Home > Marketing Ideas > Lead Generation > Lead Generation

How to Improve Lead Generation and Conversion Rates: Think Like a Farmer

by Charlie Cook
Copyright 2005©. All rights reserved.

John's a freelance photographer in Ohio who called to tell me of his frustration with the advertising and promotional campaigns he has tried in the last couple of years. Each time he does a promotional mailing to his list of 10,000, he is lucky if he gets one or two inquiries.

I had a similar call from a corporation that was spending its time and money driving traffic to its web site. With six thousand visitors a day, they were only getting a couple of inquiries per week.

Both businesses were spending a lot of money to get attention but weren’t converting this attention to lead generation.

Are you having the same problem?

Marketing is a lot like farming. You can’t just head out to your fields and bring in a bountiful harvest. First, you buy seed from the money you’ve budgeted. Then you plant, your seeds and tend to them. Finally in the fall if you've done the right things to help your crop grow you'll have a bountiful harvest.

You may not be interested in becoming a farmer, but if you want to see your business grow there are three ways thinking like a farmer can help you.

1. Learn How to Collect More Leads
A farmer needs seed and lots of it to bring in a bountiful harvest. You need a lot of quality leads to increase your clientele.

If your ads or mailings aren't resulting in a steady stream of inquiries, find out what's not working and change it. By changing a couple of sentences of your marketing copy or your offer, for example, you can increase response rates by a factor of ten or more.

Could you collect more leads with the right small business marketing strategy and marketing copy?

Learn how to write marketing messages that explain what you do, get your prospects' attention and generate more sales. I wrote the "15 Second Marketing" guide to show you how to get a better response to what you say about what you do.

Many have used the "15 Second Marketing" guide to increase their response rates by 2-4 times or more within weeks.

Use this link to get your copy of the "15 Second Marketing" guide.

Want to increase the response to the marketing copy on your web site and in your mailings? Use an expert to write marketing copy for you. Use this link to learn more.

2. Learn How to Increase Your Lead Conversion Rate
A farmer who had spent his savings on seed wouldn't plant his field, then go on vacation and come back months later expecting to find a healthy crop. While you may be the exception, this is the way most people market their businesses. According to The Yankee Group, between 40% to 80% of new business leads aren't converted simply due to lack of follow-up.

Many businesses spend m0ney on getting attention and then don't follow up on a prospect's interest by giving them the information or contact opportunity they want. What you tell a prospect and how promptly you respond when they show an interest determines whether they continue to stay in touch.

Of the people who see your ads, what percentage respond?

Of the people who visit your web site, what percentage contact you?

Of the people who contact you, what percentage become clients and customers?

Could you increase your lead conversion rates by improving your Internet, phone and mail follow-up?

Want to generate and convert more leads? You can when you use "The Insider Secrets to Highly Effective Marketing" manual.

In "The Insider Secrets to Highly Effective Marketing" manual you'll learn how to attract more prospects and clients each month and how to grow your business by over 50% in a few months as one client did.

Use this link to order your copy of The Insider Secrets to Highly Effective Marketing.

3. Learn to Use Systems that Generate Leads, Nurture Them and Increase Conversion Rates
Today's farmers are as technologically and information savvy as any of us. Farmers use GPS in their tractors to plant their crops, the web to connect to weather forecasting and crop price information web sites to track their markets.

Using high tech information and machines to get the work done, today's farmer has a system for buying seed and supplies, planting, maintaining and harvesting his or her crops. They make good use of systems and machines to increase their chances of bringing in a bountiful harvest.

Having the right lead generation system is equally important to your small business marketing. In the case of the corporation mentioned above, a simple change to their online lead generation system increased leads from 1 or 2 a week to 80 a week.

Could your lead conversion rates increase with a better system for capturing and following up on leads?

Learn how to use your web site and online marketing strategy to generate and convert more leads.

In! "Creating Web Sites that Sell" you’ll find a step-by-step guide to increasing sales with your web site.

Use this link to order your copy of Creating Web Sites that Sell.

If you're like me, you get hungry often. Whether you're taking photographs or growing lettuce, you want to generate more leads and grow your business. To fill your larder and bring in a steadily increasing number of clients, think like a farmer.

Use your small business marketing strategy and lead generation system to bring in many more prospects and increase your conversion rates. When you do you'll find yourself with a bountiful crop of new clients.

"I love your small business marketing books so much that I've bought three of these marketing tools, my favorite being 'Creating Web Sites that Sell'. I used to see marketing as a puzzle; now all the pieces are falling into place.

Your marketing manuals contain a wealth of information that simplifies what I do. They ! have helped me be more productive and get many more clients. Highly recommended."
Susan Robichaud, Visual Communications Inc.