It doesn’t take too long after being in business to realize that some client relationships are more harmonious than others. These are your ideal customers. In looking around the marketplace and deciding who you think you would most like to do business with, you would probably like to target others that you think you could develop similar good relationships with. We call these Ideal leads, and they are prospects who fit a defined customer profile. Not only are they interested in what you offer, but they appreciate the differences that your product or service offers compared to the competition.
A good place to begin in defining your ideal lead is to look at your existing customers. What things do they have in common? What in their demographics are similar and what are different? The first step in determining an ideal lead flow is to agree on a set of criteria of what an ideal lead looks like for your company, then develop a profile to better focus your sales and marketing team’s efforts.
It’s important to give a lot of love to the relationships in your business world. A lot of what you do to nurture a personal relationship can be applied to business relationships. Online traffic that has been converted into leads needs “love” and nurturing, just like any other relationship. What can you do to love your leads and convert them into new sales? Here are some best practices to consider:
Know your leads. Different campaigns draw in different leads. When you develop campaigns to send to your leads, tailor each to specific groups. Don’t lump all of your leads together.
Deliver what you promise. What was your initial offer to your leads? If you promised something by a specific date, then have it ready for them by that date. If you did not include a specific timeline, have their offer ready in a reasonable amount of time. Don’t keep your leads waiting.
Be accessible and available. Your leads may have questions or want more information before they make a buying decision. You, or someone in your business, needs to be accessible to them, through email or phone, with answers. When creating a new campaign, hold a meeting with whatever departments in your business will be involved to get everyone on the same page. Everyone should know how to handle situations when leads have questions.
Schedule regular interactions. Much like a weekly or monthly date night, your leads need to have a regularly scheduled interaction with you, whether it’s through email, a phone call, or something else. Determine a “balanced” schedule of these interactions that shows consistency, but doesn’t overwhelm your leads with a barrage of constant communication.
Be unique and valuable. What can you offer your leads that they can’t get anywhere else? What offer can you provide that holds value for them? The more unique and valuable your offers are, the more reasons your leads will have to check back and continue a relationship with you.
According to The Annuitas Group “Nurtured leads make 47% larger purchases than non-nurtured leads.” So love the leads you’re with! Your bottom line will reflect your efforts.
Do you know your ideal leads and are you nurturing them? Take the Brand Traffic Control Assessment and find out.