OpenAI's latest bombshell: What it means for consultants

Jan 28, 2025

There's a lot of hype around AI.

But there was a lot of hype around the internet back in the 90s too.

I'm not a starry-eyed AI groupie who thinks it's going to save us from ourselves.

I'm also not chicken little, who thinks AI is going to bring down the thunder on us.

I do believe, though, that as a business consultant, you don't  get on the AI train,  you'll find yourself tied to the tracks.

You simply won't be productive enough to keep up with everyone else.

It couldn't be more obvious and in our faces than with OpenAI's release of its new AI agents feature last week.

According to ChatGPT:

"Think of AI agents like a super-smart assistant that doesn’t just answer your questions—it actually gets things done for you. Instead of reminding yourself to follow up with clients, track leads, or organize content, you can tell the AI what to do once, and it will remember, manage, and even take action without you having to ask again. It’s like having a digital team member working in the background, so you can focus on coaching, consulting, and growing your business—without all the busywork! πŸš€"

Pretty cool stuff..

I asked ChatGPT for a specific example of how to use an agent to generate leads as a business consultant and coach. 

Here's what it told me:

"How to Use ChatGPT’s New "Agents" Feature to Generate Leads – Step by Step:

With ChatGPT Agents, you can automate and streamline your lead generation by setting up an AI-powered assistant to track, organize, and follow up with prospects."

 

Here’s a step-by-step guide to turning an AI agent into your lead generation assistant:

 

Step 1: Define Your Lead Generation Goals

First, tell your AI agent exactly what you need help with.

πŸ’‘ Example prompt to set up your agent:
"I want you to act as my lead generation assistant. Your job is to help me track potential consulting clients, draft outreach messages, and remind me to follow up. You should keep an organized list of leads, suggest next steps, and refine my messaging over time."

 

Step 2: Build & Organize Your Lead List

Now, instruct the agent to help you collect and structure your list of potential clients.

βœ…  Where to source leads:

  • LinkedIn searches (ideal industries, roles, and connections)
  • CRM or past inquiries
  • Business directories or networking lists

πŸ’‘  Example AI instruction:
"Track leads in a table format with columns for Name, Company, Contact Method (email, LinkedIn, phone), Date Contacted, Response Status, and Next Follow-Up Date."

πŸ”Ή Bonus: If integrated with a CRM, the AI can update data automatically!

 

Step 3: Automate Personalized Outreach

Now that you have your leads, it’s time to draft and send outreach messages.

βœ…  Ask the AI to generate:

  • Cold outreach email templates
  • LinkedIn connection requests
  • Follow-up messages based on responses

πŸ’‘ Example prompt:
"Create a warm outreach email introducing my consulting services for small business owners. Keep it conversational and offer a free strategy call."

✍  Example AI-generated email:
πŸ“Œ Subject: Helping [Company Name] Improve Profitability—Quick Chat?
πŸ“Œ  Body: Hi [Name], I came across [Company Name] and love what you’re doing in [industry]. I specialize in helping business owners like you increase profitability with smart AI-powered strategies. If you're open to it, I'd love to offer a quick strategy call to share a few insights. Let me know if that sounds helpful!

 

Step 4: Set Up AI-Powered Follow-Ups

Most deals don’t happen on the first outreach. AI Agents can remind you to follow up at the right time and even adjust messaging based on past interactions.

πŸ’‘  Example AI instruction:
"Remind me to follow up with non-responders 5 days after the first email. If they haven't replied by the third attempt, suggest a different approach (e.g., offering a case study or video message)."

βœ…  AI Follow-up Message Template:
πŸ“Œ  Subject: Quick Follow-Up – Helping [Company Name]
πŸ“Œ  Body: Hey [Name], just checking in to see if now is a better time to connect. I’d love to share a few tailored insights on improving [specific business goal]. Let me know what works for you!

 

Step 5: Track Performance & Optimize

Once leads start responding, ask the AI agent to analyze patterns and suggest improvements.

πŸ’‘ Example prompt:
"Summarize my lead outreach results for the past 30 days. How many responses did I get? Which email had the best reply rate? What changes should I test next?"

βœ…  AI can suggest:

  • Adjusting subject lines for better open rates
  • Personalizing messages based on industry trends
  • Trying a different outreach channel (phone, direct mail, video)

 

Step 6: Scale & Automate Further

Now that your AI Agent is helping with lead generation, take it a step further:

βœ…  Integrate with scheduling tools (e.g., AI books meetings automatically)
βœ…  Create segmented outreach campaigns (e.g., AI personalizes based on industry)
βœ…  Use AI to analyze and prioritize hot leads (AI identifies top engagement patterns)

 

🎯  Recap: Your AI-Powered Lead Generation System

βœ“  Set up an AI Agent as your lead gen assistant
βœ“  Create & track a structured lead list
βœ“  Generate personalized outreach messages
βœ“  Automate follow-ups & reminders
βœ“  Analyze and refine outreach strategies

Your AI Agent now acts as your 24/7 lead generation machine!

  

πŸ‘‰ Want to try this for your business?

Start by setting up a simple AI-powered lead tracking system today—and watch how automation brings in more high-quality clients! 

 

Sounds great, right? 

But how does one actually implement this?

I'm considering launching a new paid group specifically for those who want to get ahead of this and become an AI-powered consultant and coach that can generate leads at scale.

And of course, be the consultant your clients rely on for direction and gladly pay you a premium fee for your insights.  

That's all I have for you this week.  

Let's create breakthroughs together,

Dale

 

P.S.: When you're ready, here are more ways I can help you...

Business Advisors Needed:

If you have capacity and are open to taking on more clients and scaling, getΒ more details here...

Detailed Overview Video

Want to grow with help from AI?

Subscribe now toΒ "The AI Powered Business Advisor"Β and get the latest tools, trends, prompts, and examples you can use to generate more leads, win more clients, and make more money.

Plus, you'll get immediate and lifetime access to the AI Quick-Start course for business consultants and coaches, along with our list of favorite AI tools, updated weekly.

We hate SPAM. We will never sell your information, for any reason.