Are Your Leads Like Tootsie Pops?
By Nina Kaufman, Esq.How many leads does it take to get you a sale?
Reminds me of the classic commercial for Tootsie Pops:
“How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie roll center of a Tootsie Pop?”
Mr. Cow, Mr. Fox and Mr. Turtle don’t know because they never got that far without biting.
Mr. Owl thinks he knows because he took three licks and crunched his way to the center. So he says it’s three.
But no one knows for sure.
Just as many small businesses don’t know their lead flow for sure either.
How many leads do you need? How many times do you need to “touch” that lead before they’re ready to buy?
My best leads usually come from in-person referrals. So I have tended to focus on 1:1 coffee meetings and connections.
But you can’t rely on just that.
Referral sources dry up. There’s a death in the family. Volunteer leadership eats up discretionary time. You catch the latest flu bug. Or you’re just not in the bloody mood for another meet ‘n’ greet. There’s a litany of ready excuses that pull us away from sales. Which means less time spent networking.
So what happens when you’re not there to generate leads?
A client confided:
“I never realized how many leads we need to have in the pipeline to make our sales numbers. We need a lot more leverage than I can achieve with just 1-on-1 coffees.”
That’s the key: leverage.
Unless you have staff to implement all the work, chances are you still have your fingers in different pies: making sales, client services, business management, strategic planning. There just isn’t TIME. Time to network with contacts and keep meeting with them regularly so you stay top of mind. Clients aren’t always ready to engage you at the moment you’re meeting. It takes time for the seeds to take root.
That’s why you need a system, instead of haphazard one-offs.
Some clients have used subscription boxes. Or email “nurture sequences to leverage their content.” Others “gift” digital programs to their list. I’m creating an interactive Business Growth assessment for better engagement.
How do you stay in touch during the in-between times so you don’t lose momentum … and have to get reacquainted each time you meet?
What’s working for you? Post a comment on our blog and let me know how you’re growing your business, your way.
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