Cold outreach is broken. The average cold email gets ignored. The average LinkedIn DM gets archived. The average "I noticed your website could use some work" gets deleted before it's opened.
So I stopped sending them.
Instead, I click a prospect's ad, walk through their entire funnel, and record a personalized video showing what's broken and how to fix it. No pitch. Just value upfront.
Here's the full process.
What's wrong with templated outreach
Most freelancers and agencies send the same email: "I checked out your site and I have some ideas." The prospect has no reason to believe you actually looked. It reads like the fifty other ones they got that week.
Even when you do have real insights, a wall of text doesn't land the way showing somebody the problem does. Screenshots help, but they're static and context-free.
Video fixes that.
The process
I offer a free ad funnel audit as a core service. Here's how it works.
1. Find businesses running ads
I look for businesses actively spending on paid ads: Google, Meta, wherever. If they're already paying for traffic, they care about conversions. That makes them a good fit.
2. Click the ad and walk the funnel
I click through and experience the funnel as a real customer would. Ad, landing page, forms, CTAs, checkout. Every point of friction gets noted.
Common things I find:
- Message mismatch between the ad copy and the landing page
- Slow load times killing mobile conversions
- Confusing CTAs that don't tell the visitor what to do next
- Missing trust signals (testimonials, reviews, security badges)
- Form friction (too many fields, unclear error states)
- Broken flows where buttons fail or pages 404
3. Record a personalized video
This is the part that matters. I don't write up findings in a doc. I record a screen walkthrough showing the exact issues in real time.
I use ShipClip for this. (Full disclosure: I built ShipClip, so take the recommendation accordingly.) Its zoom-to-click feature automatically magnifies the elements I'm pointing at, so the prospect can see what's broken instead of squinting at a full-screen recording. Multi-track audio lets me edit out interruptions after the fact.
The result is a 3-to-5-minute video that looks polished and proves I did the work. No templates, no generic advice. A real walkthrough of their actual funnel with specific, actionable fixes.
4. Send it
I share the video link by email or LinkedIn with a simple message: "I walked through your funnel and recorded a few things I noticed. No pitch, just thought it might be useful."
The recording is the pitch.
Why it works
It proves competence
Anyone can claim they're good at web development. A video showing you identifying real issues and articulating clear solutions is proof. The prospect sees your thought process, your eye for detail, and your read on what matters for conversions.
It delivers value before asking for anything
Most outreach asks for something: a call, a meeting, a reply. This gives something first. Even if the prospect never hires me, they got a free audit with insights they can act on. That goodwill often comes back around.
Personalized video gets responses
Generic cold email gets a 1 to 2 percent reply rate. A personalized video audit consistently pulls much higher engagement because the effort is obvious. People respond to effort.
It scales better than you'd think
A live audit takes thirty minutes. A recorded, edited video audit takes about the same. With the right tools you can batch these and do several a day without burning out.
The tools
Two things make this workflow practical:
-
ShipClip for recording. $4.99 a month, a fraction of what Loom costs, with zoom-to-click and screen styling built for this kind of audit. Runs locally on macOS, no cloud processing, no upload wait.
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A structured audit checklist so you're not winging it each time. I check ad-to-page message match, conversion flow, copy and trust signals, mobile experience, and page speed. A framework keeps each video focused.
Try it
If you're a freelancer or agency looking to fix your outreach:
- Find five businesses running ads in your niche
- Click through each funnel and take notes
- Record a short walkthrough with your findings
- Send the video with zero pitch, just value
You'll be surprised how many people respond. When they do, they already trust you because you proved you know what you're talking about.
Want me to do this for your business? Request a free funnel audit and I'll send you a personalized video breakdown. No cost, no commitment.