AI Agents for Non-Techies

Lesson 6. How to Find Clients#

Goal: understand where to look for clients and how to attract them.

Client Acquisition Channels#

1. Freelance platforms

For a quick start: take orders on freelance platforms.

Platforms (Russia):

Kwork: simple orders, quick deals, low prices (5,000–50,000 ₽)
FL.ru: more serious projects (50,000–500,000 ₽)
Yandex.Services: local orders (for small businesses)

Pros:

quick start (no need to find clients yourself)
ready orders (clients are already looking for a contractor)

Cons:

high competition (many freelancers)
low prices (clients look for cheap)
platform commission (10–20%)

2. Content marketing (blog, Telegram channel, YouTube)

Create useful content → attract audience → convert to clients.

Content examples:

case studies (how you automated a process for a client)
guides (how to create a lead qualification bot in 3 days)
insights (10 mistakes when implementing AI agents)

Pros:

long-term strategy (content works for years)
expertise (people see you know your stuff)
warm clients (they come on their own, already trust you)

Cons:

slow start (need time to build audience)
need to create content regularly

3. Advertising (Yandex.Direct, Google Ads, Telegram Ads)

Pay for ads → attract clients → sell services.

Pros:

quick results (launched ads → got leads)
scalability (increased budget → more clients)

Cons:

expensive (cost per click: 50–500 ₽, cost per lead: 1,000–10,000 ₽)
need skills (ad setup, analytics)

4. Networking (connections, referrals)

Talk to people → share what you do → get orders and referrals.

Where:

professional events (conferences, meetups)
online communities (Telegram chats, forums)
friends and acquaintances (tell them what you do)

Pros:

warm contacts (trust from first meeting)
free (no need to pay for ads)

Cons:

slow (need time to build relationships)
limited scale (you can talk to 10–20 people per week)

5. Cold outreach (email, LinkedIn, Telegram)

Find potential clients → send personalized messages → schedule a meeting.

How:

build a list of companies (e.g., online stores with turnover from 5 million ₽/month)
find contacts (email, LinkedIn, Telegram of owner / marketing director)
write a personalized message (show you studied the company, offer a solution to a specific problem)

Pros:

you choose clients (work with those who interest you)
fast (if you found a contact → you can write today)

Cons:

low conversion (1–5% respond)
need skills (write compelling emails, avoid spam)

Strategy for Starting#

Week 1–2: quick orders (freelance platforms)

register on Kwork, FL.ru
create a profile, add case studies (even from training)
respond to orders (5–10 responses per day)

Week 3–4: content + networking

create a Telegram channel (or blog)
publish 2–3 posts (case studies, guides)
tell acquaintances what you do

Month 2–3: scaling

if freelance works → take more orders
if content works → publish regularly (1–2 posts per week)
try cold outreach (personalized messages)

Module Practice#

Practice Task 1: Choose monetization model and niche#

Task: determine which monetization model and niche you will choose.

Answer these questions:

Which monetization model fits me? (freelance / agency / product / subscription)
Why does this model fit? (quick start / stable income / scalability)
Which niche will I choose? (e-commerce / B2B / HR / real estate / other)
Why this niche? (have experience / interested / there's demand)

Format: text document (Google Docs, Notion).

Practice Task 2: Create positioning and USP#

Task: fill in the positioning and USP formulas.

Positioning:

"I help [whom] [do what] with [how]."

Example:
"I help online stores automate customer support with AI bots that answer 80% of questions without an operator."

USP:

"I [do what] for [whom] to [result], unlike competitors who [what competitors do]."

Example:
"I create lead qualification bots for B2B companies to increase conversion by 30%, unlike competitors who make generic bots without considering B2B sales specifics."

Format: text document.

Practice Task 3: Create a commercial proposal#

Task: create a CP for one task (e.g., lead qualification bot for an online store).

Use the template from Lesson 4:

headline (problem + solution)
client's problem
solution
how it works (process, stages)
results
case studies / testimonials (if any)
price (2–3 options)
call to action

Format: Google Docs, Notion, or PDF.

Practice Task 4: Calculate margin for your project#

Task: calculate the margin for your project.

Input data:

project price: [specify]
your time: [hours] × [rate] = [amount]
tools: [amount]
taxes: [amount]
Total expenses: [amount]

Margin:

[Revenue] - [Expenses] = [Margin]

Margin %:

([Margin] / [Revenue]) × 100% = [%]

Format: table in Google Sheets or Excel.

Bonus Task: n8n Practice — Project Cost Calculator#

Task:
Create an n8n webhook calculator that calculates project cost based on input parameters on request.

What to do:

Create a new workflow in n8n:
- Name: "Project Cost Calculator"
Add nodes:

Node 1: Webhook (trigger)
- Path: /calculate
- Method: POST
- Expected parameters (JSON):
  - hours (number of hours)
  - hourly_rate (hourly rate)
  - tools_cost (cost of tools)
  - tax_rate (tax rate in %, e.g. 6)
Node 2: Function (calculation)
- JavaScript code:

const hours = $input.item.json.hours || 0;
const hourlyRate = $input.item.json.hourly_rate || 0;
const toolsCost = $input.item.json.tools_cost || 0;
const taxRate = $input.item.json.tax_rate || 6;

const laborCost = hours * hourlyRate;
const subtotal = laborCost + toolsCost;
const tax = subtotal * (taxRate / 100);
const totalCost = subtotal + tax;
const margin = totalCost * 0.3; // recommended margin 30%
const price = totalCost + margin;

return [{
  json: {
    labor_cost: laborCost,
    tools_cost: toolsCost,
    subtotal: subtotal,
    tax: tax,
    total_cost: totalCost,
    margin: margin,
    recommended_price: Math.round(price),
    margin_percent: 30
  }
}];

Node 3: Respond to Webhook

Response Body:

{
  "labor_cost": "{{ $json.labor_cost }}",
  "tools_cost": "{{ $json.tools_cost }}",
  "subtotal": "{{ $json.subtotal }}",
  "tax": "{{ $json.tax }}",
  "total_cost": "{{ $json.total_cost }}",
  "margin": "{{ $json.margin }}",
  "recommended_price": "{{ $json.recommended_price }}",
  "message": "Recommended project price: {{ $json.recommended_price }} rub. (30% margin)"
}

Save and activate workflow:
- Save → Active ON
Test via Postman or curl:

Example request:

curl -X POST https://your-n8n.com/webhook/calculate \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "hours": 20,
    "hourly_rate": 3000,
    "tools_cost": 5000,
    "tax_rate": 6
  }'

Response:

{
  "labor_cost": 60000,
  "tools_cost": 5000,
  "subtotal": 65000,
  "tax": 3900,
  "total_cost": 68900,
  "margin": 20670,
  "recommended_price": 89570,
  "message": "Recommended project price: 89570 rub. (30% margin)"
}

Optional: create a simple web interface:
- HTML form with fields (hours, hourly_rate, tools_cost, tax_rate)
- JavaScript to send request to webhook
- Display result

Checklist:

Workflow created in n8n
Webhook configured (accepts POST request)
Function calculates cost (formulas work)
Respond to Webhook sends result
Testing passed (request → correct response)
Optional: web interface created

What you'll get:
A working API calculator for project cost estimation. You can use it for quick price quotes when talking to clients or embed it on your website.

Time: 60-90 minutes