What Dating Has to Do with Lead Generation for New Business Coaches

by | Jan 5, 2017 | How to Become a Business Coach

So, you want to get into the business coaching game–or improve your results–and you’re looking for tips for lead generation for new business coaches.

Let me start by asking you a simple question: what’s a ‘lead’ to you?

When I speak to many people they fall into the trap of thinking a lead is someone who’s ready to buy. So their lead generation goal is to get in contact with more people who are already ready to buy.

Sounds sensible. Shortest distance to a sale. Until you think it through.

A business coach deciding to try to connect with people who are already ready to buy is a bit like a man looking for a wife who decides his best bet is to try to meet brides-to-be on the eve of their wedding.

Sure, those brides-to-be are ready to get married. Just not to you.

They’re ready to marry someone who’s already built a relationship with them. Who initially met them when they weren’t ready to get married, but who built a strong relationship with them over time.

Business coaching isn’t quite the same, of course. But the same principles apply 99% of the time.

Dating and Lead Generation for New Business Coaches? What’s the Connection?

It’s simple: people only buy high-value products and services like business coaching when they’ve built a considerable degree of credibility and trust that what they’re about to splash their hard-earned cash on will do what they need. And in the case of business coaching services, they need to be sure they can get on with the coach, too.

If the first time you come into contact with such a buyer is when they’re already ready to buy it’s a huge ask for you to build up enough credibility and trust in a short space of time so that they buy from you.

Chances are very high that by the time they’re ready, someone else has built a strong relationship with them – just like with the bride and groom-to-be.

Unless your services are overwhelmingly better, it’s far too risky to go with you. At best, they might delay their decision to check you out further. Even George Clooney would struggle, asking brides-to-be out on the eve of their wedding.

A much better strategy is to focus your efforts not on people ready to buy right now, but on people just becoming open to the idea that they need help. The equivalent of the bride or groom years ago when they were still single and looking for love.

Then “court” them. How? By making their lives better. Send them emails full of relevant, useful information. Offer Complimentary Coaching Sessions. Distribute high-quality content through social channels, on your blog, via YouTube, even in a podcast format.

Then, as they get to know you, they’ll start liking you and trusting you…and before you know it, you’ll have a full-fledged romance on your hands. Or at least a steady stream of interested prospects. 😉

It’s a simple mindset shift, but it’s a crucial one.

Ian Brodie helps consultants, coaches, and other professionals to attract and win more clients. He’s the author of the #1 Amazon bestseller Email Persuasion and has been named as one of the Top 50 Global Thought Leaders in Marketing and Sales and one of the “resources of the decade” for professional services marketing. You can get more of his in-depth tips on starting and growing your business at www.ianbrodie.com

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