I hear all the time that these three things: lack of leads, clients, and cash flow are the biggest struggles for business owners…and yet maybe only 10% of people I meet are taking consistent, measurable action steps towards creating and nurturing of leads. This really concerns me because this step is so important for any business to succeed.
So, what should a business owner such as you, do? Here are six things you can do now. They are relatively easy to accomplish, but of course, if you need help, just ask!
1. Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan
There three parts to this:
- First, you need to have an actual marketing plan, so you’re not just randomly shooting in the dark. Create some goals for how you will reach out to prospective clients and then decide on what tactics (for example, email, social media, etc.) you might use to reach those goals.
- Second, being prepared gives you a big advantage especially if you’re cold calling to generate new prospects. A good marketer will take the time to learn about their prospects and create a plan before picking up the phone or contacting them via email or social media.
- There’s that good old saying… “fail to plan, plan to fail.” Do your planning and update it every quarter – without fail
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2. Use Success Stories to Attract Clients & Customers
I absolutely love seeing testimonials from previous (and current) customers. Having and sending links to case studies or customer success stories (ideally also visible on your website) can be incredibly effective in attracting prospects to your business. A proper case study demonstrates that a clear and quantifiable ROI and provides the basis for social proof, setting your company and sales
3. Blog on a Regular Basis
Blogging on a regular basis is a great way to keep your website fresh as well as build up your visibility for Google keyword searches. In addition, it is also a good way to build trust in your brand, nurture new leads and build your credibility as a subject matter expert. This is crucial in order to answer your prospects’’ question “Why should I listen to you?” In every blog post, it’s useful and helpful to include hyperlinks to other pages on your website, previous blogs, authority pages, etc., within the copy of the post, as well as a clear call-to-action.
4. Post Consistently on Social Media
In addition to blogging, get into the habit of regularly posting on social media. This should include your own content (see above) as well as sharing content from others. It’s crucial that you share and comment on why this is relevant in order to create interaction. This helps improve your visibility and drive up your metrics on social media indexing sites.
While utilizing social networks, strive to
Attract a loyal following by building a relationship with potential customers. It is called a social “network” for a reason. Social connections are all about 1-1 relationships so get to know your online audience by communicating and sharing information. In order to generate leads, you must have human interaction with others.
5. Get Involved in Referral Networking
While digital networking is great, you’ll never beat face-to-face contact for creating trusted relationships, impact and the ability to earn a lead or a referral. Be part of organizations such as BNI, or a local Meetup group and show up!
In addition to attending networking events, consider volunteering to be a presenter at such events. Many offer participants the opportunity to give a 10 to 15-minute presentation about their business or the services they offer. Being seen as an expert at the front of the room, often directly leads to leads and/or a second-hand recommendation from someone who saw the presentation and told a friend.
Networking naturally lends itself to 1-1
6. Make Great Offers
The word “yes” is a powerful one and ultimately everything we do as marketers is designed to get prospects to say “yes” to our offer(s). And – human nature being what it is – when an offer is “exclusive,” “limited” or “in high demand” it triggers a physiological reaction that makes the offer even more appealing.
In order to overcome their doubt or concern, people need to perceive the value of your offer – whether it is a white paper, free trial, membership, sales promotion, or download – as irresistible. Consider offering your prospect a guarantee – show them you are supremely confident in the value of your offer. The higher the perception of value, the more irresistible the offer.
In sales, it’s not what you say; it’s how they perceive what you say.
Jeffrey Gitomer
Should you need any help with any of these lead generation strategies for your business, schedule a time Entrepreneur Evolution’s leading coaches to chat about what you want to achieve and how we can help.
