Did you know that about half of all people who visit your site are not ready to buy anything? In addition, nearly 80% of all new leads never convert into sales. With these statistics, the need for online lead nurturing becomes critical. For this reason, lead nurturing can be defined as the process of courting or wooing potential customers; so that when they are ready to make actual purchases, you are there to get their business. It involves a personal close walk with potential leads so that you can help them choose your company and not the competition. Needless to say, the cut-throat competition has made companies more thirsty for quality leads and they are employing all manner of strategies to attract leads until real conversions are achieved.
Does lead nurturing work?
The simple answer to this question is, yes. According to The Annuitas Group, nurtured leads in the long run are responsible for about 47% larger purchases compared to leads that were never nurtured. To this effect, online lead nurturing is a practice that needs to be taken more seriously by companies (big or small) to attain their sales goals. With this in mind, it is excellent online tactics and approaches to lead nurturing that will yield the desired fruit. Below is a detailed guide on how to do online nurturing.
Online lead nurturing tactics that work
Lead conversion is the ultimate goal for online lead nurturing. You want people who visit your platforms to buy as much as possible. To achieve this, you need to have a strategy in place. One vital tool that will help any company is a conversion system. This system does not have to be expensive because it can be as simple as an excel spreadsheet. The idea is to collect vital data accurately, consistently and actively. Specialized software can also be employed for this. The conversion system will help you see and track the behavior of potential leads. For example, what do they look at, do they download your offerings, do they opt in to your email system, do they look at discounts; the list goes on. This will help you nurture them along the way until they are sales-ready. Below are the tactics that work like a charm when nurturing potential leads.
Your lead nurturing mechanism should incorporate these points;
1. Identify and acquire quality leads
Quality leads consist of people who are more likely to make a purchase. In this regard, there is no need to follow up on people who do not establish a pattern in your nurturing system. Quantity in this case does not mean much; what you want is quality. The art of identifying quality leads is crucial and it is the key to nurturing potential customers successfully.
2. Instant response is a must
Nurturing leads must be done with utmost promptness. When there are queries or alerts, you must have an automated system that is going to respond instantly to your potential lead. This instant response can also be manual as long as it is instant.
Acknowledge their query and let them know what time you are going to call them or email them with the details they need. Do not hesitate to get more information from the lead. This way, you can tailor your offer to their needs. It is always critical to offer great value when nurturing a lead and in this case, make offers that they cannot resist.
3. Follow-up communication is a lifeline
Online lead nurturing is all about making follow ups. In this regard, create a relationship with the prospective customer and do it within a timeline that seeks to eliminate time wastage. If your competitors communicate to their queries within 24 hours, make your company different and make follow ups within an hour. It might sound radical but when you have a goal for lead conversion, you have to go an extra mile. Provide your lead with resources they need and guide them accordingly to help you understand what they need and what you are offering.
4. Offer a potential lead something for FREE
Even if they will not be converted into sales, you must offer the lead something to chew on. It can be a free resource such as a free e-book, a free video, a free webinar, a free white paper, a free report, or even a shopping guide. Some companies go a step further to offer vouchers and discount offers and this can persuade a lead to take action. Even if the offers on discounts are minimal, give your lead something to think about otherwise they will not internalize your communication. You must be one to offer solutions at all times to challenge them professionally to take that extra step in the sales funnel.
5. Interact effectively by listening to your lead
Effective online lead nurturing cannot be done when you are always talking and offering. You need to listen closely to the potential lead and hear what their needs are. Take into account their reservations and see how you can have a solution so that they can engage with you better and hopefully make their purchase. The interaction platform for example must be conducive. It could be through email, Twitter or a live chat. That one on one interaction is highly important to develop a trust relationship. Therefore, the approach should not be to stuff products down their throats but rather a mutual discussion that seeks to solve the problems of the potential customer.
6. Do not be unsolicited
It is a turn off to have a company spam you with their information without approval. In light of this, the leads you nurture must give you permission to do so. Opt in emails and phone numbers are a great way to get approval. Go an extra mile and inform your lead that you wish to stay in touch. This way, you will avoid being unsolicited which is the highway to losing potential leads for any company. In addition, let your lead choose whether they want to be emailed or called.
7. Be creative with your offerings
The nurturing process may take time and as you follow up, look for creative offers to keep your lead interested. For example, give an eBook or white paper. The key is to tailor an offer according to the needs of the potential customer. Use all the data you have collected to know what the lead will appreciate going forward.
8. Hit the nail on the head
You must remind your lead about the product you are offering. If you do not hit the nail on the head, you might lose focus and purpose of the nurturing. In this regard, ask for business when you feel that the lead is willing to consider a purchase. Make it clear to them that you are offering a worthy product that is worth purchasing.
9. Ask for referrals
Do not hesitate to ask for referrals from your lead even if they are not yet customers. They can guide you to their friends who may also become potential leads. This will widen your network and increase the chances of a higher lead conversion. However, make sure to read their mood as you ask for a referral not to turn them off.
***************************************************
If you want to give your business a huge competitive advantage when you create your business proposals, use ClientPoint Software. It makes creating business proposals fast and easy. Click here to get a free demo of ClientPoint Software or call us at 888-972-7375.
**************************************************
Article References
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kernlewis/2012/03/21/the-twelve-step-program-for-lead-nurturing/
https://www.inc.com/jon-miller/the-411-rule-of-marketing.html
6790 Embarcadero Lane
Suite 100
Carlsbad, CA 92011
