| One of the key reasons small business owners look | | | | Not a peep! |
| for new marketing strategies is they feel the solution | | | | I could go on giving plenty of live examples here, but I'm |
| to sagging sales is more leads. However, I have a | | | | sure you already get the point. But the real question |
| shocker for you. According to a recent study, more | | | | here is not whether or not a problem exists, but rather, |
| than 80% of all leads generated by small businesses | | | | why is it happening to begin with? I have a theory on |
| are never followed up with by a sales person. Ouch! I | | | | this... After training what seems to be an unlimited |
| went hunting for these statistics (Lead Life Cycle | | | | number of sales people, I have seen this pattern over |
| Optimization: 2010) a few weeks back because I | | | | and over again.Take your pick: |
| knew this had to be a problem. | | | | A. You get too busy and intend to follow up, but forget |
| 1. I remember condo shopping when I was 21. I | | | | B. You value the freshest leads most |
| PURPOSELY looked at 7 units, despite the fact that I | | | | C. After the lead gets dated by days or weeks, you |
| knew exactly what I wanted from the get-go. Out of | | | | assume it's too old |
| these showings, and despite the fact I filled out the info | | | | D. You're not comfortable with your follow up plan or |
| cards and requested a follow up a - Only 1 sales | | | | script |
| person with 1 company bothered picking up the phone | | | | E. Your days are too hectic for a structured follow up |
| or sending an email. Condo crunch in your area? Tip | | | | regimen |
| for you builders and realtors: FOLLOW UP! | | | | Any of these sound about right? If so, it's nothing to be |
| 2. In March of last year, I went car shopping. I will use | | | | ashamed of! Business is an unrelenting task master, |
| the same car for 12 years (or until it just dies on the | | | | and requires constant dilligence to master all the |
| road), but it was time for a newbie, so off we went to | | | | evolving variables.Here's some good news for you! |
| the car dealerships. 4 test-drives over 4 days, and I | | | | Automated follow up solutions do exist! Even |
| bought 2 weeks later. In that time frame, only 1 | | | | something as seemingly insignificant as a follow-up |
| salesperson bothered following up. UN....BE....LIEVABLE | | | | email can mean the difference between a wasted |
| After letting one of the dealers know I wanted a | | | | lead or not. I recommend an auto-responder series |
| certain car, and leaving my contact info, 5 days later | | | | coupled with a lead capture form. Toss in some great |
| as I was driving by, I saw the exact car I was looking | | | | customized copywriting and promotional offers (With |
| for at the dealership! This is the car I had been looking | | | | genuine usable information) and you have yourself a |
| for, and they promised to follow up when one came in. | | | | winner. |