GNT #112: Immediacy vs. Power

read time: 4 minutes

I was having coffee with a new connection a few months ago. Let’s call her Rachel.

Rachel, a new consultant, was wrapping up her first big project with nothing lined up next.

But the first thing I heard was, “I need to do more marketing.” She was debating a podcast, newsletter, or blog.

What advice did I give her?

In my opinion, those approaches are a long game. If you need clients right now, you need to take a different approach.

Marketing falls on a spectrum of immediacy vs. power (a concept from Blair Enns in The Four Conversations):

• Outreach → Fast results, but requires consistent, proactive effort.
• Broadcast → Scales your message, but takes time to gain traction.
• Discovery → The holy grail, clients find you, but it takes years to build.

Rachel needed clients now, so I advised her to focus on outreach, not new marketing tactics. Rachel went home, sent 25 personalized messages, and committed to sending at least 10 new outreach notes each day. A month later, she emailed me to say she had landed a new client.

But she didn’t stop there. She understood the difference between immediacy and power and committed to building long-term momentum: staying active on LinkedIn, nurturing her network, and starting a podcast newsletter (yep! that's a thing!) - not because she had to, but because she wanted to.

Today, we’re going to break down exactly how to balance immediacy and power so you can get clients now while building a marketing engine that works for you long-term.

Let’s dig in.
 

1. Outreach: The fastest path to results

If you need clients, a new job, a speaking opportunity, or even a last-minute cat sitter 😺, outreach is the fastest way to make it happen.

Here’s what it might look like:

• Checking in with a past client.
• Reconnecting with an old colleague.
• Setting up a coffee chat or dinner while at an event.
• Following up with someone who attended your last event.
• Reaching out to a potential client with a personalized message.

And no, this isn’t cold DMs or aggressive sales pitches.

This could be sending a “room temperature” email, reaching out to people who may not have spoken to you in a while but would recognize your name or share common ground. Start the conversation from a place of curiosity, not an instant ask.

Outreach is about relationships. It’s networking, but not in the transactional sense. You’re investing in people. Some conversations will turn into immediate business. Others will lead to referrals. Some won’t go anywhere at all. But every connection is a seed planted.

And when you do make an ask, make it specific:

• Ask for an introduction to a specific person.
• Ask for feedback on an offer or idea.
• Ask if they’d like to hear more about what you’re working on.
• Instead of “Let me know if I can help,” try “Do you have 15 minutes next week?”

Lastly, outreach is so flexible:

• If you’re in a slow season, ramp it up - 5-8 connection calls a week can really shift things around.
• If you’re fully booked, scale it back to maintenance mode.

(And if only 20-30% of people respond, that’s normal. Think about your inbox - how often do you reply to messages immediately?)

2. Broadcast: Scale your visibility

Outreach brings clients now, but to avoid relying on it forever, you need to scale visibility - this is where broadcast marketing comes in.

This includes proactive marketing efforts like:

• Posting & commenting on social media
• Hosting webinars
• Sending newsletters to nurture an audience
• Podcasting to grow awareness

Broadcast marketing allows you to create once and reach many.

But for this to work, you need an audience. Even the best LinkedIn post won’t bring in clients if no one is paying attention.

Some of the fastest ways to get in front of more of the right people:

• Speak at an event, even if it’s small
• Be a guest on podcasts in your industry
• Teach inside someone else’s community
• Do a newsletter swap with someone who has an aligned audience

But to get those opportunities, you need relationships, which means outreach is still the foundation.

Broadcast marketing helps you stay top of mind, but it requires ongoing effort. It's a flywheel that needs to keep moving. That’s why so many people quit too soon. They post for a few weeks, don’t see results, and assume it’s not working.

But consistency compounds - that's where discovery marketing comes into play.

(Side note: This is exactly how Grow North Thursday newsletter started. I started writing because I wanted to share what I was learning, help others, and create a space for meaningful conversations. And over time, that consistency built an engaged audience, inbound opportunities, and a long-term marketing engine of its own.)

3. Discovery: The long game of authority

Discovery marketing is where clients find you without you lifting a finger in that moment.

This is the highest-leverage approach but also the slowest to produce results.

Examples:

• During research, someone comes across a recording of you speaking, then binges your blog
• A past client refers your services
• Someone finds your book on Amazon

This is the dream scenario. Your work creates momentum on its own. Instead of constantly chasing new business, your past efforts continue bringing in new opportunities.

For this to work, you need to build assets: long-form content, a strong referral network, and a body of work that establishes your authority.

Some of the most effective discovery channels:

• SEO & evergreen content: That blog post you write today, and every week, could bring in clients months or years from now.
• Referrals, testimonials, and word of mouth: Past clients do the selling for you. The stronger your reputation, the more business comes your way.
• Books, courses, and keynotes: High-leverage assets that build authority and credibility over time.

Discovery marketing takes time. That’s why most people struggle here - they try to skip ahead. They want to go straight to discovery without first having a steady pipeline of clients and visibility.

But this is the final step - the long-term play. The more you invest in this stage, the less reliant you become on outreach.

So, where does this leave you?
 

Takeaway: Immediacy vs. Power

What does your business need right now?

• If you need clients this month - start with outreach.
• If you’re ready to amplify your reach - lean into broadcast marketing.
• If you have the time and resources - start building discovery assets.

Most businesses need a mix of all three.

But if you’re in a slow season, don’t sit around waiting for content to do the heavy lifting - start conversations.

And if you’re tired of chasing leads, focus on laying the groundwork for discovery.

Marketing isn’t about starting everything at once. It’s about doing the next right thing at the right time.

So what's your next step? Just like Rachel, the choice is yours.

See you next week.

If you enjoyed this newsletter, forward it to someone now. 

Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you:

1. Need some team training and a plan to achieve purpose-driven growth? Let me lead a custom workshop for you. [Contact me here]

2. Want me to come speak at your event or meeting about one of my content topics? [Contact me here]

3. Want short, but meaty tips on growth systems for profit, purpose, and a meaningful life? [Follow me on LinkedIn]

If you were forwarded this, sign up to receive it each week here. It’s free. I never spam.

To read my full library of newsletters, click here.