How To Attract More Customers Into Your Lead Generation Funnel

First, what is a lead generation funnel? A lead generation funnel helps qualify prospective buyers for specific products or services. It's where you'll put cold leads, or those only qualified by demographic or limited action.

Many of my clients ask about "Lead Generation Funnel System" thinking it's some gimmick to increase sales. Instead, it's a method for qualifying prospects in your marketplace for specific products of services.

Who goes into a lead generation funnel? Perhaps these individuals requested specific information or an appointment but didn't take action to buy. Maybe these individuals demographically, or have similar characteristics to existing profitable customers. A lead generation funnel is a place to nurture leads into customers.

A correctly functioning lead generation funnel will receive prospects in one end, through a series of processes, contacts, and interactions; then drops a qualified buyer for a specific opportunity out the other end. This system works for small companies as well as it works for large companies -- but how do you get started?

To attract more prospects into this funnel, let's look at how you prospect. How does your company prospect?

If your organization is like many you might rent a list, download a directory, or send sales people into the field to fend for themselves. Perhaps you are one-step better with a marketing department driving leads from trade shows or space advertising.

While these methods have room for improvement, it's a good start to be doing any two of them regularly. Look around your sales office; you probably already have a bundle of names to get started.

Now you need to have an offer, something of value to give a buy a reason to contact you. You could offer your product, but remember these individuals aren't yet qualified as buyers of your products or services. This is where many sales organizations bang their head against a way.

Instead of just offering information, try a tool that improves the buyers ability make a buying decision. This steps only purpose is to qualify buyers while identifying a decision maker -- not to sell anything you have to offer, just to get a prospect to raise their hand for the sake of self-interest.

Without an offer, your buyer has no reason to talk with you. Because these individuals have never bought from you in the past (or so long ago), you don't want to start them out with something expensive. Think of this offer as a reintroduction to reasons why customers do business with you today.

Do you have any small products that could qualify prospects as buyers of higher priced items? I call this a lead product, the sale of it leads to another sale. Now there are ways to format your offer, reasons you shouldn't lead with a free product, and at least seven things you can do when someone responses...

However, the key of this message is that every product in your company should have a lead offer that gets prospects to tell you they are interested in what you offer.

This small commitment means big conversions when you properly implement a lead generation funnel that qualifies leads.

In another lesson, I'll go over details on creating an offer buyers can't refuse, then positioning your communications to identify key buying desires, and close the sale quickly for your representatives. Right now, what can you offer that will get prospects to tell you they are interested in becoming buyers?

© 2006-2009 JWH Consolidated Inc, All rights reserved.

Posted by Justin Hitt at December 11, 2006 12:36 AM  Subscribe in a reader


Your email address will NOT be shared or rented, your privacy is respected.

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.jwhco.com/mt5/mt-tb.cgi/571

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference How To Attract More Customers Into Your Lead Generation Funnel:

» Double Check Leads from Online Automated Lead Generation Sources from Ask Justin Hitt Blog
How to turn thousands of your on-line leads into hot buyers of your products, services, and solutions. [Read More]

Tracked on October 26, 2007 6:37 AM

» Why is prospecting the RIGHT buyers important in sales from Ask Justin Hitt Blog
Turn prospecting into a powerful sales building tool while spending your efforts prospecting for the right customers who want to buy. [Read More]

Tracked on September 4, 2008 12:07 PM

 
Ask Justin Hitt Blog | Read Past Answers | Ask Your Question

© 2006- JWH Consolidated Inc, All rights reserved.