Starting a WordPress agency, figuring out how to get clients - I will not promote

I’ve been working with WordPress for a while, building sites, fixing issues, optimizing speed, and handling SEO. Decided to take it seriously and start an agency with a small team. We’ve already got a solid portfolio and can handle pretty much anything WordPress-related. Not just the basics either. We do custom HTML, CSS, and JavaScript work too, so we’re comfortable with advanced customizations, integrations, and more complex builds. The technical side is solid. What I’m focused on now is getting clients consistently. I’ve seen all the usual advice like cold outreach, referrals, and niching down, but I’d rather hear from people who have actually been through it. If you’ve built an agency from scratch, what actually worked when you were starting out? Any specific strategies that helped land those first few clients? Also, for business owners, what makes you trust a new agency enough to work with them? Would appreciate any insights from people who’ve been through this.