Be A Marketing Legend With The Trojan Horse Strategy

The Trojan Horse Strategy: Lead Generation with Value-Driven Outreach

Legend has it the Trojans were literally caught off guard as once inside the city walls, Greek soldiers stormed out from inside the wooden horse to ambush them.  The Greeks’ plan to conquer their enemy from within worked, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Marketers now use the Trojan Horse strategy to offer value upfront—without the nasty consequences. You can read all about this value-first approach in Gary Vaynerchuk’s brilliant book Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook, where he emphasises providing value multiple times before making your ask. 

The Trojan Horse strategy helps you stand out in a saturated market by building trust and credibility before pushing a sale. This tactic builds rapport and keeps you top of mind when prospects are ready to make a decision. 

Let’s break down how it works and why it effectively generates qualified leads and builds meaningful business relationships.

Win Qualified Leads with the Trojan Horse Strategy

It is increasingly difficult for marketers to stand out from the crowd. That’s why offering value upfront makes such a difference. You’re not just selling – you’re providing something helpful, which builds trust. The Trojan Horse strategy allows you to establish credibility before asking for anything in return.

At Growth Experts, we’ve used this approach successfully by giving first. We reached out to other businesses with referrals, which opened the door to tell them about our services and ask if they’d consider becoming referral partners. 

What can you offer that prospects can’t refuse?

Cold Outreach That Works: Gaining Trust, Not Just Attention

Cold outreach typically has low response rates – just 8.5% of cold emails receive a reply. However, the Trojan Horse strategy boosts cold outreach by embedding value in the first contact.

That giant wooden horse could be a personalised tip, audit, or a free tool that gives a prospect something useful to grow their business. 

At Growth Experts, we use two different Trojan Horse strategies:

1. Personalised Video Outreach: We create bespoke videos for each prospect, offering two to three suggestions specific to their own business’s lead generation. These personalised tips demonstrate our expertise and provide immediate value.
2. Free Onboarding & Marketing Plan: We offer a 90-minute discovery session, where we create a full marketing plan that prospects can take to anyone. This builds trust and shows our expertise, paving the way for a fruitful conversation.

Why the Trojan Horse Strategy Wins Every Time

Here’s why the Trojan Horse strategy works so effectively:

• Reciprocity: Offering value upfront compels prospects to reciprocate, making them more likely to engage with you.
• Trust Building: By delivering value first, you become a trusted partner, not just another salesperson.
• Differentiation: The strategy helps you stand out in a crowded market by offering something unique, rather than pushing a sale immediately.
• Long-Term Engagement: This strategy nurtures relationships over time, leading to stronger partnerships and more referrals.
• Lower Barriers: Offering something valuable without commitment lowers the initial resistance prospects may have to engage with you.

These principles make it easier to turn prospects into qualified leads—a crucial part of successful content marketing.

Use the Trojan Horse to Supercharge Your Content Marketing

The Trojan Horse strategy doesn’t stop at cold outreach—it’s also useful in content marketing. Providing valuable, free content like whitepapers, blog posts, or webinars serves as a Trojan Horse. You build a relationship over time, and once trust is established, prospects become more open to hearing about your offers.

Consider companies like HubSpot, which use the Trojan Horse strategy by offering a free CRM tool. Once users rely on the free tool, they are more inclined to explore and purchase the advanced, paid features. 

Your content acts as your gift. When it provides value, your prospects will welcome you in.

Avoid These Trojan Horse Pitfalls

While the Trojan Horse strategy is effective, avoid these common mistakes:

1. Being Disingenuous: Your offer must be authentic, not a sales gimmick.
2. Moving Too Fast: Build trust first before making your ask.
3. Offering Something Generic: Tailor your value to the prospect’s specific needs—personalisation is key.

What’s Inside Your Trojan Horse?
The Trojan Horse strategy delivers value that aligns with your prospect’s needs and builds trust before making any offer. Whether through cold outreach, content marketing, or referrals, the key is to offer something worthwhile before asking for anything in return.

Let us know if you’ve tried the Trojan Horse strategy, and how it worked for you.

Jason Bagley Founder, Growth Experts

I'm a business builder, the founder of Growth Experts, sometimes public speaker, and a member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization. Mostly though, I’m just a dad to Eva & Cruz and a husband to Karina.