Last week, I wrote about the lead pipeline or lead conversion process, which is a complex process that requires extensive interaction between the customer and vendor.
This week, I delve further into the ways in which you can optimise your lead generation by focusing on enquiry generation.
Much of the marketing budget is devoted to generating enquiries – no enquiries equal no prospects and no sales. A marketing program might involve many activities including advertising, exhibitions, internet marketing, telesales and so on. This is the point where the individual or organisation recognises that the vendor may be able to offer a solution to a need or problem and either initiates or responds to a contact with the vendor.
It is at this point where getting the message right, defining who you are, what you do and which problems you solve is critical. Poorly constructed, misleading or wrong messages allow too many poor enquiries to be generated. Even when they present themselves to the system as enquiries, prospects can be led through a self-directed information search to better qualify themselves. Too many vendors pass leads to marketing personnel too early in the process where automated systems could self-screen prospects.
The purpose of brochures, web content, articles and case studies should be to enable the more obviously inappropriate prospects to withdraw. It is just as important for the vendor to state what they don’t do as to say what they do. It is important that the vendor provides a good description of their ideal customer so the prospect can opt in or out.
If it becomes clear to the prospect that the vendor cannot assist them and they can establish this themselves, this is a highly efficient mechanism for the vendor.
Andrew Sadauskas is a former journalist at SmartCompany and a former editor of TechCompany.
