New Book by Dr. Annie Cole, Ed.D.
Stop guessing.
Stop guessing.
Start getting customers.
How to Get Customers is the step-by-step guide for business owners who are tired of posting into the void and ready to build a real, repeatable system for attracting the right people.
Available now · Instant download
As seen in
Fast Company
NerdWallet
GOBankingRates
CNBC
You built the website. You're posting on social media. You've tried the advice, watched the videos, maybe even ran a few ads. And still you're asking the same question:
"I built the website. I'm posting on social media. So where are all the customers?"
If that hits close to home, you're not alone. You're just missing a clear, personalized strategy. Because here's what most business advice gets wrong: there is no single right way to attract customers. The right strategy depends entirely on who you are, who you serve, and where those people actually spend their time.
Does any of this sound familiar?
- Analysis paralysis. Too many options, no clear action. You end the day feeling stuck.
- Fuzzy avatar. Your message is written for everyone, which means it resonates with no one.
- Wrong channels. Hours spent on platforms your ideal customers barely use.
- Content that doesn't convert. Polite likes from peers - but no real inquiries or sales.
- Free vs. paid imbalance. Either giving too much away, or asking for the sale before trust is built.
The 15 strategies
Every proven way to get customers, explained.
Each strategy has its own complete chapter in the book - with step-by-step instructions, real examples, and templates you can use today.
Strategy 01
Work Platforms & Marketplaces
Upwork · Fiverr · Catalant · BTG
Create a profile on a freelance or gig platform, browse posted jobs, and send tailored proposals. The platform handles contracts and payments - you focus on delivering great work and collecting reviews.
Best forFreelancers and service providers with a clear, specific skill: writing, design, tech, admin, consulting, or fractional executive work.
Strategy 02
Referrals
Word-of-mouth · Testimonials · Incentives
Ask happy customers to introduce you to people they know. Build a simple referral habit: at the end of every project, ask if they know one or two people in a similar situation. Make it easy with a short blurb they can forward.
Best forAny business with even one happy customer. Especially powerful for high-trust services like coaching, consulting, wellness, and done-for-you work.
Strategy 03
Social Media
Instagram · LinkedIn · TikTok · Facebook
Show up consistently on 1–2 platforms your ideal customers actually use. Share helpful tips, behind-the-scenes content, and client wins. End posts with a clear call to action. Build know, like, and trust before you ever ask for a sale.
Best forAlmost any business. Pick the platform where your ideal customer already scrolls - professionals on LinkedIn, visual buyers on Instagram, B2C audiences on TikTok or Facebook.
Strategy 04
Email Newsletter
Weekly value · Owned audience · Direct line
Build an email list and send regular, valuable content - tips, insights, stories, or resources. Your list is an asset you own. Even a small, engaged list consistently outperforms a large social following when it comes to actual sales.
Best forWriters, educators, consultants, and coaches. Anyone who wants a calm, owned channel that compounds over time instead of chasing every platform algorithm.
Strategy 05
Podcast Guesting
Borrowed audiences · Long-form trust · Stories
Pitch yourself as a guest on podcasts your ideal customers already listen to. Share your best ideas, a compelling story, and always end with a clear next step - a free resource, a link, or a call invitation. One episode can reach thousands.
Best forCoaches, consultants, and experts whose work involves ideas and frameworks. Works especially well if you prefer talking over writing, or if your customers listen to podcasts on commutes.
Strategy 06
Online Communities
Facebook groups · Slack · Reddit · Forums
Join 2–3 communities where your ideal customers hang out and ask questions. Answer helpfully and generously - no pitching. Over time, your name becomes associated with expertise. When someone seems like a great fit, invite them to a free resource or conversation.
Best forCoaches, consultants, and service providers whose customers openly discuss their problems in groups. A free strategy that works even when you have zero audience of your own.
Strategy 07
Lead Magnets & Giveaways
Free guides · Templates · Mini sessions
Offer something free and valuable in exchange for an email address - a guide, checklist, template, or short trial. This grows your list, demonstrates your value upfront, and gives people a low-risk way to experience working with you before committing.
Best forNew businesses wanting to grow an email list fast, and product businesses where "try before you buy" reduces hesitation. Works best paired with any traffic-driving strategy.
Strategy 08
Events (In-Person & Virtual)
Workshops · Webinars · Meetups · Speaking
Host or speak at events - live workshops, virtual webinars, local meetups, or industry conferences. Events compress the trust-building timeline dramatically. People can feel your energy and expertise in 60 minutes in a way written content rarely achieves.
Best forLocal businesses, B2B service providers, and anyone who performs well in live settings. Especially effective if your customers already attend industry events or local community gatherings.
Strategy 09
Partnerships
Referral swaps · Co-promotions · Joint offers
Build relationships with businesses that serve the same customers as you, but in a different way. Swap referrals, co-host events, or create a joint offer. When a trusted business recommends you, their customers arrive pre-warmed and pre-trusting.
Best forBusinesses that are naturally referrable by adjacent providers - a yoga studio and massage therapist, a web designer and copywriter, a career coach and résumé writer.
Strategy 10
Blog & Writing Hub
Substack · Website blog · LinkedIn articles
Write short, helpful articles that answer the exact questions your customers are Googling. Each post is a door someone can walk through - it builds your authority, improves your search rankings, and can keep sending you traffic for years after you publish it.
Best forWriters and teachers whose customers use search to find answers. Strong fit for money, business, wellness, career, and systems topics where people actively seek out "how to" content.
Strategy 11
Paid Ads
Google · Meta · Pinterest · LinkedIn
Pay to put your best content, offer, or lead magnet in front of more of the right people. Start small - promote a free resource or low-ticket offer, send clicks to a clean landing page, and track which ads actually lead to signups or sales. Scale what works.
Best forBusinesses with a proven offer and a small budget to test. Most effective once you have a converting funnel in place - ads amplify what already works, they don't fix what doesn't.
Strategy 12
Online Search (SEO & AEO)
Google rankings · AI search visibility · Website
Optimize your website so it shows up when your ideal customers search for solutions. Use clear language, dedicated pages for each service, local details if relevant, and blog content targeting specific search queries. AEO helps you appear in AI-powered search results too.
Best forAny business whose customers Google their problems. Especially powerful for local businesses ("massage near me"), service providers, and anyone willing to invest in long-term organic traffic.
Strategy 13
PR & Media
Press features · Expert quotes · TV & radio
Pitch your story, expertise, or data to journalists, bloggers, and media outlets. When you're featured, share it everywhere and add it to your website as social proof. You don't need a PR agent to get started - most features happen through a well-crafted direct pitch.
Best forTopical experts with a unique angle, story, or data to share. Powerful for building credibility with B2B buyers and established businesses looking to grow their authority at scale.
Strategy 14
Cold Outreach
Email · DMs · Phone · In-person
Identify 20–50 ideal prospects and send short, personal, research-backed messages. Lead with a specific observation about them, name a problem they likely have, and offer a low-pressure next step like a quick call. Follow up once or twice, then move on. Quality beats volume every time.
Best forB2B businesses and freelancers who can clearly name their ideal client. The fastest path to a first customer when you have no audience - no website or following required.
Strategy 15
Q&A Sites
Quora · Reddit · Niche forums
Find the platforms where your ideal customers publicly ask questions about your topic. Answer clearly, helpfully, and without a sales pitch. Let your profile do the work - people who resonate with your answers will click through to your site. Your best answers can rank on Google for years.
Best forWriters and teachers whose customers search for answers online. Works for money, business, career, health, and parenting topics where people openly ask for advice in public forums.
What's inside the book
Not theory. A real roadmap.
Every chapter gives you a complete picture: how the strategy works, who it's best for, real examples, and exact step-by-step instructions.
01
The full customer journey, mapped
Understand the 6 stages every buyer moves through - from first awareness all the way to becoming a raving fan who refers others.
02
Know who you're talking to
Build a precise customer avatar - a real person with real habits, fears, and desires - so every piece of marketing actually lands.
03
Pick the right strategies for you
A framework for choosing which of the 15 strategies fit your business type, stage, style, and budget.
04
Real pitch and message templates
The actual pitch template Dr. Cole uses on freelance platforms, referral scripts, cold email structure - ready to adapt and send.
05
Step-by-step for every strategy
No strategy is just "try this." Every one is broken into clear, numbered action steps with real examples throughout.
06
A troubleshooting guide
A full chapter diagnosing the 5 most common reasons business owners can't get customers - with specific fixes for each one.
About the author
Written by someone who has actually done it.
Dr. Annie Cole, Ed.D. is a researcher, instructional designer, and entrepreneur with over 12 years of experience helping businesses grow. She's a former startup Vice President of Research and the founder of Praxia Insights and Course in 30.
She didn't learn this from a course. She tested every strategy in this book herself - from cold LinkedIn outreach that landed $45k contracts, to PR pitches that landed 50+ media features, to email funnels, podcast guesting, paid ads, and more. This book is what she wishes she had when starting out.
Annie's work has been featured in
Fast Company
NerdWallet
GOBankingRates
CNBC
Who this is for
This book was written for you, if…
You're brand new
Just launched with no idea where your first customer is coming from. You need a starting point, not more overwhelm.
You're stuck and frustrated
Trying things for months with inconsistent results. You need to diagnose what's wrong and fix it.
You're a freelancer or service provider
You have a skill to sell but not a system for selling it. You want a steady, predictable flow of clients.
You're a coach or consultant
Great at what you do but struggling to get in front of the right people consistently.
You run a local business
You need foot traffic, local visibility, and word-of-mouth - not startup marketing advice.
You sell products online
You've built something worth buying. Now you need a real plan to get it in front of the right people.
What readers are saying
Real results from real business owners.
★★★★★
"Absolutely fantastic to work with! Dr. Annie is a rock star. Looking forward to more projects together."
★★★★★
"This is our 2nd time working with Annie. Very prompt, consistent updates, and a very thorough project. Definitely recommend."
★★★★★
"Very good work. I received excellent feedback from my target audience and now have a report I can show to our executive board."
Ready to stop guessing and
start getting customers?
The complete step-by-step guide to 15 proven customer-attraction strategies - and finally build a system that works for your specific business.
Get the book now →Instant download · No fluff · Real step-by-step instructions
Common questions
Before you go.
Yes. The book starts from scratch - with the customer journey, how to define your ideal customer, and how to pick the right strategies before diving into any tactics. No prior marketing knowledge needed.
All of them. The book covers strategies for freelancers, coaches, consultants, local businesses, online product sellers, and B2B service providers. Each chapter includes examples from multiple business types.
Every strategy chapter includes exact step-by-step instructions, real examples, and templates you can adapt immediately - including Dr. Cole's actual pitch templates, referral scripts, and cold outreach messages.
No. Many of the 15 strategies are completely free - referrals, online communities, Q&A sites, cold outreach, podcast guesting, and blogging all cost nothing but your time.
The final chapter is specifically about troubleshooting why strategies aren't working - covering the 5 most common mistakes and exactly how to fix each one.