10 Ways To Lose a Lead

Do you feel overwhelmed by all the articles that tell you how to nurture qualified leads? Maybe you are tired of the endless advice on how to move your prospects along the sales funnel.

There are many strategies that you can use to grow and attract your leads. These strategies will vary depending on the person you are talking to. Sometimes, it requires complex steps, mind-reading abilities, creativity, and really good timing.

No matter what type of marketer or niche you're in, one thing is certain: Acquiring leads can be hard. Losing them is much easier.

It's easy to lose the ball when it comes to lead generation. It's even more difficult to get it back on track once the ball is dropped.

The Key Takeaways:

1. Analytics are your friend! Analytics are your friend, no matter how difficult the task.
2. Personalization is crucial in all aspects of lead generation. Your potential customers want to feel special, whether they are sending emails or creating content.
3. Your content should be extended and researched in all directions. Make sure to syndicate your content and find the right channels for your message.

Here's a list to remind you of what not to do in lead nurturing.

1. Don't ignore your lean sales funnel

It is not only a waste time allowing your leads to slip through the cracks because of a flawed process, it's also a serious waste money.

A leaky sales funnel is similar to a Harley with a leaky tank. Although you might appear impressive from the outside, you will not get anywhere no matter how many times your fill it with gas.

Begin with the basics. Address inefficiencies in the sales funnel that could be causing prospects not to buy. Analytics can help you make the most of your data!

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You don't want them to lose the opportunity after you have invested your time and resources in attracting leads.

2. Consistently be…

Imagine that you create a blog post and announce to your readers that they will be receiving a weekly newsletter. Then, you stop keeping up with your promises.

Imagine that you post a daily update to your Facebook page for two weeks, then suddenly stop posting without explanation. You don't explain your absence or give any other explanation.

This can be done for several months and you will see your leads diminish to a trickle until there is nothing left.

Trust is everything. Your prospective customers expect regularity from you, so failing to live up to this expectation is a sure way to make them unhappy.

3. Reacting to Client Questions: Drag your feet

You don't have to respond quickly if you can just ignore the question until it disappears. This may have worked for you in your relationship, but it is not the best way to sell your company.

Social media has made it easier to get responses. However, you should always respond quickly. You'll lose the lead if you leave it too long.

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Inside Sales conducted a study on lead management that revealed that qualifying leads in five minutes was less common than it is in ten minutes. The graph below shows that the drop in qualification rates is dramatic after only 30 minutes. It's obvious that time is precious. Don't waste it! Time is money.

4. Always go for the hard sell

Sometimes it's necessary to follow up with clients, especially if you have established a good relationship and are close to conversion. It's better to not push too hard in the initial stages.

You can frustrate your leads by constantly pestering them without actually trying to understand what they need. They may become annoyed and move on to a less aggressive rival.

5. All members of your list should receive the same generic email

You don't have to send the same email to all your leads if you are still using the same method.

You have many options to target your leads and create personalized emails that will resonate with them based on their preferences, demographics, and personal information. Automation services make it easy to create personalized emails that resonate with your leads.

Email marketing is still the most effective channel for lead generation. Make sure you optimize your use of it and segment your emails to increase accuracy.

6. Do not ask questions, but make assumptions.

Although it may seem easier to launch your campaign without asking questions, this is a grave mistake. It is important to actively find out the needs of your target audience.

Ask them to share their preferences and pain points. This information can be used to create more targeted and useful outreach campaigns. Create content that customers can use to generate more inbound leads.

Apart from obtaining feedback to help you plan your campaign, reaching out to clients can be a way for you to build trust and establish a foundation to create a partnership that will last a lifetime.

7. Disregard Customer Personas

It is important to take the time to develop personas so that you can view your leads as people and not numbers. This will help you to understand how to manage your campaign and the types of material and content they are most likely respond to.

It's like ignoring your personas and giving a presentation to someone without knowing their audience. You will end up talking to the wrong people if you try to talk to everyone.

8. Publish Sub-par Content

You'll lose prospects if you don't put in the effort to create content marketing materials that educate and entertain them.

It is important to share material that your target audience finds valuable. You should share content that will allow them to make informed decisions about whether or not they want to continue doing business with your company.

9. Do not respond to social media

Nowadays, most businesses integrate their social media management system and their CRM platform. This allows marketers to monitor conversations about their brands. You must make sure that you respond promptly to any mentions.

Social media users will be more demanding and active when it comes time to interact with brands. You can make almost everything you do via social media public. Your social media platforms are a powerful tool for audience engagement and disengagement.

10. Believe that if you build it, they will come

Producing marketing materials is the first step in any lead generation strategy. However, your marketing material must be shared unless it has an inherent shareability. You will need to help get it in front the right people.

Distribution is key to any marketing strategy's success. No matter how great your content, ensure that you use the right channels to get it to your target audience.

People are overwhelmed by competing content. If your message isn't easy to find, it will go unnoticed.

You should at least know what and you need to do!

This can be placed on your desk or in a prominent location if you need to remind yourself. There are many conflicting strategies available. Sometimes it is easier to know what to avoid than to do.

Are you in any of these situations yourself? Do you see yourself in any of these situations? Then maybe it's time to make a change. Maybe that means increasing your content marketing to help with your inbound lead generation. To learn more about creating a solid content marketing strategy, check out our SEO Blog Writing Services.