Lead Conversion

Once you’ve worked on generating leads using the tips I outlined in my last post, then comes the time to convert those leads into actual customers. Just as a reminder, a “lead” is simply someone that shows interest in your business. Critical to converting leads into actual customers is data collection and engaging directly with them. Its key to understand where your leads are originating, how well specific lead generation strategies are working, and to spend time directly reaching out to people who have shown interest in your business. In this way, you can successfully convert anyone with interest in your business into an actual contact and customer.

Lead conversion goes hand in hand with lead generation, so make sure to check out my post about that too!

Data Collection

While attempting to increase your conversion rate, it can be helpful to simply collect data. The two main things you should focus on when collecting data:

• Which lead generation strategies produce the most results
• How many of those leads turn into actual customers. Basically, the actual rate of conversion.

By understanding this, you can be more efficient in which strategies you prioritize.

 

Learn About Your Current Customers

Make it a priority to get to know your current customer base. Like I recommended in my post about lead generation, figuring out what the demographics are of your current customer base can be extremely helpful. With more information of the types of people that make up your current customer base, you will be able to know which leads are more likely to actually turn into paying customers. Thus, you will know where to focus the majority of your time and energy.

Also, never be afraid to ask your past customers to provide reviews or testimonials for your business. Most often than not, they will be willing to do it, and these can have a huge impact in establishing trust and a good reputation, which in turn will make it easier to convert leads into customers.

Deconstruct Your Sales Process

Along with understanding your customer base, you need to also deconstruct each step of your sales process. By breaking down your sales process, you can work on modifying each step to enhance what works well, and fix what doesn’t. Steps of your process to pay attention to:

• What specifically attracted them to your business in the first place?
• What sustained their interest? (ex: exclusive offers, online content, personal convenience)
• Which outreach techniques felt natural and inviting, and which ones felt pushy and overwhelming?
• And most important: Why did they decide to convert into an actual paying customer?

Call to Actions

A good place to start with lead conversion is the use of “call to action” techniques. “Call to actions” are meant to prompt an instant response in your potential customer base, signaling them to perform specific steps in order to sign up as a business contact or use your service. If you’re able to trigger potential customers to do something, like sign up as a contact or subscriber, it will provide you the ability to engage directly with people, and a better possibility of converting them into an actual customer. With this technique, you can guide potential customers through your sales process in a natural, unintimidating way.

Presentation and Speaking Skills

Working on your ability to provide good sales presentations and speak with customers should never be overlooked. After all, this is usually the most direct way for potential customers to learn more about your business and yourself.

Informative presentations, using personal stories, persuasive language, and visual examples of your services, will make you look more professional and provide potential customers a clear idea of what to expect from your business.

Additionally, speaking skills are vital to converting leads into customers. Whether it’s on the phone, in person, or over email, the way you speak to people can often be the determining factor in whether or not you will make a sale. It might take a little time to perfect, so make sure to keep track of certain topics and phrases that work, and the ones that don’t, in order to develop good manners and etiquette when speaking to people about your business.

Follow up

A common mistake made by businesses is forgetting to follow up with people. It is not enough to only follow up with people once or twice, it is actually recommended to attempt follow ups at least five times or more. Accordingly, 80% of sales are known to occur only after the fifth follow up. Therefore, it is imperative to spend a decent amount of time reaching out to leads multiple times.

Disclaimer: be sure to make these follow ups polite and non-intrusive, you want to show them that you care and are reaching out in regards to their needs as potential customers. You do not want to sound overly eager to just make a sale, as it will come across as insensitive. Try to make it seem like you wish to simply help guide them through the sales process.

Once you get better at the process of generating leads and converting them into customers, you can begin to adjust your strategy to only use the techniques that produce the best results. Since any type of marketing takes time and money, paying particular attention to how well each method works is key to an efficient marketing campaign.