How to Use ChatGPT for Lead Generation and Sales Outreach

Full transcript

0:00 ChatGPT Sent Me a Real Client
Hey, I’m Jeremy Ashburn with PushLeads helping small businesses get more leads without struggle and frustration and in this little video We’re talking about something that’s super exciting I had ChatGPT send me a client a couple of days ago And I’m super pumped about it and wanted to tell you what I thought Actually made the difference. So what basically happened here is that somebody in Los Angeles wasn’t happy with their SEO guy their a their Google Ads guy and The person just started cranking out junk AI content, right and AI slop is what we call it, right? And AI slop is not good real humans don’t respond to that as well I don’t know why I said real humans us humans don’t respond super well to AI slop And of course AI doesn’t like it and Google doesn’t like it, right? But with you but if you use AI to produce really good content Then it’s super super helpful, right? So it just depends on what you’re producing And so they were unhappy instead of googling they asked ChatGPT and ChatGPT recommended me They said hey, if you’re looking for Google ads, you should be you should reach out to Jeremy Ashburn with PushLeads He’ll help you. I’m not in LA, right? I don’t have any kind of outreach happening in LA. I do have a couple clients there, but They’re not referring this type of client.

1:22 What the Prospect Actually Asked AI
So that’s pretty exciting and The exact question that they said was who would be the best person to help me set up a Google ads campaign They asked for a person not a agency, right? And of course the agencies are out there, but you know about half of them are scams, right? I regularly have agencies that say hey $2,000 and we’ll do all your work and then I log in and audit the work and no work is being done So it’s kind of insane And but that’s about half the equation, right? So the industry the bar for for the for content or and the bar for anything in my industry and digital marketing is so low because of all these bad players out there But if you actually do high -quality work and be transparent with the work and meet with their clients and show them the work Then guess what the industry rewards that the industry doesn’t reward lazy, right? So Anyway, and of course this is bigger than one lead a couple days ago, right?

2:24 Why AI Changes the Referral Game
Because shat GDP has 900 million active users as of February of 2026 is probably closer to the next big number right the big B number And then that doubled from 400 million the previous year So 900 million weekly active user And of course AI changes the referral game because it’s not really about being on page two The top of page one any longer. It’s about producing high quality educational content that gives value to people Um without actually asking for anything in return, right? And so when you do that AI is naming two or three businesses And it doesn’t matter where the person is based out of this person is in Los angeles I’m right here in north carolina in ashwin north carolina and what happens is Actually yesterday is the day that I spoke to them and I also got a referral from a real person yesterday a real human and um And both of these referrals acted the same they both acted like they were referred to from by real people because the first one was referred to Um a local referral here in Asheville where i’m based out of and the second one was referred to by AI And she was like um she said to me I want to know exactly what you’re doing to show it to you know Why you’re getting AI referrals and I say well here’s the three things that i’m doing and I answered her And again not asking for you know any money up front just show the value, right? BNI talks about givers gain giving without expecting anything in return

3:57 Person vs Faceless Agency Signals
And that’s kind of what I do And so and then I said hey I can come in at 250 a month and do Google ads for you and show you what I can do And really ultimately we really need to spend You know thousand or two thousand dollars a month on everything including Google ads But let’s start off small and I show you what I can do Um and I’ll be consistent and I’ll do high quality work That’s just what people are looking for consistent high quality work and consistency I said it consistently over and over again because it’s so important But when an AI refers someone to you those leads arrive pre -sold pre -sold baby It’s all about the pre -sold lead um and that’s exciting about that I’m super excited about that and of course we have the whole person’s versus agency You know a faceless agency is We um, we everywhere generic team pages fewer signals tied to one person And of course, they’re not really cranking out really high quality content the way I am Where is a real identifier that viable expert is a real name and face and reviews are mentioning My name and my story is on the about page and all the youtube content I’m doing and the content has my name on it, right? So do you want to go with a faceless agency or you want to go with an identifiable expert? So the real question is why did I show it for ChatGPT

5:16 Four Reasons ChatGPT Recommended Me
So first of all, um, it’s about four components here The first thing is that I have pages that directly answer the buyer’s question What’s the best thing to do when setting up Google ads here? It’s how to set up your own Google ads I’m giving all the information away If someone wants help doing it, then I’ll of course be available to help Secondly, I have third part of your viewers that describe my Google ads work, right? So you have to have signals from other websites not just your own website And that’s one of the reasons why this video is on linkedin and youtube, right? It’s got to be in multiple places And of course, I have a consistent business business and I and then of course I have a consistent business history back to 2012 And then I have more than 100 videos on it on my youtube channel with my name attached So this is sort of my best read again We don’t know exactly but I know the difference in the last couple months is I’ve been producing a lot of content So here’s my youtube channel I’ve got you know a little less than a 700 subscribers right now But I don’t care about how many subscribers I have I care about how many high quality videos I have And on my channel, I’m doing slideshow type videos that answer questions um And then um and each of this and this is not slop, right? Because this is high quality content where I’m answering the question. I’m introducing myself I have um slides that go through and give a whole bunch of data Except for some doing these slideshow type videos I’m doing real versions of me talking videos with graphics and B -roll and stuff like that And then I’m also doing these loom style videos where I record you know, hey Um Answering a question And again, I don’t care whether or not I get a number of views or not because this is high quality content that I’m answering And that leads me to the next point about consistency

7:12 Consistency Builds AI Confidence
Consistency generates confidence because AI models are cross checking things right AI Does hallucinate but it does not want to hallucinate and it’s getting better at not hallucinating And so when an AI sees your website with content and videos And long articles and they say linkedin and the two directories Then an AI model treats that as subtle fact. They’re doing what’s called triangulation, right? And so when that happens, that’s where the confidence comes through and that’s why AI that’s why chat do judge And that’s why ChatGPT said hey I highly recommend german with PushLeads. It wasn’t just Bob Bob, you know, nameless faceless agency Thrive or whatever it is. It’s an actual real agency, but a real person who worked for that agency And the next question I want to bring up is what about youtube videos

8:08 Why YouTube Transcripts Matter to AI
do they actually matter right because I was curious I was like hey, I know that chat tp he doesn’t even care about videos But it reads the titles descriptions and transcripts of the videos And all those videos are on my site with the title transcription and chapters and everything Um, so every video is another page tying my name to my expertise and so for a person Um, this is it’s a huge library that a person can look through all my youtube videos But it’s also a huge library for AI And so I was like when I started doing this I thought well, I’m just going to show up for you know Google’s AI gem. I and Google’s a overview because that is a huge component of showing up for AI And I was actually surprised that ChatGPT found me and it’s because chat is reading all the transcripts And they’re seeing i’m doing a lot of content and they’re seeing i’m helping people And i’m not asking for anything in return. And so that turns into um, a really great high favorable opinion of me So what should you do from this?

9:12 How to Get AI to Recommend You
Your biggest upgrade is you need to make be making videos answering your common questions The videos need to be 10 to 20 minutes long because AI really paid attention to anything that’s longer than 10 minutes and that will be cited And you need to have the video with the video transcript and the chapter and all the things Including video schema on your site and that turns video into everything then AI can read directly So how do you get recommended by chat tp he So how do you get recommended by chat gbt or any of the other ais Answer by your questions on your own site get real reviews Be consistent everywhere show your face put your name and face on your expertise Publish the video that as text put that on your website and stay on topic Don’t produce a whole bunch of random content that doesn’t matter And how can you test whether AI recommends you you can essentially go to an AI? And you can ask it for real customer questions or come up with your own customer questions You then ask each question in chat gbt with the search on you know log data chat gbt So it’s not logging and remembering and then run that same time run those three to five or ten five to ten questions every day Because the answer will vary and then check what sources it provides and repeat that monthly and you can track your changes And of course start doing this with every new lead ask it one question How did you find us if AI was involved ask them? Exactly what they typed that prompt tells you what question you’re already answered And if you’re winning that prompt then you’re winning So if you want AI to recommend your business we help small businesses get more lead to a struggle and frustration Just go to PushLeads .com backslash contact us And you can also do an audit of your own business on the website And i’ll see you soon and talk to you soon. I’m Jeremy Ashburn with PushLeads. Thanks so much. Have a great day

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TL;DR: ChatGPT helps you write personalized sales emails, prospect for leads, and create outreach campaigns, but combining it with real sales tools and human follow-up delivers measurable results. The best approach pairs AI-written outreach with dedicated sales strategies and live prospecting.

Table of Contents

Part of our How to Use ChatGPT for Local Business SEO Strategy. Want it done for you? See our local SEO services.

• How to Use ChatGPT for Sales Prospecting
• How to Use ChatGPT for Lead Generation
• How to Use ChatGPT for Sales Emails
• Can ChatGPT Help Write Outreach Emails to Candidates?
• Can AI Write Customer Outreach Grounded in Real Usage Data?
• Should You Use ChatGPT or a Dedicated Sales Tool?
• How to Get Leads From ChatGPT
• How to Use ChatGPT to Generate Leads
• Quick Recap
• Frequently Asked Questions

How to Use ChatGPT for Sales Prospecting

ChatGPT accelerates your sales prospecting by drafting personalized outreach messages, identifying prospect pain points, and organizing target lists based on company type and industry. Feed ChatGPT details about your ideal customer, and it generates targeted prospecting frameworks you can adapt for your real prospects.

To get started with ChatGPT for prospecting, give it specific context about who you’re targeting. Tell ChatGPT your industry, the problem you solve, and the types of businesses that benefit most. Ask it to create prospecting templates tailored to your service. For example, if you’re a service company in Asheville serving contractors, ask ChatGPT to write a prospect outreach approach that speaks to their specific business challenges.

The key is making your prompt detailed. Instead of “write a sales email,” try: “Write a prospecting message for a plumbing company owner who’s struggling to get jobs through their website. The message should mention that we help local service companies rank higher on Google so they get more customer calls.” ChatGPT then creates something far more targeted than a generic template.

Jeremy Ashburn and his team at PushLeads have spent 15 years helping businesses get visible at the top of Google and recommended by AI systems like ChatGPT. Their approach combines prospecting with actual visibility work, showing results rather than just sending emails.

How to Use ChatGPT for Lead Generation

ChatGPT generates leads by helping you write compelling content offers, landing page copy, and email sequences that attract inbound inquiries from your target market. Use it to create magnetic headlines, problem-solution frameworks, and calls-to-action that prompt prospects to reach out directly.

ChatGPT works best for lead generation when you combine it with a real distribution channel. You can use ChatGPT to write the words, but you need a way to get those words in front of real prospects. That means a website that ranks on Google, social media presence, or email list. ChatGPT doesn’t find the prospects for you. It helps you communicate better once you have their attention.

For example, ask ChatGPT: “Write a landing page headline and description for an eCommerce business looking to increase sales through better SEO. The headline should speak to their frustration with low traffic and promise measurable growth.” ChatGPT then provides copy you test and refine. But you still need to drive traffic to that landing page through Google rankings, paid ads, or social sharing.

Many Asheville businesses—service companies, eCommerce shops, artists, and creatives—are frustrated because they’re not getting results from their current SEO efforts. ChatGPT helps with the messaging, but the real lead generation comes from getting visible where your customers actually search.

How to Use ChatGPT for Sales Emails

ChatGPT writes personalized sales emails by analyzing your prospect’s business type and pain points, then generating subject lines, opening hooks, and value propositions that feel personal rather than templated. Provide your prospect’s name, company, industry, and the specific problem you solve, and ChatGPT drafts ready-to-send or ready-to-customize email copy.

The email structure that works best with ChatGPT follows this pattern: start with a specific observation about their business, mention a measurable benefit you deliver, and include a clear next step. Ask ChatGPT to write in your voice and keep emails short. Busy business owners scan emails quickly, so your sales email should be 3-4 sentences maximum.

Example prompt for ChatGPT: “Write a sales email to a hair salon owner in Asheville whose Google visibility is weak and they’re getting fewer customer calls. Keep it to 4 sentences. The email should mention that we help salons rank higher on Google so they attract more local clients. End with a specific ask for a 15-minute call.”

ChatGPT then generates something like: “Hi [Name], I noticed [Salon Name] isn’t showing up on the first page of Google for ‘hair salon in Asheville,’ even though you’re right in the middle of town. That’s lost customers every month. We help local salons rank higher and get more call-ins from people searching for your services. Would you be open to a quick 15-minute call to see if this is a fit? Let me know.”

The advantage over generic templates is that ChatGPT customizes based on your actual prospect’s situation, not a one-size-fits-all formula.

Can ChatGPT Help Write Outreach Emails to Candidates?

Yes, ChatGPT writes effective outreach emails to candidates by personalizing them to each prospect’s background, experience, or business situation, making the email feel relevant and human rather than automated. This applies whether you’re recruiting team members, reaching out to potential partners, or prospecting for clients.

Related: Claude sonnet for sales.

The process is straightforward. Give ChatGPT the candidate or prospect’s relevant details—their role, their company’s challenges, an achievement you noticed—and ask it to write an outreach email. ChatGPT treats each person as an individual, not just another name on a list.

For recruitment outreach, you might prompt: “Write an outreach email to a marketing professional who’s currently managing social media for a local agency. The email should mention that we’re hiring for a social media and sales role, the work is commission-based, and highlight the opportunity to build client relationships and earn real income based on performance.” ChatGPT crafts something that speaks directly to what motivates that specific person rather than sending a generic job posting.

The key is specificity in your ChatGPT prompt. The more details you provide about the individual or their situation, the more personalized and compelling the outreach becomes.

Can AI Write Customer Outreach Grounded in Real Usage Data?

Yes, AI can write customer outreach emails based on real usage data and behavior patterns, but you have to provide that data to ChatGPT first. ChatGPT doesn’t access your customer database on its own. You feed it the data, and it writes outreach that references actual customer actions, purchase history, or engagement patterns.

For example, if you run an eCommerce business and you notice a customer abandoned their cart three times, you could tell ChatGPT: “I have a customer who started a purchase for [Product Name] three times in the last month but didn’t complete it. Write an email that acknowledges this and offers help or a small incentive to finish the purchase.” ChatGPT then generates outreach that feels relevant because it’s grounded in that real behavior.

This approach works for service companies too. If you notice a past client hasn’t used your services in six months, you could prompt ChatGPT: “Write an outreach email to [Client Name], a plumbing contractor who was a regular customer but hasn’t called in six months. Reference a specific service we did for them before and mention we’re ready to help if they need work done.” The email feels personal because it’s based on real history.

The difference between generic templates and AI-powered outreach grounded in data is response rate. Real data makes emails feel relevant to that specific person. ChatGPT helps you turn that data into words that connect.

Should You Use ChatGPT or a Dedicated Sales Tool?

You should use both: ChatGPT for writing and ideation, and a dedicated sales tool or CRM for managing, tracking, and automating outreach at scale. ChatGPT is excellent at drafting compelling copy, but it doesn’t track responses, manage follow-ups, or show you which outreach strategies are actually converting prospects into customers.

This is part of our tracking your AI search visibility guide.

Capability	ChatGPT	Dedicated Sales Tool
Write and personalize emails	Yes	Limited
Track email opens and clicks	No	Yes
Automate follow-up sequences	No	Yes
Manage prospect pipeline	No	Yes
Measure outreach ROI	No	Yes
Generate ideas and frameworks	Yes	No

The best workflow is: use ChatGPT to write and refine your outreach copy, then use a sales tool to send, track, and follow up at scale. This gives you the creative power of AI writing combined with the accountability and measurement of a real sales system.

Jeremy Ashburn recommends having dedicated people focused on sales and outreach, especially as your business grows. ChatGPT handles the message crafting, but real sales reps or a organized sales process handles the execution and relationship building that turns prospects into customers.

How to Get Leads From ChatGPT

You don’t get leads directly from ChatGPT. Instead, use ChatGPT to improve your lead generation engine: write better website copy that ranks on Google, craft landing page messages that convert visitors, and create email outreach that prospects respond to. The leads come from your improved messaging and visibility, not from ChatGPT itself.

ChatGPT is a tool for creating the words and ideas that attract leads. But leads come from places like Google searches, social media, email outreach, and referrals. ChatGPT helps you communicate better in all those channels, but it’s not a lead source on its own.

To get leads using ChatGPT effectively: write stronger website content (ChatGPT helps you identify what your prospects actually search for), create compelling email sequences (ChatGPT drafts these), and develop offers that solve real problems (ChatGPT helps you articulate these clearly). Then you need to get that improved messaging in front of actual prospects through Google rankings, social media, or direct outreach.

For small businesses in Asheville, this means using ChatGPT to improve your website messaging so you rank better on Google for searches like “plumber near me” or “eCommerce SEO help.” The leads follow when your visibility and messaging improve.

How to Use ChatGPT to Generate Leads

Use ChatGPT to generate leads by having it help you identify prospect pain points, create targeted messaging, write outreach sequences, and develop offers that resonate with your ideal customer. ChatGPT accelerates the process of discovering what your market actually wants and how to tell them you have the solution.

Start by asking ChatGPT questions about your market. “What are the top 10 pain points for service companies in Asheville who aren’t getting enough customer calls?” ChatGPT provides a list based on common business challenges. This research becomes the foundation for your messaging.

Next, use ChatGPT to draft different outreach angles and messaging approaches. Test a few versions. Ask: “Write three different email subject lines for a service company owner who’s frustrated with their website performance. Each subject line should speak to a different pain point.” ChatGPT generates options, you test them, and you see which one gets the most opens and responses.

The lead generation process with ChatGPT is: research what prospects care about, craft messaging that speaks to those concerns, send that message through your channels (email, social media, website), and measure what works. ChatGPT speeds up the research and writing phases significantly.

Jeremy Ashburn’s approach combines AI recommendations with visible ranking on Google, meaning he doesn’t rely on ChatGPT alone. He uses AI tools to improve messaging while also ensuring clients show up where prospects are actually searching.

Quick Recap

• ChatGPT writes personalized sales emails, outreach sequences, and prospecting frameworks faster than creating them from scratch
• ChatGPT works best when combined with a real distribution channel: Google rankings, email lists, or sales tools that track responses
• For sales prospecting, give ChatGPT specific details about your prospect and your solution. Generic prompts produce generic results
• ChatGPT doesn’t generate leads on its own. It helps you create the messaging that attracts and converts leads
• Use ChatGPT for writing and ideation, and use a dedicated sales tool or CRM for tracking, follow-up, and measuring which outreach strategies actually work
• AI-written outreach grounded in real customer data (purchase history, behavior, past interactions) gets higher response rates than templated emails
• The most effective lead generation combines ChatGPT-written copy with human follow-up, real sales strategy, and visibility where your customers actually search
• Business owners in Asheville seeing the best results pair improved website messaging with consistent outreach and measurable tracking of what’s working

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the best ChatGPT prompt for writing sales emails?

The best prompt includes: the prospect’s name and company, their industry or role, a specific problem they likely face, and the outcome you deliver. Example: “Write a 4-sentence sales email to Sarah Chen, owner of a boutique eCommerce shop selling handmade candles. Her sales have plateaued and she’s not getting traffic from Google. We help online stores rank higher and attract customers through SEO. Keep the tone friendly and specific. End with a clear ask for a call.” Specific prompts produce specific, personalized emails.

Can ChatGPT actually help me close more sales?

ChatGPT helps you close more sales indirectly by improving your messaging, saving time on writing, and helping you craft outreach that prospects respond to. But ChatGPT doesn’t close deals. You close deals through relationship building, follow-up, and proving your solution works. ChatGPT helps you communicate that value more clearly and quickly, which means more conversations and more opportunities to close.

Should I use ChatGPT for all my outreach or hire a sales team?

Use ChatGPT for writing and ideation, but hire or assign a real person to the actual outreach, follow-up, and relationship building. The most successful business owners delegate sales and outreach to people with drive and accountability. ChatGPT writes the words, but people build relationships and close deals.

How do I know if my ChatGPT-written emails are working?

Track open rates, click rates, and response rates using an email tracking tool or sales platform. Test different ChatGPT-generated versions and see which subject lines, opening hooks, and calls-to-action get the highest engagement. This data tells you what messaging resonates with your market. Then refine your ChatGPT prompts based on what’s actually working.

Can I use ChatGPT instead of a CRM or sales tool?

No. ChatGPT writes emails, but it doesn’t track who you’ve emailed, when they opened it, what they clicked, or whether they’re ready to buy. A CRM or sales tool manages your entire pipeline and shows you which prospects are warm and ready to close. You need both: ChatGPT for better writing, and a sales tool for better management and measurement.

How do I get ChatGPT to write emails that feel personal, not robotic?

Provide ChatGPT with specific, real details about the prospect and your solution. Include a personal observation about their business or a genuine reason you’re reaching out. Ask ChatGPT to write in a conversational tone, short sentences, and plain language. Example prompt: “Write an email as if you’re texting a friend, not a corporate robot. Keep it to 4 sentences and include one specific observation about [Company Name].”

What’s the difference between ChatGPT lead generation and hiring a lead generation company?

ChatGPT helps you generate and craft outreach messages. A professional lead generation company finds prospects, builds targeted lists, runs email campaigns at scale, and sometimes does initial qualifying. ChatGPT is a tool you control and operate. A lead generation company is a service. For small businesses starting out, ChatGPT + your own outreach works. As you scale, you might add a professional service or dedicated team member.

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Ready to improve your online visibility and get more qualified leads to your Asheville business? Combining ChatGPT-written outreach with actual website visibility on Google and through AI recommendations delivers real results. Contact us today to see how we help service companies, eCommerce businesses, and creatives get more customers through improved SEO and lead generation strategy.

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