Consultant, why I don’t use lead-gen agencies that promise “10–15 meetings a month” – and you may want to rethink it too.
I keep seeing these offers pop up in my inbox – and my clients’ inboxes too.
You know the ones I’m talking about.
📢 “Pay-per-lead only”
📢 “10–15 qualified meetings booked for you”
📢 “No results, no payment”
Sounds tempting, right? Especially if you’re a consulting firm trying to land mid-market or enterprise clients. But here’s what I’m seeing behind the scenes:
I’ve spoken to a few consulting founders who signed up for these offers. One spent 8 months with a firm and got just 2 sales-qualified inquiries. Another got one client after months of cold outreach – but nothing that justified the time, money, or effort.
This is anecdotal, yes. But my gut says these results aren’t outliers. Because consulting has always been a relationship-driven, expertise-led business. And that model just doesn’t line up with mass cold outreach.
Even if you get a few meetings, here’s the bigger question:
❓ Is it sustainable?
❓ Can you keep bombarding the same 2,000 to 3,000 companies in your niche forever?
❓ Will serious buyers – C-suite execs or SVPs – respond to a templated email from a stranger about a service they may not even know they need?
I’m not saying cold outreach never works. But most seasoned consultants I speak with tell me the same thing:
🌟 The only lead-gen system that works consistently is a mix of thoughtful, strategic outreach and consistent, high-quality content.
That’s what builds awareness. That’s what earns trust. That’s what shapes demand.
I know I don’t have all the answers. But this is what I’m seeing – and what my experience tells me.
So I’m genuinely curious:
If you’re targeting high-level buyers for premium consulting engagements – have you seen cold email work at scale?
Has anyone here made this work sustainably without burning out your list or your brand?
Would love to hear your perspective. 👇
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