Video: Collecting & Marketing to Leads
Collecting and marketing to leads is harder than it looks. Let our business professionals help you connect to your leads!
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Video Transcription:
Taylor: Hi, I’m Taylor.
Jen: I’m Jen.
Taylor: And today we’re going to talk to you about what exactly leads are and how you can go about collecting them, and what to do once you have collected them.
Jen: Some people, I don’t think, don’t know what a lead is. Do you get that question a lot?
Taylor: Yeah, we definitely hear that, like you know we throw that term around a lot, but they don’t really know exactly what we are talking about.
Jen: It is simply a consumer that showed interest in your product or service that you really should follow up with because it can turn into a sale.
Taylor: For sure, and there’s certain information that you should definitely collect. What is some of the information that you want to be getting from those leads?
Jen: So, first: you want a name. First name, last name. Email option, phone number option, and some people ask address. Just make sure you don’t make it required because a lot of people might not fill out the form.
Taylor: For sure.
Jen: The less you ask, the more leads you will get, but the less information. So, it depends on your goals.
Taylor: Yeah and I think it’s a really good point I love seeing as a millennial. The contact forms that ask “How would you like to be contacted?” because one, I do have a full-time job and I can’t always be answering calls and going into the details of my wedding at twelve noon, but then also as a millennial, I get a lot of calls from telemarketers, and if I don’t know a number, odds are I might not be picking it up. So, having that option of would I prefer to be emailed or phone called—I think that’s a really great tip.
Jen: Some of my clients now on their website they’re saying “text me” and giving a phone number. And they’re getting a really good response with that.
Taylor: And so how can you go about collecting those leads? How do you find them?
Jen: Lots of ways. First and foremost, your website is your business card. That has got to have several ways for them to contact you in the way they want to contact you. So, think contact form, that’s very easy to find. Think maybe as simple as an email field on every single page of the website, just to get their email and create a conversation. Have a phone number on every website—if you want them to call—as well as an email on every page. You don’t know what page they’re coming to your website from Google organically. Don’t assume they’re coming to your home page and don’t assume they’ll find your “Contact Us” quickly—people don’t want to work.
Taylor: Yeah and you don’t want to make them dig. You want to make it easy for them to find you. And I also think its great to have some reason for them to sign up with you. So, if you’re having a printable or some kind of promotion, an event or a sale going on that will be some kind of incentive for them to give you their email and their phone number.
Jen: Absolutely.
Taylor: So, another way that you can definitely go about collecting leads is at a bridal show.
Jen: It’s great when you exhibit in a consumer show that is focused on your niche customer client—like weddings. So, at the Today’s Bride shows there you are exhibiting—it’s all people there planning a wedding or knows someone who’s planning a wedding.
Taylor: Target audience right in one spot.
Jen: How easy it is when they come up to your booth and they inquire about your service, “Here fill out my contact information” so you can follow up and you do the work afterwards.
Taylor: And that can be as easy as giving them a piece of paper to sign or having a computer there.
Jen: Or having a paper to sign and having an area that they can fill in, but then ask them important questions that help you get to know them and their wedding.
Taylor: Have stuff to touch base on.
Jen: Exactly, and you got to know them. You’re building a bride—creating a relationship. Live show promoters like ourselves, we provide an attendee lead list to you after the show. The challenge is you don’t know who’s hot from that list and who is a warm or cold lead. You do know they’re interested in weddings so that’s one hurdle that you can pass, so it’s important to market to all the leads. Maybe by email or even by direct mail, right to their mailbox. The ones that you collect at your booth that you talk to; those are the hot ones that follow up immediately. Use the other list to supplement and try to generate more business. Another way to garner leads is to align yourself with a local business that has a niche industry that offers lead lists. For instance, Today’s Bride Magazine, if you’re a customer of Todays Bride and you subscribe to our lead list of the members that join our website, you know right now that those are brides getting married. They’re current, they’re local, and you know the quality of the lead because you know Today’s Bride.
Taylor: Now how do you follow-up? Are there certain keywords you should use? Or certain methods that you should do when you’re following up with a potential lead?
Jen: Depends on where you got the lead and how strong it is. A referral is very simple to call, email, be direct—mention the person that referred you and how they got there. When you have the lead say from the bridal show that they came to your booth “It was so nice to meet you at the show. I’m looking forward to getting more information about your wedding.” The colder leads—that you know are getting married, you know you have the wedding date available, but they haven’t contacted you quite yet, but they were at the show—that might be as simple as an email. Providing your service saying “Hey we offer this; do you still need this type of service for your wedding?”
Taylor: Introduce yourself so they know that you’re out there.
Jen: Yeah, but email is just another form of communication, don’t rely on it. It’s important to do it well, but layer these different types of follow-up leads with email, with direct mail, maybe direct calling too. Because not many people call anymore, and you know you may go to voicemail.
Taylor: It’s just another layer to get them to notice you.
Jen: Timing is critical too. So, it’s important to follow up with the leads quickly. Keep in touch with them.
Taylor: So, what would be your advice of how quickly should it be the next day, even the next week?
Jen: So, think about this: that person that is coming to you is going to the very next competitor of yours and then the very next one.
Taylor: They’re not going to stop with just you.
Jen: Correct. So, whoever gets to them first will get their attention first, and so you want to go as quickly as possible. And if you’re not getting a hold of them, try again two days later, maybe try a third attempt. Then maybe try a different way. Maybe its not by phone, maybe try email. Okay, email didn’t work, okay maybe I’ll just mail a little card and note in the mail. So, you’re going to have to see what works for you and your business. And then when something works make a mental note and repeat the pattern. Then with the event industry, it might be date driven, so maybe most of your clients hire you six months before the wedding, you know that’s your sweet spot. Start contacting them eight months before the wedding, touch base seven months before the wedding so boom, they know about you. They remember you when that six-month bar comes.
Taylor: Great, well these were some great tips. I’m so glad we got to talk to you, and I hope some of this advice and this information helps you guys, and we will see you next time.
