What Is Lead Nurturing & How Do You Make It Work?

What Is Lead Nurturing & How Do You Make It Work

    Joshua Conklin | Co-founder of SmartLeads Media

Whether you’re in the mortgage business, the solar installation industry or any field in which doing business with your company represents more than an impulse purchase on the part of your customers, leads are your lifeblood.

Regardless of whether you generate your leads on your own, or purchase leads from a trusted lead generation partner, leads cost money. Sure, there are a few that you luck into, but the acquisition of most leads requires an investment of time and money – two precious resources that every business owner values and has to use wisely. 

Of course, there’s more to it than simply acquiring the leads – you have to turn them into paying clients. But not every lead you’ll generate or purchase will be ready to pull the trigger on the first contact. In fact, a majority of your leads will require effort by you and your sales team, not to mention plenty of patience, too.

Some of your leads will require lots of patience, and you’ll have to bide your time. After all, you can’t simply force them to sign on the dotted line, can you? But that doesn’t mean you should leave them to their own devices while they’re weighing the pros and cons. Remember, you want to ensure that when they finally decide they’re ready to commit, yours is the business they’ll commit to, and not your competitor.

Some leads require nurturing. But what is lead nurturing, and how can you make it work for your business?

What Is Lead Nurturing?

Lead nurturing is basically the art of staying in touch with your potential customers, even if they’re not quite ready to buy. Chances are good that they will at some point – there’s a good chance that 70% of all visitors to your website will eventually buy from you or your competitors.

The Wrong Way to Nurture Leads

Before we talk about the right way to nurture your sales leads, let’s discuss a few cringe-worthy lead-nurturing faux pas that are far too common.

First, don’t hit them with generic email blasts about everything your company offers. Today’s consumers expect a high level of personalization, and they don’t like being treated like numbers.

Second, don’t ring their phones off the hook just to see if they’re “ready to buy yet.” No matter how you try to spin them, these calls are typically annoyingly transparent.

Third, and this is probably the most valuable tip, don’t ignore your leads just because they’re not ready to buy yet. Eventually, they will be, and it’s up to you to be there when they reach the tipping point.

The Right Way to Nurture Leads

So now that we’ve covered the “don’ts,” here are some lead nurturing best practices.

Before you “stay in touch,” make sure your prospects actually want you to do so.Get their permission, and respect their wishes.

Establish your business as an authority with engaging content and timely commentary on relevant current events. In the same way, that fans of a television show feel like they know their favorite stars, your prospects will feel a sense of kinship with you if they regularly engage with your online presence. That familiarity breeds trust, and trust leads to… you guessed it – sales.

For seasoned sales professionals, a keen understanding of body language is a priceless asset. As it turns out, digital body language is, too. You might not be able to see the expression on a prospect’s face when they read the teaser for your latest article, but you can find out if they clicked on the “read more” link. Automated lead management systems can give you the edge and help you ascertain when the right moment to push for the sale arrives.

It’s a classic aphorism among salespeople, and for good reason. Some of your leads may slip through the cracks – you can’t win them all. But with a solid lead nurturing system in place, you’ll always be closing your hard-earned leads, even when it seems like they’ve gone cold.

To your success! 

Joshua Conklin

844-999-8080