Depending on where you spend your winter, you may be in a cold or in a warm climate. If you are like me, it is cold outside and everytime you leave home or the office, you need to bundle up. No fun!
Some people look at their B2B Lead Generation Program as that cold place to go. . . no fun! But it doesn't have to be that way! Read on to warm up to some ways to make your lead generation marketing time a fun place to be.
First, let's think about why you even do lead generation to begin with...
1.) To help people/businesses enjoy what you have to offer
2.) To warm someone else's life because your product/service will make their day (or their year)
3.) To enhance the experience your customer/client has in one way, shape or form.
Doesn't that warm you up, just thinking about how you can help others with what you have to offer?
Second, do all of your prospects understand the benefits of what you offer or do?
1.) Warm up with some ideas of how to "warm up" your prospects... What is the easiest way for them to experience your warmth? Can they see it? Taste it? Feel it? Smell it? Do something warm to grab their attention.
2.) Remember that not everyone will understand the benefits the first time they see or hear about your product/service... Think about warm ways to drip those benefits on them
3.) Can you email them something warm every few weeks? Send them to something special on your website? Offer them some warm information that will capture their attention...
Finally, think about how you can tell if your prospects are "warmed up."
1.) Did they open your email? Call them and say that you sent them an email and just wanted to follow up by phone.
2.) Did they download something from your website? Call them ASAP... most likely they'll be surprised that you care enough to do it!
3.) Did you send them something warm in the mail? Touch base with them by email... another touch.
Warm touches help! Please post some "warm" ideas for our readers!
Have a great weekend and stay warm!
The fire sirens just went off outside my office...! Where is the fire? What is wrong? Is someone hurt? There is an emergency... somewhere...
Makes me think of the state of many companies' B2B Lead Generation program. Lead generation is so critical in the state of any company's health.
How is your lead generation program faring? In this economy, it isn't unusual to hear... "My pipeline is dried up?" "Sales quit coming in?" "Cash flow is dwindling?" Emergency situations are not fun. What can be done to keep emergencies from happening?
The solution goes back to an effective lead generation program. Here are some tips to keeping your lead generation program vibrant:
1.) Spend a little (at least) time on prospecting/lead generation each and every work day.
2.) Implement a plan that you can temporarily "put on auto pilot." This could be pre-scheduled emails or blog articles. (Make sure you have good call to actions that take your prospects to your website's landing pages so they can become qualified leads!) It might be that you hire someone or outsource part of the marketing plan so things are happening even while you (and your staff) aren't working.
3.) As I mentioned above, make sure that your website is ready and able to handle visitors who have an interest in your services. If it is set up properly, your website can be the vehicle that handles many of your prospects questions.
For more information about how to set up your website as the "hub" for your lead generation, just email us:
For some lead generation tips:
Have a great weekend!
This morning as I was driving to work, it was very, very foggy. It made me think of how dangerous it is to move down a path... any path... and not be able to see what is in front of you.
When reviewing and implementing your lead generation program, be sure to take a look ahead and plan for what is coming. Too often businesses launch a lead generation campaign and don't think about what to do when the leads actually come in!
Seems silly, doesn't it?! But, think about it... have you ever sent out an email campaign asking for a response and then when suddenly you started getting a bunch of replies, you were overwhelmed?
Using foresight is the key. Also, when you launch a campaign, EXPECT to receive leads. If you go into the program with a sound expectation, you most likely will PLAN for good results. Having a plan in place is critical to servicing and nurturing those leads... which makes for a successful lead generation program.
Just as an example: You launched an email campaign. You wrote a white paper with some really, really great content and a call to action that requests for the reader to go to your website and take a quick assessment. Once they take the assessment, you will need to spend 20 minutes preparing a report (which will demonstrate how you might bring value to them) with which you will then contact the lead ... and meet with them on the phone or in person.
Now pretend that you received 50 leads from this email campaign! How much time will this take for you to service these leads? Almost 17 hours... just to prepare the reports! Then, you will need to contact and meet with them... if you don't you will let them down and you will lose credibility in their minds.
As you can see... it is very critical to use foresight... don't drive in the fog!
For some ideas for your marketing plan for 2012, download our short whitepaper!
A website is a critical part of a company's marketing plan. It is also an important part of a B2B lead generation program.
Let's talk about some blunders that could hinder the effectiveness of a website:
1.) Too much emphasis on the graphics and the "look" of the site instead of the content. When someone surfs the web from a businesses perspective, what are they typically looking for? Information... valuable, helpful, remarkable information. Most people don't want to see a bunch of pictures flashing on the site. Many don't even pay much attention to the graphics because they are looking for the answer for which they are searching.
2.) Unprofessional image - On the other extreme, some websites are totally unprofessional. They use poor graphics, unprofessional fonts, poor grammar and punctuation, and are unorganized. An effective site is clean, easily read, and understood by at least a 7th grade level.
3.) Failing to engage the visitor immediately on the home page. - Engage your visitor immediately on the home page. Don't spend a lot of "web real estate" talking about your company or yourself. Try to answer questions that your target audience would be asking. Draw them to watch a video or listen to an audio. Create remarkable content that will engage them immediately.
4.) No simple call to action in immediate "eye view" on the page - Once you have engaged your visitor with great content, be sure to offer a call to action. Give them a reason to download a whitepaper or an ebook. Allow your content to catch their attention to the point that they want more... give them the opportunity to easily request it.
5.) No Blog - Blogs are what drives search engine traffic. Search engines are getting very smart in knowing what is remarkable content. Blogs are the best forum to offer that and thereby drive traffic to your site.
6.) Difficult navigation - Make navigation easy on your site. Don't make your visitors click multiple times to reach their goals. One click navigation usually gets the best results.
7.) No capturing of information for future follow up. - Capturing your visitors' contact information is critical to effective marketing. Keep the required fields to a minimum (ie email address and first name). Follow up nicely... surprise them with a bonus... get their attention!
Want to learn how to write a blog? Need some tips of structuring your home page? Feel free to email us!
As we begin a New Year, lead generation is heating up in many companies. We are all set to make 2012 a great year for business, and one fundamental activity for that to happen is to generate good leads.
In B2B lead generation, email marketing is becoming more and more critical. We are not talking about emailing to thousands of addresses who have never had any contact with you before. We are talking about selectively email potential prospects with the intent to add value to their business. In showing them value, you are creating a "good feeling" for when they think of you.
Quickly plan out five email topics which would be of interest to twenty of your top prospects. Schedule and plan out a campaign using these email topics. Once you have the topics identified, here are 7 easy steps to writing your email:
1.) Draft a captivating Subject Line... make sure to use an Action Verb and a few words that will grab their attention. The subject line should not be long... preferably less than 50 characters
2.) Address your prospect personally... saying something like... "Good morning, John"
3.) In the first sentence of your email, tie back to your subject line. This adds authenticity to your message. This introductory paragraph should only be a few sentences long.
4.) When writing the body of the email, use bullets to grab attention and highlight important parts. Keep the body pretty short, but include links to your website or to helpful tips that add value to your message.
5.) Be sure to have a "Call to Action." It could be a download from your site, or it could be a request to comment on your blog. Or, maybe you want them to hit "reply" and just give you a short answer of some kind. Show that you have an interest in helping them, and if they just (take your call to action) they will get some more value.
6.) Close with a message that shows that you plan to continue your contact. Maybe say, "Until later" or "I'll be in touch." If you say you will follow up, please do.
7.) Finally, be sure to track who opens your emails and who clicks on your links. Then, take action. These are potentially warm prospects... don't lose them. Help them help you kick off your 2012 lead generation with a great start!
If you need some information on great email marketing software, please email us.
Have a great weekend!
Happy New Year! Here we are already at the end of 2011! Ready for a fresh start to a brand-new year.
Is lead generation at the top of your list? Let's make it exciting! Here are some quick tips for January:
- Read our recent blog posts to see how to make lead generation productive and fun.
- Make getting email addresses a key part of lead generation. Nurture your prospects by emailing them valuable information that speaks to their pains. If someone is remotely interested in your service now, who knows how quickly they may become a client.
- Truly want to help people... be real and become a problem solver for those who you touch.
- Set a plan in motion now (our previous posts may help you). It doesn't take as much as you think! Just decide to talk to, contact, or email 3 to 6 prospects each day.
Wishing you and your family a safe and happy New Year! Will be in touch again in 2012!
In the meantime, feel free to email us with any questions:
Remember to check out our e-paper with Tips for Marketing in the New Year!
This is a giving and joyous time of year...and there is excitement in the air ... anticipating a New Year and what marketing will hold!
In this season of giving, it comes to mind that successful lead generation is also really about just that...GIVING. Giving and helping our target audience is key to successfully generating
leads. Prospects are naturally attracted when they sense the spirit of giving. They open up and listen. Start giving...bits of helpful information, tidbits and tips, shortcuts and highlights...
But... rest assured... we want to make one quick statement... Do NOT give away your services... Prospects expect to pay for valuable services. Not only will you hurt yourself by giving away services, but you will hurt your entire industry. Just attract your prospects with gifts that help them. This will help you in return!
May you and your family have a wonderful Christmas holiday! We looking forward to connecting with you again after the first of the year!
In the meantime, if you need us, please feel free to email us.
Did you get our FREE e-paper - 10 Marketing Steps for 2012?! Go here to get it:
10 Marketing Steps for 2012
We quickly wanted to offer you some tips as you plan your marketing for 2012. Grab our e-paper titled 10 Marketing Tips for 2012.
Feel free to download our e-paper here:
10 Marketing Tips for 2012 
Putting together a marketing plan for the year is critical in successful lead generation. Hopefully these tips will help you jumpstart your plan.
The e-paper will help you zero in on how to approach good prospects and turn them into clients. Some of these tips have been detailed in our blog during the last few months. However, there are many that have not yet been covered.
Hurry and download it and then jump in and get started!
FREE e-paper
As we near the holidays... we wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!
Stay tuned for additional tips on successful lead generation!
As usual, feel free to email us with any questions...
We were discussing the use of surveys for successful lead generation. Wording your questions properly and putting them in a specific order is important.
Here are some hints on creating successful surveys (studies):
1.) Keep the survey/study to 10 - 14 questions which take less than 3 minutes to answer.
2.) The first question needs to be a "lead in question." It should be a natural progression to what was said or written before. If possible, it is best if it is a "yes/no" question with the natural answer to be "yes." The prospect should not have to think long or hard to answer it.
3.) The second, third and fourth questions should also be easy ones for the prospect to answer. They should in no way seem "nosy" or "sales-y." If they require a "yes/no" answer, it is best if 90% of the time the answer is "yes." Starting a survey/study off with a "no" is not good.
If these questions are not "yes/no" questions, it is best to make them multiple-choice. This keeps the prospect from having to think too hard, but giving them choices will engage them. Getting them engaged early in the survey is key. Engagement happens when they feel "good" about answering the questions... so taking the "research" approach most often works best - with some general questions about the purpose of the study.
At least by the third or fourth question, you should begin to feel comfortable asking questions that directly relate to your need of finding out information that will help you determine whether or not this prospect is a good prospect for you.
4.) The next five - seven questions should relate directly to uncovering pains, determining if/how you might be able to help the prospect. But, they need to be worded in a way that you don't seem like a salesperson. TRULY, you are trying to determine if how you can help.
5.) The final questions should help close in on level of interest... they might be:
- If there would be solution to ___________ - over the next two weeks - would you have 15 minutes to discuss this?
- Assuming there would be a system that would solve some or all of ________________, how much would it be worth to you? Could you budget... (Give multiple choice ranges of $ amounts for budget)
- Ok, I'll will pass this information along to the research team. If they have a couple more quick questions or if someone sees there is a potential fit, in the next few days, would it be ok if they give you a quick jingle?
- Would you possibly be interested in taking 15 – 20 minutes to see a demo/webinar that shows how a system might benefit a _____________ such as yours?
These are some ideas... the important thing to remember is to be very careful not to come across as a salesperson. Think about how you would like to be surveyed if you were in the prospects shoes. The other important things is... get in the frame of mind that you truly are looking to help and to do that you are uncovering needs.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!
As I mentioned in my last blog post, surveying your target market can demonstrate that you are truly interested in the success of their industry.
Developing an appropriate survey is dependent on:
1.) The needs of your target audience
2.) How your product/service solves those needs
3.) Developing the right approach to demonstrate the benefits you can provide
If you have a list of prospects with whom you are regularly emailing, doing an email survey might be the place to start. As with any email, the subject line is critical. It is important not to come across as if you are selling something. Your subject line might be:
- Help solve (one of the noted pains in the industry you are targeting) OR
- Do you have a solution for (one of the noted pains) OR
- Solving (the pain) yields more profits
Then, if you can, in the body of your email immediately tie your "story line" to the subject line. In this way, the reader will feel satisfied right away that you are truly continuing with what grabbed their attention.
Your story might be an example of a client's success. It could be some statistics that show when (the pain) is solved what it yields. It is important to be short and informative... don't get off subject. Your reader is busy and is reading to obtain some value or satisfaction.
Whatever your "story" might be, it should lead to prompting them to take the online survey. Try to give them a compelling reason to do this. Tell them how it can help them potentially solve a pain of their own. Think about it from their perspective... So that even if they don't know you, they will see benefit in taking the 1 - 2 minutes to complete the survey.
If you don't already have an email list, your best next step might be to cold call a list of prospects. You might be thinking... "no way!" Stay tuned... It isn't as hard as you think... especially if you truly care about helping your target audience...
Let us know if you have any questions or if we can help in any way!
Until next week!
Helen & Mary Beth