Posts Tagged “Generation”
Smart online promotional strategies are always essential for B2C lead generation. If you are specifically selling something online then for generating revenue and creating promotions you need a certain level of B2C lead generation. Companies these days are opting for various techniques of generating sales.
The essential fact behind B2C lead generation is that by giving away something, such as a free product or any other such incentive, you can direct parties to specific products and services. Every working business owner should have a sales lead generation program in place. Some of them can be as simple as getting referrals from existing and new customers. Some can be as elaborate as a lead generation service.
Businesses use lead generation to create new customers. This is an ever constant process. Depending on the financial nature of your business, you can find low cost lead programs to use or you can hire a lead generation service to provide you a list of qualified leads.
Hence, this is how B2C lead generation essentially works.
Well, if you do intend to use a lead generation service, make sure that you are using the services of a reputable company who will stand behind the qualified leads that you will receive. Make sure you get qualified leads and that your prospective clients are able to use your product or service.
For B2C lead generation, if you intend to use a low cost lead generation, make sure the method you chose will narrow down the lists of prospects to those clients that are likely to use your product or service.
Every business needs a good B2C lead generation program working for them. It should work well as far as increasing of sales goes. There are always different methods of B2C lead generation that you can apply.
Here is the best mix as far as B2C lead generation is concerned:
List all possible marketing channels
Evaluate the fit between these channels and your business / product / service attributes
Choose and try channels
Review success and track metrics such as cost/click, cost/conversion, cost/sale
Adapt your marketing strategy
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The act of selling a product or services requires a full-fledged process. Who are the target customers? Where is the market? Which promotion tool should be the appropriate? Which channel of promotion could be the best? And like these many more questions are need to be answered. After that a product is launched and gets the customer response. The whole process is quite lengthy. Nowadays Internet marketeers are trying to make the whole process of selling a little bit simpler. And for that they are using customized lead generation techniques. These lead generation techniques make use of some of the Internet marketing tools which help in the online promotion of various products and services.
Sales lead is mandatory for any product and for generating it, companies are turning towards online methods. Most of them are using customized lead generation techniques. There are various companies which create custom lead generation programs. Thees programs are designed specifically for your needs. Everything related to the lead generation is handled. For example from advertising and lead acquisition, to website design for lead generation sites, to filtering and qualifying leads to your specifications. The process needs a little bit of expertise and it is not so complicated.
After this kind of work all you will need to do is sit back and watch a consistent flow of leads come in for your product. These days companies are also joining each other for the sake of customized lead generation that helps in finding more customers. B2B lead generation aims to bring compatible companies together to do business with each other. This kind of online promotion is increasingly being recognized for its importance and influences. Some of the customized lead generation tools are registration form offerings, Email campaign, free report generation, auto responders and business to business referrals.
Opt for one of these tools and get help in creating sales leads for your products and services. So let the marketing processes be as complicated as possible. You opt for customized lead generation techniques which are easy to adapt, affordable and very result-oriented. After all it is the question of making the process of selling easy.
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Most of the fastest growing B2B companies do not rely solely on just one sales lead generation method. They have a complete arsenal of sales lead generation tools at their fingertips, that they can use at ay given time.
Here are my eight proven B2B sales leads generation techniques gleaned from helping over 170 B2B companies reach their sales prospects:
1. Sales lead generation using relationship marketing
Relationship Marketing is the approach underlying all of the “sales-lead-generation-success” methods. Relationship marketing simply refers to cultivating a personal, sales-winning relationship with your prospects. It’s about developing longer-term relationships with customers rather than individual transactions.
During my 20+ years of experience in B2B sales lead generation, I’ve discovered the key to picking up sales others leave on the table is to keep in touch with your prospects via a series of ongoing communications and offers throughout your prospective customers’ consideration processes.
2. Sales lead generation through complementary partner referrals
By joining forces with complementary partners, you can instantly multiply your sales lead generation pool and make it easier for companies to engage in doing business with you. Out of all the sales lead generation programs available to you, complementary partner referral programs can generate the highest qualified B2B sales leads.
3. Sale lead generation using search engine optimization and Internet marketing strategies
Business buyers are more sophisticated and getting harder to reach than ever. Studies show that about 90% of business buyers start with research on the Internet, therefore it’s critical to have a well-tuned sales lead generation program that includes search engine optimization (SEO)/Internet marketing strategies to attract prospects at the beginning of their buying cycle.
4. Sales lead generation via telemarketing
Even though many people despise the thought of telemarketing, when executed properly it is a very effective sales lead generation tool. Telemarketing is a personal marketing and sales lead generation technique that offers a cost-effective, efficient alternative to field selling. However, it can be significantly more expensive than direct mail or email.
By including telemarketing in your B2B sales lead generation marketing plan, you can reach up to thirty decision-makers a day at a cost of $15 to $20 per contact. In contrast, with field sales you can reach only four or five decision-makers a day at an average cost of $392 or more per contact. Direct mail may cost as little as a dollar, and email is often much less. However, if you consistently prospect and nurture leads via phone, you will consistently generate qualified sales leads.
5. Sales lead generation with email publications
By creating your own email newsletter, you could send out industry news and tips to suspects in your market. Since you will be on your prospects’ minds more often than your competition, eventually, your sales leads will turn into actual sales.
If you subscribe to my e-newsletter, Sales Lead Report, you will see an example of an email publication that keeps my name and business in front of over 8,000 people every month.
6. Sales Lead Generation With Direct Mail
There is an entire industry of people like Dan Kennedy, Bob Bly, and Bill Glazer who are dedicated to business-to-business selling through direct marketing. Sales letters can be an excellent sales lead generation method. But, most sales and business professionals do not know how to use this lead generation technique effectively and efficiently.
The complaint is a common one among B2B companies that depend on direct mail and direct response marketing as their only sales lead generation program: “I’m sick of spending a fortune to send out thousands of full-color catalogs and direct-mail pieces only to get a measly 1% response rate. How can I cut costs and find a more practical way to get my target market to respond to my direct mail or catalogs?”
My clients have found that the best place to start revamping their direct response marketing is by determining who their best customers are, then trying to target their database marketing efforts at companies and individuals who are similar in nature.
7. Sales Lead Generation Using Print Advertising
When done correctly, print advertising can be a highly effective sales lead generation activity. When using print advertising as your B2B sales leads generation method, you must remember to focus your advertising’s message on the benefits and applications of your products or services. Then let the layout and design of your ads enhance your company’s image. And, don’t forget to only use publications that deliver messages directly to your targeted audience.
8. Sales Lead generation via Event Marketing
Whether you do it live, through the telephone (teleseminars) or via the Web (webinars), seminars and workshops are a great sales lead generation tool. People who attend your seminar have an interest in the information you are presenting and a need for your product or service.
The goal: Connect with customers in a meaningful way
By using these eight proven B2B sales leads generation methods gleaned from helping over 170 B2B companies reach their prospects, you will capture more sales-ready opportunities for your salespeople to turn into new business, meaning greater sales revenue and profits for your company.
As one of today?s leading business-to-business marketing consultants, M. H. ?Mac? McIntosh uses the latest in lead-multiplying tactics and strategies that are working NOW to drive up leads and sales. As an expert on the subject of B2B lead generation, he can help you increase your bottom line by converting more sales leads into actual sales. Get his Free Sales Lead Report
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Real estate agents are driven to sell homes, but to do that they need clients willing to list their properties with them. So, while an agent can be amazing at selling houses, they also need to be great at generating leads and building their client list. Without them, the home selling opportunities don’t exist.
If you’re having trouble overcoming the real estate lead generation hurdle, keep reading for some tips and tricks that can help get you back on track.
Prospect Every Day
Take even just 30 minutes out of every day to focus to build leads and prospect for new clients. That activity may not seem like much time or effort, but making prospecting a part of your daily routine will not only force you to make it a priority, but you’ll also start to see results fast.
Target Your Prospecting
If cold-calling and door-knocking is destroying your morale, it’s time to smarten up and focus on targeted client prospecting. Instead of looking for potential clients in the phone book, try giving out your business card at home shows or tuck them into related books at a local library. Rather than advertising in the local penny saver, get your ad in the Homes section of your paper. Targeted prospecting is not only more efficient, it also saves money.
Stay on Top of Follow-Ups
If you need to do a follow-up with a prospective lead, be sure to pen it into your daily calendar. Make that follow-up phone call or email a scheduled, prioritized part of your day. Consistency is the key. Stay with a disciplined program week-after-week and you begin to receive at least a trickle of inquiries.
Answer the Phones
A great way to build leads is to take on a phone shift at your brokerage or agency. By acting as receptionist for a day or an afternoon, you’ll be fielding calls from potential clients who may be looking for an agent. You’ll be there to answer their questions, impress them with your knowledge and sell them on your services. Just be sure to focus your primary attention on the callers’ needs and avoid blunt salesmanship.
Focus on Word-of-Mouth
Just as you should spend at least 30 minutes a day on prospecting, the same can be said for networking. By getting your name and face out to lenders, mortgage brokers, real estate attorneys, developers and contractors, you’re increasing the chance that they’ll recommend you to a prospective client. The most effective advertisement is the endorsement of someone else in another respected position.
Get Online
Bring in leads by investing in a quality website that’s updated routinely. If you can, either start a small blog or update your site each day with new listings and helpful information written by you or another expert in the field.
Also, investing in a pay-per-click search engine advertising program can be a great way to drive traffic to your site. For example, purchasing the advertising rights to “Real Estate Agent Hometown” could make your website the number one hit for anyone looking for an agent in Hometown.
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Like any other marketing executive who manages a company that is effected by current economy, you most probably feel a lot of pressure, as your marketing budget shrinks and need in increased sales performance is stronger than ever. Your CEO is probably all over you, keeps pointing at sales reports and trying to find an underperforming sales rep to fire.
The truth is, now you need to look for new avenues for lead generation, vehicle that can deliver better quality leads at lower cost.
What if I will tell you that you can perform your lead gen absolutely at no cost. If I say to you “Have you tried running an affiliate program?” you will probably answer “Nothing new here. We though about it a century ago, but we are a business to business operation, and majority of advertising networks are weak at B2B.”
From first glance, you are absolutely right. Take any network – Affiliate.com, CPA Empire – none of them do B2B, unless you sell very inexpensive product on-line. But what if you don’t close deals on-line, what if you deal with multinational corporations and your average order is over $10,000 per customer?
There is no ad network that will run your offer for few reasons. First of all, you program is a niche offer. Moreover, since you don’t close your sale on-line there is no way to track it, as there is no conversion page to place a tracking code on.
Right? Wrong!
It blew my mind when I saw what guys at IdeaMama Ad Network are doing. See (http://IdeaMamaAdNetwork.com). Fascinating!
They focus specifically on needs of companies that market business services or products to Fortune 1000 companies. All you need is to get their Elite account; basic one is mostly for consumer offers that have typical tracking system designed for e-commerce transactions. This network completely redefined B2B marketing and you gotta try it.
The process on IdeaMama is very similar to the way other networks run their offers – they broadcast your advertising properties (banners, videos, podcasts, webcasts, white papers, case studies, articles – whatever you’ve got) via top business publishers, and the system enables affiliates to see how leads that they have generated for you are moving through your sales pipeline. You can have thousands of affiliates caring your offer, generate millions of impressions, thousands of leads and the beauty is that you pay nothing, zero dollars, unless you close the sale.
I have found no other network that would run CPS (pay per sale) program for business to business companies with a long sales cycle (3-6 months) and no on-line payment processing. If you find any, please let me know. I have spent months on-line trying to find new ways to generate business leads for B2B clients and ended up with nothing, until I’ve found these guys.
Well, not guys, really. The network is run by a young lady from Eastern Europe (being from Poland myself I am so proud for my people). I couldn’t help but called her to ask how they are doing. Olga (Olga Kostrova, CEO of IdeaMama Ad Network) sounded very excited by interest this new approach generates. Initially she has founded the network as an extension of earlier founded virtual invention incubator IdeaMamaClub.com (http://IdeaMamaClub.com), the purpose of the network was to become a promotional vehicle that helps the community members to mass market their inventions. Later the concept and technology was refined to also solve her own struggle in finding suitable sales lead generation programs for her B2B clients whose marketing budgets started shrinking. Olga’s main interest is in promoting clean technologies, services of socially responsible enterprises or companies that solve some important social, economical and environmental issues.
From what I understand the IdeaMama’s technology and a network of affiliates can save to any B2B company hundreds of thousands dollars for both, business CRM solution (customer relationship management software) and lead generation programs.
Let’s do a math. If you buy a CRM system to manage 1,000 of resellers (affiliates) it will easily cost you at least $100,000 a year, since you will pay for each user even at discounted price. Now imagine, each of 1,000 publishers generates 10 leads a month for you. In this case you would have to pay about $100,000 for leads (even if a price per lead is only $10, but often it can go as high as $1,000 a lead, all depends on quality of the lead source). Now let’s imagine that your leads have somewhat low conversion and you close 1 deal per each 200 leads. So, you would have to spend at least $200,000 to close decent number of deals.
The beauty of working with a CPA network is that CPS campaigns require no upfront investment. The challenge is that networks who can successfully can run your B2B offer don’t exist… well, at least they didn’t existed till now. No other avenue of lead gen can be as effective as a “virtual commissioned sales rep”. No telemarketing, no email marketing, no PPC – nothing can be compared with performance marketing.
If you have a better idea than setting up the campaign once and watching sales knocking at your door whole year long for 10-20% commission, let me know. I will be first who will use it and blog about it.
Max Kowalski.
Blogger, new technology evangelist, on-line marketer.
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“Marketing.” Definition: Selling to defined audience. By marketing to the correct customer and prospect base, your lead generation marketing will become more responsive: your phone will ring more frequently and at less cost per call.
Without the precision of marketing to the correct target group – those people or firms who are ready to buy – your lead generation campaign is wasting money and time. Your money, and your time.
In the first article of this series we reviewed seven lead generation mistakes to overcome. Here you can learn how to increase your lead generation effectiveness and enjoy the rewards of a better customer acquisition strategy by implementing a more focused direct marketing plan.
What happened with your old lead generation and customer acquisition strategy? It stopped being as effective as it was years ago. Customers cost more to acquire… and maintain. Clients jump ship every couple of years, and yours did, too. So?
Here’s how you can change all that:
1. Current customer analysis.
Figure out who your current customers are. Dig through your files for commonalities: is it location? Income level? Value of home? Is net worth the driver? Neighborhood? Business type? Circle of friends? Write all these market factors down on a sheet of paper.
Hey… if I do this for you – figure out who your customers are, and write it down on a sheet of paper I call it marketing research and charge you two grand. You can do this for free, and call it whatever you like — it’s your sheet of paper.
2. Figure out where your customers hang out. Then hang out there, too.
What restaurants do your customers eat in? What mailing lists are your customers on. What newspapers or magazines do they read? Do they watch on TV, and what do they watch? What circle of friends do they go out with? What charities do they donate to? What associations do they belong to? What gym do they work out at? As you start answering these questions, your lead generation program is now starting to shape-up. Next, go on – hang out there yourself. Read those publications. Go to those movies. Visit those strip clubs, I mean strip malls. And be your client.
Remember, when fishing, you go where the fish are. When looking for clients and customers, go where your clients and customers go.
3. Learn what your customers own.
Do they all drive Chevys? Do they all own boats? Airplanes. Tractors? Have houses in the hills? Write all this down, too. It’s part of your lead generation and customer acquisition marketing research. (Remember, you were going to send me two grand if I did this for you? So now, just send me, oh, three hundred. Just kidding. Make it $250.) This is part of your primary lead generation matrix: a lead generation equation you’re developing into a quite defined formula.
4. Figure out exactly what most of your clients have in common?
If you could clone a few clients, what are the common characteristics they’d all have? Because that’s exactly what I’d start looking for in new clients: the same demographics of clients currently in my own customer database.
Section out the target of people who have those same commonalities as your current clients, and advertise or send direct mail to them.
An example. Suppose you find out that every one of your clients reads the same 3 magazines. Those magazines would be good places to take out an ad schedule, wouldn’t they?
How about if 4 out of 5 of your clients had offices in the same neighborhood. I’d pick a lead generation campaign with a good direct mail strategy base, and mail regularly to that neighborhood.
If all your customers own dogs, your lead generation campaign should look for dog owners to market to.
If they all eat at the same restaurant, I’d start eating there, too. If it’s an upscale restaurant, invite me! I’m not too busy and I enjoy nice great food! Just kidding. My wife hates it when I go out without her. I hate it too – she goes shopping.
Hey, that restaurant website might be a good place to effect a lead generation targeted ad campaign; or sponsor the restaurant coat check room for a few nights. Or leave a few of your business cards at the coat check. A small and tasteful sign there would be helpful, too.
Of course if your clients eat at Denny’s… then, yeee-ha: time to get some new clients there, Jethro. Sorry. If it wasn’t for bad taste, I wouldn’t have any jokes to tell.
Back at the nice restaurant, you could always test sponsoring the coat check room, or sponsoring desserts for an evening. Or if you’re in the city – sponsor parking. Lead generation doesn’t have to be traditional.
5. Start a mailing list of your customers.
Analyze your customer database, and find more of the same type of person. Then:
6. Buy several mailing lists that match the demographics of your own house list.
Test each. Small tests aren’t expensive. Ramp up when a test is profitable.
7. Create media awareness.
As a traditional direct marketer, I don’t believe in unfocused mass advertising. Those methods only work in very select circumstances: huge clients with wide markets and big budgets.
Some lead generation campaigns in local, traditional media such as direct mail, newspapers, magazines and local TV work well to raise the level of awareness of your firm in your own back-yard. This kind of PR will also increase phone calls to your firm. You remember who likes to shop in their own back yard? Everyone.
Create the right message, the right image, and present it consistently in the right media, and presto — an effective lead generation strategy. People will get to know you. Then do you know what happens? The phone rings.
8. Create trust.
You can’t build an effective lead generation strategy without the help of others. It’s low in cost to build up your network of referrals and referral sources, and trust plays a big factor here.
Start your referral network by referring customers to others. Don’t worry, it starts out slow, but the business will come back to you—in spades.
9. Build trust by creating a paper trail of nice letters.
To build trust exponentially kindly remember that every referral – whether you give one or receive one, needs to be followed up by a WRITTEN piece of correspondence.
Use the power and longevity of direct marketing and direct mail when thanking someone for giving you the referral. Have a referral letter on hand, personalize it and send it every time that you refer a potential client to your colleague. And a “Thank you for your trust” letter whenever you receive a referral.
Yes, you need an actual letter – a written piece of correspondence. No, a call is not the same. Sure you can call them, BUT… you still need to write something down and send it.
In the next and final artice in this 3 part series, we’ll look at 12 more lead generation strategies. Stay tuned.
Need More Business? Why struggle: If you?d like to easily get more customers and kick up the response you get from any direct mail program, visit Jeffrey Dobkin?s website and learn other fast and easy ways to make your direct marketing more effective – and yet – lower your cost. Read more FREE direct marketing articles at www.danielleadams.com. Author Jeffrey Dobkin has written 5 books on direct marketing, including the cult classic, How To Market a Product for Under $500.
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The best low cost lead generation system is to harvest the leads yourself. The most successful marketers conduct their own lead generation programs through their websites. However, to succeed in this automated lead generation, there are 3 common mistakes to avoid. Understand that you have 7 short seconds to convert your visitors into sales leads by inducing them to subscribe to your newsletter at the opt-in page. The 3 common mistakes that internet marketers make that kill their sales lead generation potential are as follows:
No. 1 : No Clear Objective
Be clear whether you want your visitors to purchase a product or join your mailing list. Be specific and to the point. If email lead generation is your objective, consider providing an incentive, such as a free ebook, which they can receive immediately upon subscribing. Most people who surf on the web are looking for free information, and if you can tickle their senses, they are willing to part with their email addresses and grab what you have to offer. With the captured email addresses, you can stay in contact with your subscribers through auto responders and build on your email marketing. You will need a web-based email marketing services such as GetResponse or Aweber to do this.
No. 2 : Sub-Standard Navigation
Business lead generation websites need effective navigation system to compel more visitors to sign up. A good navigation system will determine the length of stay of your visitors and the quality of conversions. For a visitor to gain access to relevant information on your website, such as products and services which is the reason why you set up a website in the first place, your navigation system has to be well organized. Links to products and services should be below the company information at the top of the menu bar on the right side of your page. When there are sub-menu pages, their links should be collapsible, to save space and to make it look neat. All links should include relevant keywords and describe what they are. Below that, you can place articles, your satisfied customers’ comments and praises. Blogs, newsletters, photos and contact information should occupy a more prominent space below the main menu. I find that placing the menu bar on the right to be more effective than on the left because we read from left to right, and usually where the eyeball movement ends, buying impulse takes over.
No. 3 : Missing Emotional Content
Emotion is an important element in a person’s buying decisions when you conduct lead generation programs. Emotion moves a person to take action, and that includes purchasing a product from a website. If you look at advertisement billboards along the highways, the copywriting is so compelling that it makes you think. But unlike highway billboards that is visible to you every time you drive by, a visitor only has 7 seconds to be moved emotionally and will probably not visit your website again. The first paragraph of your website should trigger your visitors’ curiosity and make them want to know more. Identify who your target leads are and understand what they are looking for. If you are selling fat reduction products for women above 40, than your copywriting should be targeted towards their needs, socio-economic level, problems, interests, etc. The needs of obese women above 40 and obese teenagers are entirely different. If you are specific towards their needs, they will stay longer because it is very easy to leave with a click of a mouse. Before and after photos of women above forty who have found success in weight reduction is an effective emotional tool to make them decide. Videos are even more effective and I highly recommend that you have that too. Photos and videos are like boosters that induce a lead to make a buying decision. How many times have you purchased a product because you were moved by the advertisement or commercial on TV?
In conclusion, low cost lead generation programs such as this is very effective for your campaign if you avoid the 3 common mistakes. Just remember that you need to have a clear objective of your campaign, a good navigation with the menu and links in the right places, and a compelling copywriting that triggers your visitors’ buying impulse.
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12 More Awesome Tips on Lead Generation Systems and Direct Marketing Strategies.
1. Pick up the phone and call.
Speaking about the phone, just call current customers and say thanks for your business. You’d be surprised at what this does for your lead generation program. You don’t need to sell anything, just thank customers and ask if you can help with anything or provide any information they may have questions about. For best results, offer
In the insurance industry lead generation is often just a FREE policy review away. In both the financial community and the insurance industry, a free portfolio or policy review is one of my favorite offers. And quotes are always the first line item preceding a sale.
2. Go back to school.
School events can help even if you don’t have kids.
For financial lead generation programs, or insurance lead generation strategies, don’t forget to help out with school programs: build credibility and trust when you take out ads in the yearbook, play programs, school events. People naturally trust firms who work with kids, and their kid’s schools. School ads are always inexpensive and are generally tightly focused to a neighborhood, which you’ve probably targeted as your own local market. And you remember who likes to shop in their own back yard? Yea, I thought so. Everyone.
3. If your market is geographically tight, get active in the local scene. Go to area meetings and join community associations. Join the township board, or get on some committees. Go to business events. People trust people they can look in the eye and they can do that at local events. And the business goes to people with… a high degree of visibility and accessibility. Applause. OK you guys with high visibility and accessibility – step forward. Thanks.
4. Stop pushing products. Most businesses are based on a relationship, lead generation strategies are the beginning of this relationship. Start prompting people to call you with questions, for answers or for additional information. Become the informational resource.
Once they’re on the phone with you, it’s all you baby, it’s all you. Unleash that magnetic personality. You do have a magnetic personality, don’t you? Sigh… me neither. Oh well… put them on your mailing list and mail to them all the time, like I do. You do have a mailing list, don’t you?
5. Design your Lead Generation Program with the correct objectives.
The best lead generation programs can do is generate warm phone calls – then it’s all up to you to create a relationship (aka create a client) when the phone rings. So…
6. Make the phone ring
Create an ad, a press release or send a direct mail piece, post card or letter. Continuous active marketing is crucial to new business.
7. Make FREE Offers.
The best way to generate phone calls with these lead generation printed pieces is to Offer Free Booklets of helpful information.
The titles drive the response – the better the title, the greater the response. Simple as that.
Better yet, in the center of your letter or post card, show a punchy bulleted list of compelling booklet titles readers can get FREE, if they just call now! Keep in mind, if just one title is a “Must Have!” you’ll get a call. The better the titles, the more calls you’ll get.
8. Build trust. Offer a range of FREE informational services along with your FREE booklets. This will make people call, and put you on their radar of “helpful people to call” when they need something.
For example, FREE quotes, FREE policy review, FREE portfolio reviews, FREE drop off and pick up; FREE Seminars, FREE book, “FREE FREE FREE… just pick up the phone and call now!” If you can’t bury the cost of giving away a free book to activate an account, you’re doing something wrong.
9. Track lead generation strategies back to the source. Keep a count of new customers acquired through each marketing channel in your lead generation program. Next year when you do it all again you’ll know where to start – at the highest new customer acquisition level.
10. Keep clients for life. Simply deliver the service you said you would, at the time you said you would deliver it. And then thank clients for their business. Yes. Simple as that. So…
11. Don’t forget to send a letter thanking clients for their business a couple of times a year. They never get tired of this, and they don’t get it from companies who don’t care. It sets your firm apart from those.
12. Hey, did I mention books make great business gifts. Certain books. Especially the ones that show how your clients can get more business in these tough economic times. Hey, did I mention my books can show you how to get more business for yourself in these tough times? Three of the best marketing books in the world: “How To Market A Product for Under $500″, “Uncommon Marketing Techniques”, and “Direct Marketing Strategies”. They’re awesome. Get them at Amazon.
Bio, Jeffrey Dobkin
If you’re struggling with poor response ? get help by reading practical marketing tips.
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Lead generation 2010: everybody’s looking for new customers and hot prospects. And sales. Times are tough but hey, they’re out there: people that need your products and services and want to do business with you. They just have to find you, know what you’re selling, and trust you enough to buy from you. Seems simple, but first you have to fix your broken lead generation system.
Broken Lead Generation Tip 1. You’re searching for leads in the wrong places. You’re looking high and low, and these high opportunity folks are left and right. You need to tune-up your lead generation strategy to find prospects and new customers efficiently.
Broken Lead Generation Tip 2. Customers and prospects don’t know you. Although you’ve been in an office right down the street for years, ate lunch at the same restaurant, shopped at the same grocery store — they’ve never heard of you, your business. You’re cold and you need to be warm.
Broken Lead Generation Program Tip 3. They don’t trust you.
Why should they: no one likes to do business with a stranger. Your lead generation program doesn’t establish trust as it develops new customers.
Broken Lead Generation Tip 4. Your marketing is old and ineffective. Remember the direct mail package you sent them about your products? And the 4-color post card. That didn’t work, did it? Say, when was that – a few months ago… a year or two ago? Five years? Yes, direct mail works. But not if you don’t do it right.
Broken Lead Generation Strategy 5. You made them the wrong offer. Whether by direct mail, telephone, newspaper ad or whatever… A poorly strategised lead generation program is like offering candy to a college co-ed — they aren’t taking anything from strangers. You aroused only suspicions, and they called to police. Or, did that only happen to me, er… a friend of mine?
Gone are the good old days:
Lead Generation Tip 6. Remember how you got most of your customers? Yea, well… that doesn’t work anymore, either. Times are tough. To be effective today, lead generation needs to be far more specific, targeted, and maybe even personalized to be most effective.
Direct Marketing Strategy Tip 7. In the good old days you could offer a product that no one else had. If people wanted it, they called you. Now, they can get it anywhere – including the Internet. And they can get it cheaper, too.
Times changed and everyone sells everything. Some industries are harder hit than others: financial lead generation is particularly tough — because now even banks sell financial services. And it’s harder still for insurance lead generation: both banks and financial service people sell insurance. Even if your competitors don’t have what your customers are looking for, they’ll go out and get it for them.
Direct Marketing Strategy 8. Now ask yourself why. Why should new clients do business with you. What makes you so great? Your nice office location, nice office furniture, and that good-looking secretary. I mean what makes you so great in THEIR eyes. Better pricing? Different product mix? Better service? Why should they leave the comfort and security of their current vendor, and move everything to you?
Overcome these 7 lead generation objections and answer question 8 and holy smokes, you’re one giant step closer to getting new customers and keeping older ones.
So, where are you going to generate new leads, prospects, and new customers now? The next two articles in this series “Lead Generation: How To increase response and lower cost per lead by finding the right markets.” shows you exactly how.
Bio, Jeffrey Dobkin
If you’re struggling with poor response from your direct marketing campaign, you can solve this problem and get guaranteed help; gain an advantage fast – and get amazing results by reading practical how-to marketing tips. Immediately increase your phone calls – and customers – receive articles you can trust by Jeffrey Dobkin. Dobkin has written 4 books on direct marketing that feature his practical marketing tips and successful direct marketing methods, all scribbled in his own brilliant conversational style of writing. He can be reached at 610-642-1000. Read more of his articles at http://www.danielleadams.com
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Who doesn’t love free advertising, right? Well, we already know most of you do, and those who don’t have just heard rumors about free advertising as being junk. Well, tell that to Nike, Target, Dell, Subway, and other large companies who spend millions on commercials to people where only about 2% see the results. To put it mildly, advertising is advertising and while it may not be as targeted as you might think, there are still some people who will want to see it.
However, from a business standpoint, you definitely want to have more targeted leads, but most of all, inexpensive prices. This is where the Leads Leap Lead Generation Program comes in and why we decided to do a review on them. The first thing you have to do is read over what we found while researching their website, and if it’s up to par with what you’re looking for then by all means get involved. Just take a look below first though.
Understanding What This Program Isn’t
Normally, we tell you everything we can gather about a new product or something out there that is up for review. On this item, we decided to take a different approach. You must realize that the Leads Leap Lead Generation Program is not a safelist where everyone emails everyone and you eventually get bombarded with thousands of emails into your account. We understand how irritating it is when this happens to us.
You also won’t have to worry about the network marketing schemes of building downlines so you can constantly email them in hopes of making a few bucks. It’s definitely not a credit surfing business, or ad watching company for leads. Nope, for more details visit to www.quick-selling-software.com none of this, but it does have a unique twist. Ever thought about getting PPC ads for free?
Learning About Contextual Advertising
Pay per click or better known as PPC, like we mentioned before, is all over the Leads Leap Lead Generation Program sales page. It gives you a quick inside look at what you can expect with their program and how it can benefit not only you, but others as well. We’ll leave the explaining up to them because there is nothing worse then a story that is only partially true because it comes from somewhere else. Same thing goes for information passed on the Internet.
Our Overall Analysis
To be honest, the system makes sense and we can see how it can be beneficial to anyone who is interested in more traffic. However, the most important thing here is it’s not just any traffic, but targeted traffic that will help your business. They are talking over a million leads from their chart on the page. While this may sound like a stout number, for more details visit to www.pure-profit-software.com you might want to view it before you make any assumptions about the Leads Leap Lead Generation Program.
Oh and if we didn’t mention it before, you WON’T be blasting emails to these leads either. According to the sales page, the contextual ads system they have come up with works wonders. If you don’t believe them then look at the testimonials, and if you don’t like the testimonials, well, it’s time to do the research yourself. Fortunately, we think you might actually enjoy what they have to offer. Then again, we do know you are the one who makes the decision.
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After exploring options on how I can generate additional income, I decided to join the world of network marketing. During my first training meeting a week ago, I was taught the traditional method of recruiting new sponsors like talking to my friends and family, and making a list of 100 warm contacts. With my previous recruitment background, I’m quite comfortable with this method, but I knew that I would eventually run out of warm contacts.
I knew that online marketing was an effective method to expand my network beyond what traditional or old school methods could accomplish. I researched a few low cost lead generation programs, and I managed to find an effective one through a referral. Through this program, I learned the value of attraction marketing. You have to build relationships with network marketers and add value in any way you can, instead of trying to sell a program to them. I knew I would struggle at some point generating leads, so I decided to sign up for this lead generation program and receive training early on.
Within a few days, I learned so many ways on how to market myself, from content/article marketing, social media, blogging and video marketing. Although it was a low cost lead generation program, I found value right away as measured by my increased marketing knowledge. I probably would have spent a few thousand dollars at my local college if I enrolled in a similar program and gained the same amount of knowledge and skills. By implementing the techniques they described, I was able to generate close to several new leads within a few days, and this is with no network marketing or online marketing experience. I know this number will grow exponentially over the next few weeks if I continue using the techniques.
I will continue using this program, and report on my progress to let you know how it goes. I’m lucky enough to have a good company with strong field leadership and mentorship. All I need to do is cast my net as wide as possible, build relationships with people, offer advice, and in time, after I have gained their trust, introduce them to my primary opportunity. The rest will take care of itself.
I know this low cost lead generation program will help me reach my goals, and put me ahead of the game. The best thing is that my mind is programmed to think “how can I add value to people”, or help in any way without expecting anything in return. Hope you can join me on this journey as I become more involved in network marketing.
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I like computers. Really, I do. But there are times when they (like any technologically sophisticated object) can confound. When they aren’t working the way we expect them to–or more often, the way we want them to–we have to work to figure out if it is broken, if there is a temporary glitch, or if we are simply doing something wrong.
Your sales lead generation efforts face the same issues. There are many factors that go into your lead generation process and, when it isn’t working well, it can be a challenge to figure out where the problem lies. For the next few posts, we’ll be looking at what might be happening in a lead generation breakdown, and what you can do to fix it.
There are 3 basic component parts to a lead generation program, and one or all of these items can breakdown. Let’s look first at the individual parts: The lead generator, the contact list and the program script.
The lead generator is, in a word, you (or perhaps me). The person actively working to generate sales leads is, not surprisingly, a major factor in your generation efforts. Your style, professionalism, attitude, procedures and even the tone of your voice can all affect lead generation.
The contact list is another major factor. In essence, your contact list is going to be filled with people who use the sort of products or services you are selling, so it is, in essence, all about trying to sell ice cubes to Eskimos. You could vey well be preaching to the choir. Then again, you could be preaching to a gaggle of circus clowns, or a tank full of exotic tropical fish. Either way, your message is hitting the wrong crowd and you’re wasting your breath. Time to reboot.
Finally, the program script is your conversation with the sales prospect. It involves the content, marketing, lead qualification and your ability to pull all of these things together in a logical, short and very concise presentation. If you’re a great lead generator and your contact list is spot on, then chances are good that your words are missing the mark. It could be your delivery, the order of your presentation of key points…or maybe the words themselves just aren’t right. There is a loose connection somewhere, and your message just isn’t getting through.
To get a lead generation program working all of these components must work together seamlessly.
So how do you know when your lead generation program is broken? This is actually the easy part: you are not producing leads at all, your system is broken. Like a crash site, it is a barren wasteland with scarred and charred earth. It’s pretty hard to miss. If it’s not completely broken, things get a little trickier. If it needs just repairs then you may be producing leads, but of suspect quality. Or you might be generating quality leads, but just at a trickle…a few here and a few there.
In any of these scenarios, the problem could be with any (or even all) of the components we have identified. The trick is identifying the weak link (or links) in your program. Once you can do that, fixing the problem is usually a pretty straightforward affair. Replace or repair the part in question, you your program will be operating smoothly in no time. In our next posts we will be looking at typical sources of problems in lead generation programs, and how to fix them.
Al Davidson is the President and Owner of SSM ( Strategic Sales & Marketing, Inc. http://www.manageyourleads.com ), which he founded in 1989. SSM has completed over 50 million cold calls to high level business decision makers and generated over 7 million sales leads.
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