It was the last day for students at the middle school across the street. Their cheers during field day made me smile. I recalled that wonderful feeling of having nothing scheduled for weeks. Alas, I need to find time this summer to have nothing to do.

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— Ann Gynn

🟩 attract → 🟧 CONVERT → ⬜ RETAIN → ⬛ amplify

Four years in, and I'm still living project to project. How do I transition one-off clients into recurring work? 

Operating project-to-project is an anxiety-ridden business strategy. 

The secret to changing that? See one-off projects as a marketing opportunity for a new client relationship.

You do that by always keeping ongoing possibilities top of mind (though don’t say it out loud just yet).

When I do a strategy consultation, I incorporate a three-month follow-up in the original scope of work. That check-in allows me to see how far the client has progressed in implementation. It also creates an organic conversation about what needs to happen next. Those contract-mandated appointments have led to additional work with the client, from tactical implementation to a niche strategy expansion.

Create a project wrap-up report. Though it can be shared in an email or call, I prefer the latter because it lends itself naturally to a back-and-forth conversation.

In this report, let them know what you see should happen next. Perhaps you see the potential for an offshoot project or to turn it into a series. Maybe you could propose being an ongoing or on-call resource to help them. Always focus on how it will help them achieve their goals, overcome hurdles, or reduce their expenses. 

I don’t recommend including pricing in the what’s-next conversation. That seems more like selling than helping. It communicates that you’re a vendor, not a partner. And it also sets you up to have another conversation about specifics and pricing.

By seeing every project as the start of a relationship, you’re marketing for the long-term client.

Got a question you’d like me to answer in a future edition of The Hotline? Call or text Marketing By One Hotline: +1.440.661.3984.

This week: Identify one client from the past year who was a one-off project. Reach out this week — not to pitch, just to ask how things are going since you wrapped up. You could even suggest a potential next step in that conversation.

I asked Claude to give a letter grade to draft content. It was a quick way to assess how on target the article was and what I needed to do to get an A. I ended up going from a C+ to an A- (and I’m OK with the minus because I didn’t agree with Claude on what would give it an A.)

Have any AI tricks of your own? Hit reply, call, or text the Marketing By One Hotline: +1.440.661.3984.

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