How Braintrust turned decades of inbound success into a 26× pipeline on LinkedIn.

Randall Craig is the CEO of Brain Trust Professional, an executive coaching and leadership development firm that helps senior executives and boards improve strategy, communication, and performance.

Industry

Executive Coaching & Consulting

Company Size

Small-to-medium-sized business (boutique advisory firm)

Expertise

Leadership Strategy, Executive Development, and Board Advisory

Industry

Compliance Technology (SaaS)

Company Size

11-50 employees (small-to-medium-sized business).

Expertise

Passive Fire Monitoring Products

$33

Average Cost Per Lead

8.5X

Return on Ad Spend (cash collected)

$120,000

Pipeline Value

Key Areas of Struggle

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Referral Dependency

Randall’s business relied almost entirely on referrals and inbound search visibility. Despite strong brand authority, growth was limited to existing networks.

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Underutilised Thought Leadership

With more than 1,100 pieces of IP, Randall had an incredible foundation of expertise that wasn’t being leveraged effectively to attract new clients online.

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Lack of Paid Experience

He had never run ads or built outbound lead-generation systems before, leaving untapped potential for reaching new markets.

What We Did

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Leveraged Existing IP

We turned Randall’s best-performing frameworks into high-value lead magnets - “7 Mistakes You May Be Making at Your Retreat,” “4 Ways You’re Sabotaging ROI,” and “The Leadership Retreat Script.”

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Built Targeted LinkedIn Campaigns

Developed a focused ad strategy reaching senior decision-makers across North America, from CEOs to board members, with messaging rooted in credibility and trust.

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Created a Predictable Lead System

The campaigns were designed to build long-term brand visibility and a steady pipeline of C-suite leads, turning credibility into conversion.

Image

Lack of Paid Experience

He had never run ads or built outbound lead-generation systems before, leaving untapped potential for reaching new markets.

Image

Built Targeted LinkedIn Campaigns

Developed a focused ad strategy reaching senior decision-makers across North America, from CEOs to board members, with messaging rooted in credibility and trust.

Image

Underutilised Thought Leadership

With more than 1,100 pieces of IP, Randall had an incredible foundation of expertise that wasn’t being leveraged effectively to attract new clients online.

Image

Created a Predictable Lead System

The campaigns were designed to build long-term brand visibility and a steady pipeline of C-suite leads, turning credibility into conversion.

Key Results Achieved

Significant ROI

Generated US$ 40,000 in new business and US$ 120,000 in pipeline value achieving 8.5× Return on ad spend already.

Consistent Qualified Leads

Delivered 132 high-quality leads (121 verified business emails) - all senior-level prospects aligned with his target market.

Long-Term Visibility and Trust

Positioned Randall as a top-of-mind authority among C-suite leaders, with ongoing opportunities for future engagements.

Industry

Compliance Technology (SaaS)

Company Size

11-50 employees (small-to-medium-sized business).

Expertise

Passive Fire Monitoring Products

Linkedin Ad Account Images and Examples:

$47 CAD average cost per lead

6.19% Click through rate on thought leadership

40,000 impressions for $25

Cost per lead below $30

Cost Optimisation

Helped reduce the cost per lead by identifying and targeting engaged, qualified prospects through data-driven strategies.

When we started working with Ben, I’ll be honest - it was an experiment. For years, everything we did came from inbound and referrals. We’ve created over 1,100 pieces of IP and ranked top of Google in our space, but we were still the world’s best-kept secret. We knew we were great at what we did, but we wanted new zip codes, new clients, and a predictable system beyond referrals.

I first met Ben after hearing him speak at a conference. He showed me exactly what needed to be done and even said, “You could do this yourself.” That’s when I realised we didn’t have the time or expertise to make it work on our own. You don’t fix your own car-you go to an expert. This was no different.

What stood out from day one was how directly we worked with his senior team. There was no middleman, no broken telephone. We spoke to the people actually running the campaigns, and that made all the difference. They genuinely cared, moved quickly, and constantly refined what we were doing.

The results have been fantastic. We’ve already closed US$40,000 in new business, with a pipeline worth another US$120,000. That’s an 8.5× return on ad spend already collected and 26× when you include the pipeline value. That one deal alone made the entire investment worthwhile, and confirmed this was the right route.

Working with Ben’s team has been a pleasure. They’re professional, fast, and they truly care about outcomes. If you’re considering it, ask yourself whether figuring this out on your own is really the best use of your time. For us, it’s been an exceptional experience that’s opened up a completely new business development channel.

The leads are exceeding my expectation in numbers, but even more its the quality of leads I’m seeing

"Working with Ben and Brett over the past few months on our Linkedin Ads campaign has been a fantastic experience. The communication has been excellent, and it’s been such a relief to finally see the strategies I’ve had in my head come to life. Having a third party who genuinely understands social media, algorithms, and testing has allowed me to focus on what really matters in my business while they handle the implementation.

Previously, we had someone managing our social media campaigns, but it felt like a 'spray and pray' approach – no real results, and the leads we got were completely off target. For example, we target tech businesses in the UK but were getting colleges in South Africa! Since working with the team, the quality of leads has been spot on, completely aligned with our ideal client profile. We’ve even converted leads from the campaign, which covered our ad spend in just over a month!

What sets them apart is their transparency and collaborative approach. Unlike many agencies, they don’t keep you in the dark.

They explain everything – what they’re doing, why they’re doing it, and how it aligns with your goals. This kind of hand-in-hand collaboration gives me confidence, knowing I’m learning along the way. If we ever bring this in-house, I’ll understand what the right processes and results should look like.

The cost per lead has been well within the promised range of £10-£30, even during the campaign’s learning phase. There’s no empty hype or excuses – it’s just results that speak for themselves. The structured approach to building audiences and layering campaigns has given me real clarity and confidence.

As a bootstrap startup, flexibility has been critical for us, and they have been incredibly understanding of our needs. The sessions have been great, and I’d absolutely recommend working with them. It’s an investment that’s paid off in every way."

DAY 1

Over £100 (cold and low engagement)

We were throwing everything at the wall, hoping something would stick, with no clear direction or results.

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