Phil Chantry is a seasoned business coach working with entrepreneurs across industries like trades, HR, architecture, accountancy, and agency owners. Known for his strategic focus on profit growth, Phil supports clients through 1:1 coaching and quarterly group business planning workshops.
With a strong presence in BNI and a solid reputation, much of Phil’s business comes via word of mouth. However, his large network was an untapped opportunity — one that wasn’t being consistently nurtured.
The challenge: staying front of mind with a large, dormant network
Phil had built a substantial network over the years, including old leads, event contacts, and business connections. But without a consistent communication strategy, many of these contacts were going cold.
He had dabbled in email marketing before but had paused efforts after switching suppliers. The key challenge? Maintaining visibility and staying front of mind without feeling pushy or salesy – especially for leads not yet ready to commit to coaching.
Our solution: a relationship-driven email nurturing strategy
As a boutique SEO agency, we originally developed our email service to nurture SEO-driven leads not yet ready to buy. In Phil’s case, we saw a perfect fit for a relationship marketing approach – nurturing existing contacts with relevant, valuable content until they’re ready to engage.
We implemented a two-part strategy:
- Welcome Email Sequence: A simple, automated introduction for new contacts entering Phil’s list.
- Weekly Business Tips Email: A short, punchy email every week offering practical insights for business owners; easy to digest, useful to apply, and linked back to his website for deeper dives.
Everything from strategy and copywriting to technical setup, email scheduling, and reporting was handled by our team.
Execution: personalised, low-lift content creation & technical fixes
We kicked off the project with a one-month setup phase to define the tone, topics, and tech setup. Our workflow includes:
- Sourcing topics from Phil’s SEO-focused blog content
- Curating headlines and ideas to fit his voice and audience
- Writing and editing weekly emails for his approval
- Uploading to Hubspot, testing, and scheduling the send
One key technical challenge we overcame was email deliverability. As Phil is part of the ActionCOACH franchise, the shared domain was affecting open rates. We solved this by setting up a different domain, ensuring his emails landed in inboxes, not spam folders.
Results: reconnection, visibility, and positive engagement
Since launching the email nurturing strategy, Phil has started receiving encouraging feedback from his network. Several recipients have responded personally to thank him for the insights shared, and the weekly business tips have sparked renewed conversations with contacts he hadn’t engaged in some time. This is a clear sign that the emails are helping to rebuild connections and prompt interest at the right time.
The emails are consistently being opened and read, reinforcing Phil’s presence in the minds of his network. While he focuses on delivering value through coaching, the email system now quietly ensures he remains a trusted and visible expert, without having to chase leads or create content himself.
Takeaways: why relationship marketing works for high-touch B2B businesses
This case study highlights the power of relationship-focused email marketing for businesses with long buying cycles and strong word-of-mouth networks. For Phil, it wasn’t about chasing quick conversions, it was about staying relevant, visible, and valuable.
With minimal time investment from his side, Phil now has a consistent communication channel that:
- Positions him as a helpful expert
- Keeps his name top-of-mind in his network
- Lays the groundwork for future referrals and client inquiries
“As someone who used to run an agency offering email marketing, I know how hard it is to get this right – and how rare it is to find someone who truly nails it. Margaux and her team have been brilliant. They took the time to really understand my business and somehow write in my exact informal tone of voice, which is no easy task! We’re now sending consistent emails weekly, engagement from clients has gone up, and I’m rebooking calls with old contacts who’d gone quiet. Email marketing is so important – we never know when someone’s ready to buy, and these emails keep us front of mind until they are. Huge thanks to Margaux and the team for making this all so easy and effective.”
Is your network a goldmine or a graveyard?
If your business contacts have gone quiet, they haven’t forgotten you exist – they’ve forgotten why they should care.
Let’s change that.
We help expert-led, service-based businesses from professional firms to boutique agencies stay front of mind with email strategies that build trust, spark conversations, and quietly support growth – no pushy sales tactics required.
Ready to reconnect with your network?