What Dating Can Teach You About Business

We need to talk about conversion thirst traps.

Do you ever post on social media, get a bunch of new likes, comments, and followers, and then get upset that you’re not immediately converting any of them into paying clients? Do you then post again trying to convince your new audience that they should invest in your services?

That’s a conversion thirst trap and TBH, it isn’t cute… and it doesn’t work!

I’ll liken it to dating. Let’s say you’re looking for a serious relationship and just met someone you’re really excited about on a dating app. You follow each other on social, exchange some flirty texts, and plan a first date. Go you!

In the days leading up to the date, your social media platforms turn into a gallery of suggestive selfies and you jump at every chance to highlight how completely awesome your life is… all for some attention from your new date.

When you don’t get any likes or comments from them, you think, “Okay, no biggie - they’re just taking a break from screens. I’ll text just to make sure they’re thinking about me!”

Honeys, this too is a thirst trap and there is a 100% chance that when you send that text, the response you get (if any) will be out of politeness.

Again you think, “Hehe, no prob! They’re just playing hard-to-get.” (No they’re not.) But date night rolls around and you’re dressed to impress and excited for your first outing with the love of your life.

You order drinks and dinner and you feel fantastic because you’re doing most of the talking (it feels so good to find someone that you can open up to!) and - oh my god - did your knees just brush under the table? Swooooooon.

There’s a hug goodbye and you are already asking about making plans for tomorrow, to which they reply, “Let’s stay in touch!” That was an invitation to call and say goodnight later, right? (Absolutely not.)

So you call that night and leave a voicemail. You send a “cute” text too, for good measure. They don’t respond. The next day you try your hand at getting their attention on social by tagging them in a meme that you just know will become an inside joke. You post another selfie. You text again. Call again. And…

Still no reply. What’s more, you notice that they’ve unfollowed you. Surely this is a mistake! You try calling one last time and are sent straight to voicemail. You’re about to text when - finally - you get a message notification from them!

You open it and read, “Please stop contacting me, I’m not interested.”

You’re devastated. You pulled out ALL of the stops. You went above and beyond. You even told your mom about them!

So why on earth did this happen?

Because when you come on too strong (read: overeager, desperate, clingy…) your thirst trap has the opposite effect that you intend it to: you make your prospective lover want to run the other way.

And - do you know where I’m going with this yet? - the same damn thing is true for your prospective clients. Pushy and desperate sales tactics don’t work. Point blank.

Building trust and real relationships takes time, and sometimes a lot of it. And it's no biggie! The more solid your foundation, the steadier your growth will be in love AND business. So when you see new followers and new engagement, r e l a x. When those same new followers don’t immediately convert to paying clients, don’t sweat it!

You're in this for the long game, and the long game is where the magic happens.

Need to make a first (or next) hire real quick? Scratch that. Ready to confidently step into the next epic level of your business and hire an employee (not a contractor!) and wanna make sure you’re covering your bases? Good. We’re here for this. Whether you downloaded this checklist because you’re in a pinch and already extended an offer haphazardly and are now backtracking OR you finally got convinced this is the best next step for you and your biz, this checklist was made for you. Enjoy!