When is a lead, a lead?

#SmallBusiness60: Episode 7

We live in a time of marketing technology and with it this term “lead generation”. It’s a term more misunderstood the more it’s used around online marketing.

SEO, pay-per-click and online funnels have created a whole industry of self-titled “online gurus”. They’re people who claim to teach you how to fill your funnel with leads.

But this terminology feels awkward for almost every owner of a client services business. Because when you run a client services business, follow-up marketing usually involves speaking with somebody. You speak face-to-face, over the phone, or increasingly via an online meeting.

So, by definition, if your business model involves speaking with somebody, a “lead” must be somebody you’re going to have a conversation with.

So can we just say a big “no way” to this blanket advice to client services businesses that ‘you only need an email address’?

When you ask for so little commitment as just an email address from an enquiry, imagine how little their commitment is to you.

You and I both know how easy it is to delete emails. So should we collect at least their name and phone number? Or even a little more about the nature of the enquiry?

I’ll cover more on this topic throughout the week. But for now, please just think about this today.