From Hot Seat to 25 Leads: How a HERO Member Learned to Start Outreach Before Everything Was “Ready”

Hey, Heroes! 👋

The hot-seat segment of our live training had just started. I’d invited a member to bring a real business question so we could work through it together, not in theory, but right there in the room.

She had been thinking about a new offer. And, like a lot of us, she had a list of things she felt she needed to finish before she could start selling.

“My implementation before I even start reaching out is to have all of the things ready that you told me to do yesterday, like the pitch deck and all that.”

Then she shared something she’d seen while researching: a motivational video about how entrepreneurs can get caught up in branding and making everything look pretty, without ever finding out whether the offer works.

That landed.

Sometimes the thing that finally shifts your thinking isn’t another elaborate strategy. It’s hearing the truth you already suspected, in someone else’s words.

The moment the plan changed

The member also shared a familiar pattern: every time there was a new course or offer, she found herself changing the offer and starting over.

I could hear how much energy was going into getting ready. New materials. More research. More setup.

So I asked her to consider what had happened when people had said yes to her before.

“You probably didn’t even have to show them anything. You probably just had a conversation with them and they said yes.”

That’s the piece we can forget when we’re busy building the perfect pitch deck: you may not need a finished presentation to start a useful sales conversation.

If someone asks for more information, you can tell them you’ll put it together and send it over. Their question can become the nudge that helps you finish the materials, rather than a reason to wait before reaching out.

My coaching was simple: start the outreach now. Find the 25 people. Don’t wait until every piece is polished.

Your offer can get clearer through conversations with real people.

Build a lead list around buying signals

In the training, we walked through a practical way to find prospects who might need what you offer now, not just people who fit a broad description of your “ideal client.”

A buying signal is a specific clue that someone may have a timely need. It gives you a reason to reach out that’s more thoughtful than a generic “Hi, I offer this service.”

Now, the full prompt stack and the step-by-step build live inside the paid training, and I’m not giving the whole thing away in a blog post. 😉 But here are the tips that make the biggest difference:

• Get specific about your offer first. “I help with marketing” gives you nothing to work with. “I help consultants publish consistent video content” changes everything.
• A signal beats a demographic. “Woman, 35, Orlando” is a cold list. “Just posted a job for a marketing manager” is a warm one.
• Match your search pace to the signal. Fast-moving conversations get checked daily. Event listings, weekly. Grant announcements, monthly.
• Track everything in one place. Even a simple spreadsheet with who you contacted, when, and what happened will teach you more than any course.

On the live call, I ran one of these searches for Central Florida organizations that had just received community grants. Working lead list in minutes. That’s the part you have to see.

The full walkthrough — every prompt, the lead-list build, the whole system — is inside the premium training in the HERO Academy classroom. Join the community to get it, along with the coworking and accountability that help you actually finish what you start.

Make the first message about their signal

Once you find someone, show them why you chose to contact them. Reference the specific thing you noticed, keep the message under 80 words, and end with a low-pressure question.

For example:

“I saw you’re hiring a marketing manager. If the goal is getting consistent content, there might be another option. Would you be open to a quick comparison?”

That message gives the prospect some context and an easy way to respond.

Compare it with:

“Hi, I offer blah blah blah. Would you like to schedule a call?”

That could go to anyone, which is exactly why it may not feel relevant to anyone.

AI can help you draft an opening line, but I prefer to write my outreach myself. It sounds more like me, and I can make sure I’m not saying something I can’t back up. That’s the kind of judgment you still want when testing the best tech and AI tools for your business.

If you’ve been wondering how to sell in the DMs, start here: connect your message to a real reason for reaching out. Keep it conversational. Ask a question. You don’t need to sound like a script.

The assignment: 25 people this week

At the end of the session, I gave the group a clear next step:

“Pick one signal that shows someone needs what you’re selling. Find 25 people showing that same signal. Contact all 25 this week. Don’t make any new offers. Don’t do another Canva graphic. Don’t change your website. 25 people this week.”

The assignment was to take action and report back in the comments:

• What signal did you choose?
• How many people did you contact?
• How many responded?
• Which message got the best reply?

That’s how you move from guessing to learning. You can pay attention to who responds, what questions come up, and which parts of your message connect.

Don’t spend another week rebuilding the offer if you haven’t tested it in conversation.

The prompts and the complete lead-generation system are waiting in the premium training inside the HERO Academy classroom — members find it under Sales and Offers → Find More Leads. Join the community to unlock it and get the implementation support that turns a good training into actual revenue.

You don’t have to feel completely ready

If you’ve been asking yourself why you aren’t making money, take a look at where your time is going. Are you spending most of it polishing the setup, or starting conversations with people who may need your help?

A deck, website, and polished offer can all be useful. But they don’t have to become a wall between you and your next conversation.

If you want guided support to build your sales system and practice making those conversations, the next Zero to $2K Challenge starts November 9, 2026. The cohort is coming up soon, so take a look and see if it’s the right next step for you.

Start with one signal. Find your people. Send the message.

Stay Heroic,
Nicole
Founder, HERO Academy for Solopreneurs