Process
We focus on the strategies that will generate action, not just traffic.
Today the customers are in control. They find you, they invite you, they do the due diligence, they make a decision. Much of this process happens on line. You probably know that already. If you’re like most people looking for a solution to a problem, you jump online first to solve it. You might do a general search, then refine your based on the results you get back. So if this is obvious dynamic today, then why don’t more businesses set themselves up for success in this environment?
With things changing so fast, and so many buzzwords to contend with, it’s hard to know where to start. We boiled everything down into a simple four-part system. Every aspect of your lead generation efforts can be summed up in these four parts.
Attraction
Attraction is about getting found online. It’s optimizing your website – and your web presence in general – to increase your chances of getting found when someone searches the products or solutions similar to what you provide.
The strategies you employ will depend on on a number of things including your market, your products, and the competition. But one essential element is optimizing your own website — called search engine optimization or SEO.
Optimization means refining your website content and the underlying framework so you get found in the organic search engine results when a prospect searches your product or service.
In some organizations, even the thought of ruffling your IT staff’s feathers to tweak your website is like getting a wisdom tooth pulled. The process can be long and painful. The reality is that a website is not an IT function but a marketing function and must be treated that way. Marketing and sales must be accountable for the website’s effectiveness because today it represents the core of a company’s marketing effort.
Your current website is only one aspect of the ATTRACTION phase of your lead generation program. Other components include:
- Keyword Research — what keywords are your prospects searching for
- Competitive Research – which keywords are your competitors using and how successful are they in driving traffi
- Link-Building — Creating quality links from reputable websites that effectively bring up your search engine rankin
- Online Advertising & PPC – Paid advertising options (Google Adwords and beyond) that put you in front of qualified prospects
Engagement
Good selling is about educating. It’s about generating content that delivers real value, not just a sales message. Prospects buy only from people know, like and trust. Use engagement tools to build trust that leads to conversion.
Usually before a prospect commits to any kind of relationship by sharing information, they want to get to know you first. Engagement tools help prospects get to know you. Tools that demonstrate your expertise will build the prospects trust in your ability to deliver, and move you closer to a sale before you even pick up the phone.
Thought leadership tools include blogs, white papers, ebooks, podcasts, audio and video content, webinars, software, teleconferences and others work well in building this trust. The exact tools you use depends on a number of factors including the time you can invest in the Engagement process, the time your prospects can invest. The Engagement process can be automated and scaled, giving you the ability to offer many thought leadership tools concurrently. Many consultants and sales reps have reached what’s called “micro celebrity” status because of the volume of quality content they deliver. This content reinforces their expertise and helps them to command a premium for their products and services.
Conversion
This action is the Conversion we’re after. The action of opting into your offer, requesting your information, now places the prospect in your inner circle so you can begin a more intimate dialog based specifically on their problem at hand.
Leverage
Making the first sale is only the first step in most sales relationships. Buiding that relationship after the sale will result in future sales and referrals. The life time value of a customer must be considered up front so you understand the need to put in place a system that will maintain customer relationships and make them stronger.
