Yesterday I shared a way to get new clients without hunting them down.
We’re taught to identify your ideal client then go after them.
Get their attention by talking about their pain and lead them to your solution.
It’s worked for years and it still works today but it’s getting harder to break through the noise.
In January there were 2.3 million coaches on LinkedIn.
Yesterday there were 6.6 million.
It’s hard to differentiate yourself from other coaches even when you have a proven track record.
Ad costs are soaring so it's no longer a viable solution for many small businesses.
Content posted on social media gets buried in millions of other posts.
Even if you have the best solution, people are too busy to notice, even when their hair is on fire.
My friend Craig couldn’t convince companies to protect their data no matter how well he marketed.
Almost every day, there's a major cybersecurity breach. Passwords and personal data are being sold on the dark web.
Company reputations are being damaged.
And still, they don't have time to hire an expert to protect their data.
Craig found people who are already doing business with his ideal clients. He partnered with them and it's a win/win for everyone.
There’s another way you can get people’s attention.
Perry Marshall calls it Right-angle Marketing.
This is where you focus on your client’s interests outside of work.
Does your ideal client like to golf?
Does your ideal client like to backpack?
Does your ideal client like to read?
Does your ideal client like to travel?
Right-angle marketing is when you engage your prospect in a conversation about hobbies.
Golfers are very passionate and LOVE to talk about golf.
My father-in-law was an avid golfer. I swear he could recall every round of golf and every shot he took over 60+ years of golfing.
He would talk to complete strangers about golf for hours.
I had a client a few years ago who wanted to connect with CEOs on LinkedIn.
Reaching CEOs on LinkedIn is not always easy.
We tried sending LinkedIn messages but no response.
We tried sending connection requests but no response.
We viewed his profile every day so he would see we were looking at his profile.
No response.
We noticed he started Tweeting about the US Open golf tournament.
This is when LinkedIn used to display your Tweets in the timeline.
This prospect was new to Twitter and his tweets were all golf-related.
My client was also an avid golfer so he started engaging with his prospect on Twitter.
They struck up a conversation about golf on Twitter.
This led to conversations about business once they got to know each other.
This is a classic example of right-angle marketing.
When outbound marketing isn’t getting your prospect's attention, try a different angle.
Some of my best, long-term clients come from relationships formed outside of work.
Give it a try and let me know how it works for you.
