What’s The #1 Lead Generation Small Business Marketing Mistake…

“My business is like a roller coaster. When things are going well, I’m too busy working on projects to do any marketing. Then I finish those projects and don’t have enough leads to market to.

How can I smooth out these ups and downs and grow my business even more?”
– Bill, a management consultant Cambridge MA

Ever wish you had more leads to pursue when sales take a dip or you finish a project?

Or, even better, leads to pursue before sales take a dip or the work slows down?

With a steady flow of business, you could manage staffing and cash flow better and significantly increase your annual revenue.

When I asked Bill what he did to follow up with the hundreds of senior managers he worked with each year, he sheepishly told me, “nothing”. He didn’t have a follow up strategy. I asked him how many business cards he’d collected at the last talk he gave to over 50 senior managers. His answer? “None”.

Don’t be mislead; Bill is a successful consultant. He works with CEOs and top-level managers at Fortune 500 companies. But he was making one big mistake, and it was keeping him from being as successful as he could be.

What’s the mistake Bill was making? Bill didn’t have a lead generation system or a follow up system. When there was a drop in the demand for his services, he had to start his marketing from scratch.

Want to avoid making this common marketing mistake?

Use this link to find out how >>

How can you get off the roller coaster and bring in a steady stream of business?

Think like a squirrel.

As fall approaches here in Old Greenwich, CT the dozens of squirrels in my neighborhood are busy doing what squirrels do; they’re collecting nuts and storing them away. They instinctively know that the more food they gather, the happier and fatter they’ll be, come February.

They have a system for collecting nuts each fall that gets them through the long winter.

Weathering the ups and down of the business cycles requires the same kind of planning. To come out on top, you need a marketing system for collecting leads, storing them and following up on them. The more qualified leads you have in your database, the happier you’ll be.

What’s the easiest way to generate more leads every month? Use this link >>

A lead generation system gives you an organized way of contacting prospects, qualifying them, prompting them to contact you and helping them make the decision to buy from you.

Is your lead generation system working as well as it could be to bring in a steady stream of new clients? Is it providing you with new sales from long-standing clients?

Put Your Lead Generation Marketing System to the Test

1. Do you have a system?

Bill had no system whatsoever for generating leads. He was getting occasional referrals, but referrals alone weren’t growing his business.

2. Does it work to prompt 10% of all people exposed to you or your marketing to contact you?

Whether you are giving talks to large gatherings of your target market, as Bill is, or marketing online through your website, the basic concept behind a lead generation system is the same. You want to motivate as many qualified prospects as you can to contact you.

Most small businesses and service professionals have websites, but few sites generate more than a trickle of leads. The graphics, content and marketing messages on your site should prompt a minimum of 10% of site visitors to contact you. If this isn’t happening, your site is broken and you need to fix it.

3. Do you have a sequenced system of communication for converting prospects to clients?

In my experience, only 1 out of 10 small business owners have a system for converting prospects in place. So if you don’t you’re not alone but if you want to grow your business you need one.

Once a prospect expresses an interest, you’ve gotten them to take the first step in the process. It doesn’t mean they want you to sell them. Usually that is the quickest way to kill the sale.

Prospects want to get to know you, trust you and discover the value of your product and services. Whatever media you use, your follow-up communication should accomplish this.

What’s involved in setting up your lead generation system? Use this link to get the details >>

You don’t have to go nuts to develop a solid lead generation system. With a simple, strategic marketing system in place, your business can grow every month, whether you’re immersed in a project or on vacation.

If you don’t already have one, put your lead generation system into place this fall and see your business continue to prosper this winter.

– Charlie
Small Business Marketing Ideas That Work