November 3, 2020

A couple of weeks ago a business and life coach connected with me on LinkedIn. Almost immediately, the automated emails followed in a steady beat.

My usual response to all this is simply to ignore.

The bots kept delivering the appeals, though, progressively more urgent. One note promises that her suggestions can help my business get back on solid ground. Never mind that she’s made no attempt to engage me in a personal way to find out exactly what I do, what’s going on with my business, what my needs are, or even what my favorite flavor of ice cream is. Nothing.

In all these bots, she doesn’t offer me any insights which might help me in my business, no pointer to a book, an e-book, or a blog post. Not even a pithy quote. Nada.

Finally, in the latest message, I get this:

“I get it, you’re busy, but that doesn’t mean I’m giving up on you.”

That’s awesome….it’s great to know I’ve got someone out there, someone who doesn’t know me from Adam’s house cat, who’s not giving up on me.

Some think I’m just a cranky old goat for my critique. Some might think I have something against LinkedIn Sales Navigator and other similar lead generation tools.

The tools and technology aren’t the issue. The problem is how they are employed. These tools can be a godsend for professional services providers legitimately trying to expand their network. When used to chase people with what amounts to spam, however, these tools devalue the brand you’re trying to build.

I’m thinking about this situation from the point of view of the coach, not me and the hundreds of other people she’s spamming on LinkedIn. Frankly, I feel a bit sorry for her. She may be the best business and life coach one could ever hire, but that’s not the vibe she’s giving me.

The signal she emits is that she must chase to get business, and that dents my perception of her abilities as a business coach. If she’s so great, why does she need to chase me or anyone else?

She’s not offering me even a glimpse into how she, out of the thousands of business coaches I could find on LinkedIn, might be able to help me with the particular problems I have. She’s offering me no glimpses of her expertise, even though she clearly has some. (I went to her website and poked around.)

All she’s doing is chasing. Dogs chase, experts don’t.

And let’s say she’s actually fortunate enough to shake out a few leads from this hunting. If any of those leads turn into prospects, will this coach be able to command prices which reflect the value she delivers clients?

The chances are slim, I think, because she’s sending signals that she needs the business arguably worse than I or her other targets need her coaching. She’s fostering the perception, whether intended or not, that she needs the business—badly. If you’re a coach who wants to receive prices commensurate with the value you offer, it’s a bottom-line killer.

 

Image Credit:  JumpStory

©Ray Business Advisors, LLC and John Ray

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About me:  I’m enthusiastic about how changes in pricing strategy can significantly change profitability for a business and enhance life choices for business owners. I live this passion through Ray Business Advisors, my outside CFO and business advisory practice, in which my pricing is exclusively value-based, not hourly. I work with business owners on how they can change their pricing not just to increase their profits, but better serve the wants of their customers. Click here to learn more or call me at 404-287-2627.