You’re a wise business person.
You understand that online lead generation is a key to the sustained growth of your business.
You’ve used tactics like paid ads, blog posts, and your website to attract your ideal customers. Now people are beginning to take notice of your enterprise, and they like what they see.
Hooray! You’ve taken the first successful step toward generating customers on demand.
But now that you have them, what’s the best way to convert online leads into paying customers?
You Are Here
Located strategically in every mall and amusement park are large, brightly colored signs with the comforting words “You Are Here.” If you’ve ever found yourself lost in one of these places, those signs are a Godsend.
Now armed with the exact knowledge of your current location you can continue on your way, confident you’ll reach your desired destination.
It’s fascinating how often our marketing process resembles a mall or theme park. There are so many colorful options to choose from, and so many carnival barkers trying to convince you to spend your precious marketing dollars with them because only they have the solutions you need. It’s easy to get confused, and the confused mind often does nothing.
Sound familiar?
Fear not intrepid marketer, if you’re wondering how to convert leads into sales you’ll find this article will help guide you through the magical world of marketing make-believe, and land you safely on the shores of sustained profitability.
Overcoming the Impossible Challenge
In the story of King Midas, everything he touched turned to gold. Unfortunately, as a marketer, I’m sure you’ve discovered that’s a superpower few possess. You’re not alone, almost everyone struggles with how to convert online leads into sales.
Would it surprise you to learn that only a small percentage of people who respond to your message online are ready to buy right now? That means the majority of people who like what you have to say are being effectively ignored.
Yikes, that’s a lot of money to leave on the table, not to mention the countless lives left unchanged because they have been denied the genius of your solution.
To the casual observer, this seems like an impossible challenge…like trying to climb Mount Everest in a pair of cargo shorts and a light windbreaker. But what if I told you the answer is as easy as 1-2-3?
The Profitability Pathway: Step One
The first step to convert online leads is to engage them with what we call Early Stage Content. Think of it as the small talk in a conversation.
This would include things like:
-Top Ten Lists
-Cheat Sheets
-Engaging Short Videos
-Relevant News in Your Industry
-Checklists
Small talk can be interesting for a short while, but if it’s the only thing you’re providing to your prospective clients they’re going to get bored pretty quickly. If you’re serious about learning how to convert leads into sales you’ll need to move on to Step Two.
The Profitability Pathway: Step Two
You’re walking through a clothing store and you notice a unique item that draws you toward it with the force of a tractor beam. It looks great, the price is right, but is it the right size? Only one way to find out…head to the dressing room and see if it fits.
That is the essence of Step Two: Middle Stage Content.
This type of content is your meat and potatoes because it’s based on what your prospective clients want to know most as they make the transition from browser to buyer.
Here are some examples:
-Case Studies
-Testimonials
-Customer Reviews
-Frequently Asked Questions
-Product Comparisons
Your prospective clients aren’t experts in your product or service, they depend on you for high-quality information that helps them make the best decision and feel confident that their money will be well-spent with you.
The Profitability Pathway: Step Three
There’s a famous line from the movie “Glengarry Glen Ross” that reminds us that “Coffee is for closers.”
Late-Stage Content is your closer. Your online lead is now ready to hand you Certificates of Appreciation (money) in return for your product or service.
But your job isn’t done yet.
Below are some topics you’ll want to cover:
-Executive Summaries
-Product Demonstrations
-Pricing and Feature Guides
Success Stories and Case Studies
Risk Reversal
In the end, your clients all want the same same thing. They want to feel confident that they’ve made the best decision possible, and they have received the highest possible value for the money spent.
Each of the three stages in this process is designed to do just that.
A well-designed sales process can allow you to differentiate yourself in the marketplace and avoid having to always compete on price.
Congratulations, you’ve learned how to convert leads into sales.
Joel Widmer is the founder of Fluxe Digital Marketing. He helps busy business owners build strong brands and generate leads online in a fraction of the time it would take to do it on their own.