The AI consulting market is exploding—growing from $11 billion in 2025 to a projected $91 billion by 2035. Small businesses are adopting AI at record rates, with usage jumping from 39% to 55% in just one year. Translation? There's never been a better time to launch an AI consulting practice.

But here's the hard part: actually landing that first client.

Most aspiring consultants get stuck in the same place—endlessly refining their positioning, tweaking their website, taking one more course. They're preparing to launch instead of actually launching. Meanwhile, the window keeps getting wider and the opportunity keeps growing.

This guide cuts through the noise. It’s a shortened version of the playbook we work with at Stack to help over 100 AI consultants launch their business. This guide is a 30-day roadmap designed to get you from "thinking about consulting" to "closing your first paid project." No fluff. No theory. Just the essential moves that working consultants use to win their first clients—and keep winning them.

Week 1: Foundation (Days 1-7)

The first week isn't about hustle. It's about clarity. You can't sell a service you can't explain, and you can't target prospects if you don't know who they are. Week one is where you nail down the fundamentals that make everything else work.

Day 1-2: Define Your Niche and ICP

Your niche isn't what you do—it's who you serve and what problem you solve for them. The tighter your focus, the easier everything gets: your messaging lands harder, your outreach feels more relevant, and prospects actually understand what you're offering.

Start by identifying your Ideal Client Profile (ICP). This is the specific type of buyer who has the problem you solve, the budget to pay for it, and the urgency to act now.

Ask yourself:

• What industry do they work in?

• What's their role or title?

• What size company do they work for?

• What specific pain point keeps them up at night?

• What budget authority do they have?

Example ICPs:

• Operations leads at 50-200 person SaaS companies drowning in manual reporting

• Marketing directors at B2B firms who need to scale content without adding headcount

• Customer success managers at mid-market tech companies handling 3x their normal ticket volume

The more specific you get, the better. "I help businesses with AI" won't cut it. "I help RevOps teams at mid-size B2B SaaS companies automate their CRM reporting workflows" is a wedge you can actually drive.

Action item: Write out 3-5 specific ICPs. Include industry, role, company size, and the problem they're actively trying to solve right now.

Day 3-4: Craft Your Positioning Statement

Your positioning statement is the throughline that connects everything you do. It's what you say when someone asks what you do. It's the first line of your LinkedIn headline, the anchor of your cold emails, and the foundation of every sales conversation.

A strong positioning statement answers four questions:

• Who you help: Be specific about the buyer, not vague about "businesses"

• What problem you solve: Frame it in their language, not yours

• How you solve it: Your approach in plain terms, not your tech stack

• What outcome you create: Measurable impact that matters to them

Good examples:

• "I help customer success teams at SaaS companies handle 3x more accounts by building AI assistants that automate routine questions."

• "I work with finance teams at mid-size companies to eliminate Excel hell—building AI workflows that turn 8-hour reporting marathons into 30-minute reviews."

• "I train in-house marketing teams to use AI as a creative partner so they can create 10x more content without hiring more writers."

Bad examples:

• "I provide comprehensive AI transformation services."

• "I help companies leverage cutting-edge AI technology."

• "I'm an AI consultant specializing in digital transformation."

The bad examples all make the same mistakes: they use jargon instead of pain, they lead with tools instead of outcomes, and they're forgettable because they could describe anyone.

Action item: Draft your positioning statement. Read it out loud. If it sounds like something you'd actually say to a friend, you're on the right track. If it sounds like a corporate press release, start over.

Day 5-6: Package Your First Offer

You don't need a full service catalog. You need one clear, focused offer that solves a specific problem for your ICP. The goal isn't to capture everything you could do—it's to create something a buyer can say yes to today.

Your offer should follow this structure:

• The problem: What painful, repetitive issue does this solve?

• The outcome: What measurable result do they get?

• The format: How is it delivered? (diagnostic, build, training program, etc.)

• The timeline: How long does it take to see results?

• The price: What does it cost?

Example offer structures:

For Builders: "4-week AI reporting automation sprint: I build custom workflows that eliminate manual data entry and generate reports automatically. Most clients save 20+ hours per week. $5,000 fixed price."

For Automators: "Document processing automation: I automate your contract review workflow using AI—turning 3-day reviews into 3-hour workflows. Typically live within 2-3 weeks. $3,500."

For Educators: "AI content training for marketing teams: 6-week program teaching your team to use AI tools effectively. Most teams see 3x content output by week 4. $4,000."

Notice what each offer includes: a clear problem, a measurable outcome, a realistic timeline, and a specific price. That clarity makes it easy for a buyer to say yes.

Action item: Write out your first offer using the structure above. Include the problem, outcome, format, timeline, and price range.

Day 7: Build Your Minimum Viable Presence

You don't need a fancy website. You need enough credibility that when someone looks you up, they don't see a ghost town.

Here's your minimum viable presence:

• LinkedIn profile: Updated headline with your positioning statement, summary that explains what you do and who you help

• Simple landing page (optional but helpful): Can be a Notion page, Carrd site, or Google Doc—just something that explains your offer and includes a way to contact you

• Professional email: firstname@yourdomain.com looks better than firstname.lastname2847@gmail.com

That's it. You can build this in an afternoon. Don't spend a week agonizing over color schemes or perfecting copy. You'll refine everything as you go—but first, you need to start having conversations.

Action item: Update your LinkedIn profile with your new positioning. Set up a simple landing page or one-pager that explains what you offer. Make sure people can easily contact you.

Week 2: Build Your Prospect List (Days 8-14)

This is where most people freeze up. They know they need to talk to prospects, but they don't know where to find them or how to reach them. Week two solves that problem. By the end of this week, you'll have a list of 50-100 specific people you're going to contact.

Day 8-10: Identify 50-100 Target Prospects

Start with your ICP. You already know who you're targeting—now you need to find actual people who match that profile.

Where to find them:

• LinkedIn Sales Navigator: Filter by job title, company size, industry, and location. This is the fastest way to build a targeted list.

• Company websites: Find the "Team" or "About" pages of companies that match your ICP, then look up decision-makers on LinkedIn.

• Industry groups: Join LinkedIn groups, Slack communities, or forums where your ICP hangs out. Look for people asking questions about the problems you solve.

• Your network: Who do you already know who fits your ICP? Or who knows someone who does?

What to track:

• Name

• Job title

• Company

• LinkedIn profile URL

• Company size

• Any relevant trigger (recent hire, new funding, product launch, etc.)

You can track this in a simple spreadsheet or a lightweight CRM like Notion, Airtable, or HubSpot's free tier.

Action item: Build a list of 50-100 prospects who match your ICP. Include their contact info and any relevant context that makes them a good fit.

Day 11-12: Research Your Top 20 Prospects

Once you have your list, narrow it down to your top 20—the prospects who are the best fit, the most likely to respond, or the easiest to reach (maybe you have a mutual connection).

For each of these 20, spend 5-10 minutes doing research:

• What's their company working on right now?

• Have they recently hired for roles that signal a need for your service?

• Do they post about challenges you can solve?

• Are they mentioned in recent news, funding announcements, or blog posts?

This research doesn't just help you personalize outreach—it helps you have better conversations. When you know what they're dealing with, you can speak directly to their world instead of pitching generically.

Action item: Research your top 20 prospects. Note down 1-2 specific observations about each that you can reference in outreach.

Day 13-14: Set Up Your Outreach Infrastructure

If you're planning to do cold email at scale, you'll need the right setup. This is where deliverability matters—emails that land in spam don't convert.

Essential setup:

• Domain warmup: If you're using a separate domain for cold outreach (recommended), warm it up slowly. Start with 5-10 manual emails per day for 2-3 weeks before ramping up.

• SPF, DKIM, DMARC records: Configure these to prove your emails are legitimate. Most email providers have guides for this.

• Cold email platform (optional): Tools like Instantly or Smartlead make it easier to send sequences, track responses, and manage deliverability.

If you're starting with warm outreach (reaching out to people in your network), you don't need any of this—just use your regular email.

Action item: If you're doing cold email, set up your domain and start the warmup process. If you're doing warm outreach, skip to crafting your messages.

Week 3: Outreach and Conversations (Days 15-21)

This is where you actually start talking to people. Week three is about volume and momentum—getting your offer in front of prospects, starting conversations, and booking calls.

Day 15-17: Launch Your First Outreach Wave

Now you reach out. You've got your list, you've done your research, and you know what you're offering. Time to send messages.

For warm outreach (people in your network):

Keep it short, personal, and direct. You're not pitching—you're starting a conversation.

Example:

Subject: Quick question

Hi Sarah,

Hope you're doing well. I noticed you just brought on two new customer success reps—congrats on the growth.

I'm working with CS teams to automate the repetitive parts of ticket handling using AI. Most teams I work with cut ticket volume by 30-40% in the first month.

Worth a quick chat to see if it makes sense for your team?

—[Your Name]

For cold outreach (people you don't know):

Same principles apply—short, relevant, outcome-focused. The difference is you need to prove you've paid attention to their world.

Example:

Subject: Support team

Hi James,

Saw you're hiring two new support associates. Most teams I talk with are scaling headcount because tickets keep piling up.

A lot of those tickets end up being repetitive questions that AI can handle instantly. I work with ops leads to cut 30-40% of ticket volume using automation.

Would you be open to a 20-minute chat to see if that approach makes sense for your team?

—[Your Name]

Notice what both messages do:

• They reference something specific (hiring, growth, a trigger event)

• They frame the problem in the prospect's world, not yours

• They hint at value without overselling

• They ask for a low-friction next step (a short call, not a demo or proposal)

Action item: Send 20-30 initial outreach messages. Track who you contacted, what you said, and when you followed up.

Day 18-19: Follow Up Persistently (But Politely)

Most replies don't come from the first message. They come from follow-ups. The key is staying polite, adding value, and making it easy to respond.

Follow-up sequence example:

Day 1: Initial outreach (see above)

Day 4: Quick bump

"Hi Sarah—just wanted to bump this up in case it got buried. Happy to send over a quick example of how this works if helpful. No pressure either way."

Day 7: Add value

"Sarah—saw this article on AI in customer support and thought of our conversation. [Link] Let me know if you'd like to explore how this could work for your team."

Day 10: Final check-in

"Hi Sarah—last note from me. If now's not the right time, totally understand. Feel free to reach out if things change down the road."

Keep follow-ups short, friendly, and value-focused. You're not badgering—you're staying top of mind.

Action item: Follow up on messages that haven't gotten responses. Space them 3-4 days apart, and keep them conversational.

Day 20-21: Book Discovery Calls

When someone replies with interest, your goal is simple: get them on a call. Don't try to sell in the email thread. You need a conversation.

Response template:

"Great to hear from you! Let's set up a quick 20-minute call to dig into what you're dealing with and see if there's a fit. Does [day/time] work, or would [alternate day/time] be better?"

Include a calendar link (Calendly, Google Calendar appointment slots) to make scheduling frictionless.

Action item: When prospects respond with interest, immediately suggest a call and send a calendar link.

Week 4: Close Your First Client (Days 22-30)

This is the final push. By week four, you should have discovery calls booked, conversations happening, and momentum building. Your job now is to turn interest into a signed contract.

Day 22-25: Run Discovery Calls

Your discovery call isn't a pitch—it's a diagnosis. You're trying to understand their problem, confirm fit, and figure out if you can help. The sale happens naturally when they believe you understand their world and have a clear path to solve their problem.

Discovery call structure:

1. Opening (2 minutes): "Thanks for making time. I know you're busy, so let's make this useful. I'd love to hear more about what you're dealing with, and then I'll share how I might be able to help."

2. Discovery questions (10-12 minutes):

• "Walk me through the problem you're facing right now."

• "How much time does this currently take your team each week?"

• "What have you tried so far?"

• "What would success look like for you?"

• "If this problem went away, what would that unlock for your team?"

Listen more than you talk. Take notes. Ask follow-up questions. The more they talk, the more they'll trust you.

3. Your offer (3-4 minutes): "Based on what you've shared, here's how I'd approach this..."

Explain your offer in plain language. Connect it directly to what they just told you. Use their words, not yours.

4. Objection handling: If they hesitate, dig deeper. "What concerns do you have?" or "What would need to be true for this to be a clear yes?"

Most objections are either budget, timing, or trust. Address them directly:

• Budget: "I get it. Most clients find this pays for itself in the first month when you factor in the hours saved."

• Timing: "When would make more sense? I can work around your schedule."

• Trust: "Totally fair. Happy to share a quick case study or put you in touch with a similar client."

5. Close (2-3 minutes): "Does this sound like something you'd want to move forward with?"

If yes: "Great. I'll send over a proposal today. We can kick off as soon as next week."

If no: "No worries. If things change, feel free to reach out."

Action item: Run your discovery calls. Listen hard, diagnose their problem, and present your offer as the solution.

Day 26-27: Send Proposals

When a prospect says yes on the call, send a proposal within 24 hours. Keep it simple—this isn't a 40-page deck. It's a clear, one-page summary of what you'll do, what they'll get, and what it costs.

Proposal structure:

Overview: Brief recap of their problem and your proposed solution.

Scope of work: What you'll deliver, broken into clear phases or milestones.

Timeline: How long it will take and when they'll see results.

Investment: Your price. Make it clear and simple—no hidden fees.

Next steps: How they say yes (e.g., "Reply to this email to move forward, and I'll send over a contract").

Example:

"Based on our conversation, here's how I'd help your team automate customer support workflows:

Scope: I'll build an AI-powered workflow that handles your most common support tickets automatically, integrated with your existing CRM.

Timeline: 4 weeks from kickoff to launch. You'll see early results by week 2.

Investment: $5,000 (fixed price, paid 50% upfront, 50% on completion).

Next steps: If this looks good, reply to confirm and I'll send over a simple contract."

Keep it conversational. Make it easy to say yes.

Action item: Send proposals to prospects who expressed interest. Follow up if you don't hear back within 2-3 days.

Day 28-30: Handle Objections and Close

Not everyone will say yes immediately. Some will need more time. Others will have questions. Your job is to stay responsive, address concerns, and make it easy to move forward.

Common objections and how to handle them:

"I need to think about it." "Totally fair. What specifically do you need to think through? Happy to address any questions."

"The price is higher than I expected." "I understand. Just to put it in context—based on what you shared, this would save your team about [X hours per week]. That's roughly [Y] hours per month, which more than pays for itself in the first 30 days."

"Can we start smaller?" "Absolutely. We could do a 2-week diagnostic first for $2,000. That'll give you a clear roadmap and you can decide if you want to move forward with the full implementation."

"I need to get approval from my boss." "Makes sense. Want me to hop on a quick call with both of you to walk through it?"

The key is staying helpful, not pushy. You're solving a problem—not strong-arming someone into buying.

Action item: Follow up on outstanding proposals. Answer questions. Handle objections. Close your first deal.

How Stack Helps You Win Clients Faster

Landing your first client is hard when you're figuring everything out alone. That's where Stack makes the difference.

Structure That Eliminates Guesswork

Stack gives you the exact playbook we just walked through—but with personalized guidance at every step. Instead of wondering if your positioning is right or your offer makes sense, you get direct feedback from mentors who've already closed dozens of clients. No more second-guessing. No more analysis paralysis.

Mentorship That Accelerates Results

Stack pairs you with an AI consultant who's been where you are. They've navigated the messy early days, figured out what works, and built sustainable practices. Instead of learning everything the hard way, you get real-time coaching on your actual outreach, your actual discovery calls, and your actual proposals.

This isn't group coaching where you're one of 200 people asking questions in a Slack channel. It's 1:1 mentorship focused entirely on getting you to revenue.

Tools That Save Time

Stack includes everything you need to operate like a pro from day one:

• Turnkey invoicing and payment systems so you don't waste time figuring out how to get paid

• Templates for proposals, contracts, and discovery calls so you're not starting from scratch

• Access to Stacey, Stack's AI co-pilot, who can help you draft outreach, refine positioning, or pressure-test your offer

• Regular strategy sessions with a Stack Advisor to keep you on track and accountable

Aligned Incentives That Matter

Here's what makes Stack different: we only win when you win. Stack takes 10% of revenue from active projects, which means we're invested in helping you close clients and grow your practice. This isn't a course you buy and forget about. It's a partnership designed to get you to revenue—and keep you there.

The Reality Check Nobody Talks About

Here's the truth: not everyone will land a client in 30 days. Some will. Many won't. But everyone who follows this framework will get significantly closer than they are today.

The difference between consultants who succeed and those who don't isn't talent or credentials. It's momentum. The consultants who win are the ones who start conversations, get comfortable with rejection, and keep refining their approach based on real feedback from real prospects.

This 30-day plan gives you a clear path forward. But it only works if you actually do the work—send the emails, have the calls, make the offers.

Your Next Move

You've got the roadmap. Now you need to execute.

If you're ready to move fast and want support along the way, Stack gives you everything you need: mentorship from working consultants, proven systems, and infrastructure that lets you operate like a pro from day one.

Want a faster path to your first client? That's exactly what we built Stack for.

FAQs

Can you really get an AI consulting client in 30 days?

Yes, but it depends on your execution. If you follow this framework—define your niche, package a clear offer, reach out to 50-100 prospects, and have quality discovery calls—landing a client in 30 days is realistic. Some consultants close deals faster, others take longer. The key is starting conversations and building momentum.

Do I need technical coding skills to be an AI consultant?

No. Most successful AI consultants aren't coders—they're problem-solvers who understand how to apply AI tools to real business challenges. You need enough technical literacy to evaluate tools and understand what's possible, but you don't need to write code. Many consultants use no-code platforms like Make, Zapier, or Gumloop to deliver results.

How much should I charge for my first AI consulting project?

For your first project, aim for $2,000-$5,000 depending on scope and client size. Entry-level offers (diagnostics or small automations) typically range from $1,500-$3,000. Core implementations run $3,000-$10,000. Don't underprice to win work—clients who pay fair rates take you more seriously and get better results.

What if I don't have case studies or testimonials yet?

Start with lower-risk offers like audits or diagnostics ($1,500-$2,500) to build your first few case studies. You can also offer a pilot project at a discount in exchange for a testimonial and permission to use them as a reference. Most clients care more about whether you understand their problem than whether you've done this exact thing before.

How do I find my first AI consulting clients?

Start with warm outreach—people in your network or one degree away. LinkedIn is the easiest place to find prospects who match your ICP. Cold email works too, but requires more volume and better deliverability setup. Focus on conversations, not volume. Twenty high-quality outreach messages beat 200 generic ones.