Leads. That’s a word that is used so often that it is considered synonymous with “sale” or “buyer”, but in reality, that isn’t true. We can use the metaphor of a seed to define what this language means.
A lead is like a seed. It has the potential to turn into a fruiting plant, but it isn’t accurate to call the seed a plant. Only after the seed is selected, planted, and a seedling emerges that requires tender love and care, that it finally turn into the strong fruiting plant it had the potential for since the start.
In this analogy, the fruit equates to a customer who has made a purchase and has achieved the goal you set out to achieve: To make more buyers or obtain more clients. Lead generation is “finding the seed” that has the potential to grow. Think of a watermelon seed, for instance, not every seed is fertile; only the dark, fully developed seeds can potentially turn into a healthy plant. Nurturing a lead is comparable to watering, fertilising, and pruning a seedling. Conversion, on the other hand, is like a flowering watermelon plant that needs pollinators to “convert” reproductive cells into fruit.
Planting the Seed: Lead Generation
Finding the right leads means understanding what type of person might be interested in your product or services. In other words, you must know who your target market is and what the pain points are for which you will find a solution.
At this stage, it’s possible that they aren’t qualified leads yet, but people who show interest in your business.
The goal here is to capture their contact information to find out more about their specific interest and needs. This is done through the use of SEO, Webinars, Events, social media advertising and engagement.
Water the Seedling: Lead Nurturing
Once the leads have germinated (you have collected them and added them to your lead management system), you need to nurture them. This stage entails building a relationship with the potential customer so they are no longer a stranger, but someone whose preferences and needs are understood.
Ways to build on this relationship is to build e-mail marketing campaigns, focus efforts on retargetiing advertising lead scoring and personalised follow ups such as a courtesy call.
The goal is to move these potential customers through the sales process by building trust and loyalty, ensuring they get to know your brand as more than just another company trying to sell a product or service.
Bearing Fruit: Lead Conversion
Lead conversion is the final stage in the sales process where potential customers turn into actual clients. The hypothetical fruit starts to form and show.
It is the culmination of all the previous efforts and showing to a nurtured lead that they can find the solution to their problems through your product or service – usually ending with a salesperson celebrating for “hooking the client”.
Why is Lead Generation so Important?
Businesses cannot just sit around and wait for a sale to happen. They need to actively work at generating business. You will note that the above tasks, which were mentioned at the various stages, all point to one thing: marketing efforts.
These have the following four benefits.
- Brand awareness: Potential customers are educated about your products and services.
- Defined target market: A customer profile based on real humans is created that defines the target market.
- Trust and authority: Generating a lead is more personal than being a product on a shelf that someone might purchase based on happenstance.
- Growing customer base: Converting potential customers into paying customers grows your client base. This means there is a larger set of returning clients that you can count on.
If an entrepreneur is looking to gain the most value from lead generation, it is important not to neglect nurturing the leads. Much like a plant that doesn’t get enough water or fertiliser, it will die, and your customers will look at alternatives. Therefore, don’t skimp on lead generation and nurturing. Instead, invest the resources that are required to make this section of your business succeed.
Many various tools exist to help you generate leads, so turning seeds into fruitful opportunities is just a click away.
