Lately, I’m hearing a lot of confusion from clients about how to land new business. Some of the marketing playbooks they have relied on (e.g., creating content, attracting traffic, sending traffic through a funnel, and then generating leads) have fallen apart over the last year or so. But I keep coming back to one simple, human truth.

Every sale occurs inside a conversation; all the time I spend outside of a conversation is wasted time (unless I’m setting up a conversation). ~ Steve Chandler

It’s true. No one has ever crawled through my computer and tried to hire me. No one has ever replied to a social post by saying, “Send me an invoice!”

100% of my signed contracts came in a conversation.

If you want more sales, create more conversations.

Whatever marketing, outreach, advertising, or anything else you are doing to generate leads should focus on creating conversations.

Let me apply this to a few tactics I’ve heard folks talk about recently.

• “I’ve got a list of ideal prospects that I want to cold email.” What could you send them that would make them want to talk to you on the phone? (Hint: It’s not your capabilities deck.)
• “I’m running LinkedIn Ads for a webinar series…” OK, a webinar can be the beginning of a conversation. What will you say or do in that webinar that will make people want to book a call with you afterward?
• “I’m starting a podcast with ideal clients as my guests.” Now, we’re having conversations with ideal clients! How would you conduct an interview that encourages the guest to keep talking after the recording ends?

But let’s look further…

How many times do you get an email from a past client with a “quick question?”

If, instead of replying with a “quick answer,” you responded by saying, “Great question, call me when you have a minute. There are a few follow-up questions I want to ask before I answer.” You just created a conversation! (I’m guessing that there are more questions behind their “quick question.”)

Instead of posting your “thought leadership” on LinkedIn or shooting a video for Insta, could you find some ideal clients and see what they are talking about? What could you leave as a comment or send as a DM that would make them want to talk more?

A specific invitation for coaches

This concept applies to everyone, but I believe it holds particular significance for coaches.

When I started on my own, finding new clients was daunting. It felt like I was constantly “selling,” which felt misaligned with my purpose of serving people. I was stuck in the exhaustion of creating content, cold outreach, and networking, and nothing worked consistently. Worse yet, it didn’t take advantage of my greatest strength: coaching!

That’s why I want to invite you to a free webinar I’m hosting next week (9/4): “Clients come from conversations: Why social media, podcasts, blogging, and content marketing aren’t enough.”

This isn’t about sales gimmicks or hustling. It’s about a fundamental shift in perspective that enables you to leverage your coaching skills — such as listening, asking powerful questions, and building trust — to grow your practice. It’s about meeting people from a place of service, not from a desperate need for new business.

I’d love for you to join me and explore a more human way to build a business that feels good and brings in the clients you’re meant to serve.

For the rest of you, do you have a method of creating conversations that works for you? I’d love to hear about it! Hit reply and tell me yours.

(See what I did there? A reply to a mass email is the start to a conversation.)