Hey {{ck:_first_name|friend}},
Last week, I came down with a bad fever.
Not burnout. 😁
An actual fever.
I was exhausted. Couldn’t think straight. Could barely keep up with my full-time job, let alone work on my business.
No content.
No emails.
No fancy launch.
But something strange happened.
Even as I was lying in bed refreshing GrabFood and hoping Panadol would kick in...
I checked my email—I had made a sale!
Sales were coming in for a course I hadn’t mentioned all week.
And that’s when I realized...
A quiet little system I’d set up weeks earlier was now doing the heavy lifting.
The funnel that ran while I rested
It’s simple:
I post something useful on LinkedIn—usually a framework, prompt, or system
I end the post with: “Comment ‘blueprint’ to get my free Solopreneur OS guide”
When someone comments, I reply with a link to the lead magnet page
They key in their email
Before they get the freebie, they see a one-time offer: my $99 mini-course priced at a 20% discount.
Whether or not they buy, they’re then redirected to the free Solopreneur OS download
(BTW, if you’re interested in the same course I sold, get it now for a super secret SURPRISE 10% off! 🤫)
No upsell stack. No scarcity timers. No hype.
Just helpful content → a clear next step → a small product that solves a real problem.
And it quietly works.
That one small tweak—adding the course offer before the lead magnet—tripled my sales last month.
I borrowed it from two creators I admire
I didn’t invent this.
I “funnel-hacked” it from people like Matt Barker and Ali Abdaal.
Matt Barker’s “Fast Post System” sales page within his lead magnet funnel
Ali Abdaal’s “LifeOS” sales page within his lead magnet funnel
They both use lead magnets to attract the right people…
Then offer a relevant, low-ticket product immediately after signup.
At first, I wasn’t sure it’d work for me.
I worried it might feel too pushy or sales-y.
But it didn’t.
It felt like a natural next step.
If someone signs up for a guide on using AI to grow their LinkedIn—they’re likely to want a short course that shows them how to do it faster.
And that’s exactly what happened.
I created my own sales page on Beehiiv.
Signup flow within Beehiiv’s interface
Beehiiv handled my signup flow: Email squeeze page (Beehiiv) → newsletter recommendations (Beehiiv) → course sales page (Beehiiv) → lead magnet delivery (Notion)
What I learned: I simply wasn’t selling enough
Here’s the real lesson this taught me:
I’ve been making helpful content.
I’ve built great resources.
I’ve even launched a full course.
But I wasn’t consistently offering them.
Not because I was scared to sell—but because I thought I had to wait for a “launch window” or a perfect setup.
Turns out… I don’t.
If your product solves a problem, your audience wants to hear about it.
And it’s your job to make that path easy to follow.
Now that I’ve set this system up, it sells quietly in the background.
Even when I’m sick.
Even when I’m offline.
Even during my 9-5!
Want to build a system like this?
You don’t need to be a copywriter.
You don’t need a 5-part email funnel.
You just need a simple, intentional flow.
Here’s the basic framework:
→ Post helpful content
→ Offer a lead magnet
→ Redirect subscribers to a small, relevant product
→ Then deliver the freebie
And to make it even easier, here’s a mega-prompt you can drop straight into ChatGPT:
💬 Prompt: Build Me a Mini Funnel Like Justin’s
You are a marketing automation expert. Help me build a one-page lead magnet funnel that works like Justin Chia’s system.
Here's what I want:
LinkedIn Post Ideas that drive interest in a lead magnet
A Lead Magnet Squeeze Page that asks for email in exchange for a free PDF
A One-Time Course Offer Page shown after someone signs up
A Redirect Page that gives access to the lead magnet
For each page, include:
A wireframe layout in a table format (Headline, Subheadline, CTA, Sections)
Sample copy I can reuse or tweak
Suggested tools I can use to build each page (Beehiiv, Notion, Tally, etc.)
Also include:
Email list tags or segmentation ideas if I want to track buyers vs freebie seekers
A follow-up email template that nudges those who didn’t buy the mini-course
Finally, summarize the funnel flow visually using ASCII arrows like this:
LinkedIn Post → Squeeze Page → One-Time Offer → Lead Magnet Delivery → Welcome Email
Give it a try.
But here’s a warning: It might make you the most sales this year.
See you later,
Justin “Sick but Sold Out” Chia
PS – 2 weeks ago, I asked if you would be interested in a small, private webinar covering my autopilot sales as a 9-5 solopreneur.
24 of you replied, saying they were interested → 13 said yes to the event → 7 turned up live → 4 gave reviews.
Here were some kind reviews received (thank you!):
Thanks Justin! This walk through of your system has been super helpful to see all the behind the scenes implementation.
Yes, highly recommend for anyone running their side hustle! Really great, tangible tips.
Good sharing, the fact that you've spent time & money on it and giving it away for free for others that shows your "pay it forward" mindset
For my next webinar, I want to educate just 10 solopreneurs working in a 9-5 job on how I got recognised by LinkedIn and became a LinkedIn Top Voice.
So you can do the same!
Simply reply “webinar” and I’ll know you want in.
⏰ There will be just 10 limited slots, so reply now!
PPS - If you’d like me to cover a different topic, reply to this email with a topic of your choice. I’ll try to cover it in another webinar 😀