretly Sabotaging Your Results
Every superhero has an arch-nemesis (or two).
Batman’s got the Joker.
Spidey’s got the Green Goblin.
Superman? Lex Luthor.
But you?
You’ve got five freelancing villains quietly sabotaging your business.
There’s no maniacal laughter or evil stare.
They’re not wearing capes or threatening to destroy the world with a giant-ass laser.
These villains are more subtle:
“Just one more YouTube video…”
“I’ll do those reachouts tomorrow…”
“I need to fix my portfolio first…”
And before you know it?
They’ve stolen another week of progress.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned working 1 on 1 with hundreds of creative freelancers, it’s this:
You don’t rise to the level of your strategy…You fall to the level of your patterns.
I've seen clients with a flawless strategy that they're trying to execute…
And yet they can't get out of their own damn way to execute it.
Because when things get hard, or new, or uncomfortable…
We default down to whatever survival pattern we’ve always used to cope.
In this week’s episode, I’m joined by one of the Clients by Design coaches, Josh Love, to call out all 5 of those freelancing villains (and how to finally defeat them).
We’ll dive into:
how these patterns form
how they masquerade as productivity
what to do when you catch yourself spiraling.
The first step to defeating your particular villain is knowing which one you’re dealing with.
For full show notes, visit https://6figurecreative.com/376
6 Figure Creative is a podcast that helps freelance creatives earn more money by doing what they love. If you’re trying to avoid the never-ending grind of a 9–5, or just want to earn more money doing what you do best (creating), 6 Figure Creative is your new favorite show! Join host Brian Hood and his guests as they explore topics such as mental health, finances, sales, marketing, time management, the digital nomad lifestyle, and more.
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