Lead generation doesn’t have to be difficult or overwhelming. There are so many marketing gurus around, all giving out masses of instruction on lead generation. Too often people are left confused and frustrated trying to implement all of it. But, there is an easier way. I’ll teach you how to use a simple information product to do the work of lead generation for you.
The secret is using a ten to twenty page special report as a give-away in exchange for a person’s name and email address. Your report should provide the reader with timely and valuable information on a problem they are facing.
Now that you have their name and email you have permission to follow-up with them. The special report did the lead generation for you!
But a report does more than that…
By reading your content-rich special report a lead gets to know, like and trust you (without you even having to use any slick, sales techniques on them).
How 20 Pages Did All the Lead Generation for Me
A year ago, I gave a 5-minute talk at a local networking meeting in front of about 55 people. A couple of nights before that I wrote a “Special Report” – 90% of it was great content I knew my audience wanted to know about.
After my very brief presentation (I was so nervous!) I asked everyone to take out a business card and write on it, “I want Passive Revenue!” Sure enough, most people did exactly what I asked. I then said I would give them my new Special Report if they handed me their card. And again, sure enough, most people willingly handed me their cards. Lead generation was never easier!
That night I followed up with an email and the Special Report attached as a PDF. But I didn’t stop there. I told them in the email to stay tuned because in a couple days I was going to give them another gift – “So stay tuned.” With this I was building their curiosity.
A few days later, I followed up with another email in which I offered them a free phone consultation to discuss their business and possible information products. Sure enough about 10 people took me up on the offer. During those calls, I gave them tons of valuable information and ideas.
Here’s the amazing part…
Without even prompting them, they asked me how they could hire me! I never once “sold” them anything. I just kept giving them great value.
This lead generation method works. I have built my whole business on variations of the same idea I just gave you. I leverage a content-rich Special Report to move people from being a Prospect to a Lead, and then from a Lead to a Client.
Can you see ways in your own business that you can leverage a Special Report as a lead generation tool?
This is exactly what direct-response marketing is all about – building a relationship with a prospect over time, step-by-step, and ALWAYS giving them a clear and appealing call to action to move the relationship forward.
Your Lead Generation Can Set the Ball Rolling
There are four phases a person goes through to be a top-paying client:
1. Prospect 2. Lead 3. Client 4. Champion
Think of the four phases as a funnel. Your goal as a marketer is to move a person down your funnel from a prospect to a lead to a client to a champion, because the further someone goes down the funnel the more money you make.
Phase 1 - The Prospect In this phase, the person doesn’t even know you. There is no relationship at all yet. Your job is to get people to notice you by using pay-per-click advertising, public speaking, articles, joint ventures, etc.
Phase 2 - The Lead This is the crucial phase I call the “Pivotal Point.” You know you have a lead when they willingly give you their name and email and maybe even their phone number and address. This is the “Opt-in.” (You’ve seen them on web sites usually on the upper right corner.)
Phase 3 – The Client Once someone has given you permission to contact them, your job is then to convert them from a lead to a client. Once they’ve given you at least one dollar, they are a client.
Think how you can move people down the marketing funnel. How can you capture leads? What incentive can you then give them to become a client?
Phase 4 – The Champion This is the best part! At this point you’ve given the client such great service and value that they buy from you over and over AND they refer you to others. This is where the lifetime value of a client becomes so profitable.
Use This Lead Generation System in Your Own Business
This system is easy to set up and use. Remember, always provide value first. People have to learn to know, like and trust you before they commit with their wallet. Moving through the four phases can happen fast. This doesn’t have to be a long, drawn-out process. You can move someone from a prospect to a client in a day or two. And finally, always give clear guidance to the potential client on what to do next. Give them directions on how to move from being a prospect to a lead to a client to a champion.
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