We Brits can sometimes be our own worst enemies. Especially when it comes to ‘lead capture’. After all, it is quite ‘rude’ to ask someone for their name and email – they may think we want to stalk them!

You simply have to get over this. Capturing your leads is critical to your business – if you are serious about taking charge of the relationship between you and your customers you need to capture your leads.

So what’s your bait?

On your website…

The classic ‘lead capture’ device is ‘sign up for our newsletter’. But you really need to ask yourself why your potential customer would want to clog up their email with yet another e newsletter? – so do try to be more creative than this.

Think carefully about what bait you can offer to ensure they willingly leave you their contact details.

• The ‘free report’:  what do you know that could be of value to your customers? ‘The 10 most important things you need to know when you hire a Chiropractor?’ or  ‘Make sure you buy the right product – check out our market assessment report’
• Can you invite them to a discovery day to find out more about the key issues and the marketplace?
• Or a fantastic seminar or webinar

Make sure it’s clear there is only one thing they need to do to get the ‘free info’ – and that’s to leave their information. You need to be ruthless about this and think carefully about the construction of each web page with a clear call to action. Don’t give them the option of simply drifting away!

At the till …

Again, don’t just revert to the ‘newsletter’ option, can you offer to send them great offers for loyal customers? A birthday voucher? Invites to preview evenings? Customers are MUCH more likely to leave their details when they think there is something in it for them.

At shows and exhibitions …

Remember, when you are exhibiting, your ONLY purpose is to collect leads. Good leads. So don’t get distracted with vague champagne prize draws and business card bins, you need to get much more creative than this! Otherwise you’ll just end up with hundreds of unqualified leads from disinterested individuals, making follow up painful and pointless.

If you get your ‘lead capture’ mechanism right, the bigger and faster your business will grow.

As author Geoffrey Gitomer says, ‘You have  to do the hard work in order to make the selling easy’!

Source: Nigel's Botterill's Entrepreneur's Circle

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Show/hide comments

Show/hide comment form