When people do business with you, it’s because they trust you.
Whenever someone hands you their credit card or recommends hiring you to solve a problem for their team, they put themselves in a vulnerable position. They do it because they trust you. They are trusting you with their hard-earned money and their hard-earned reputation. Trust is the foundation of every business relationship. How do you get people to trust you? Even more, how do you get someone who has just landed on your website for the first time to trust you?
While we business owners know that we are trustworthy, it’s not common to do an inspiring social post, run the perfect ad, or send out an email blast and expect people to hand over their credit card and give you their business. If only it were that easy!
You know you’d do a fantastic job. I know you’d do a fantastic job. But when a potential customer is just meeting you for the first time, they’re not so sure yet.
This is happening all the time. Imagine a potential customer is looking to hire a business and is comparing four websites. In their heart, they committed to hiring one of them. Three of the sites visited are your competition - one of them is you.
The good news is that two of the websites are poorly designed with unclear words and so the browser moves on quickly. If they don't pay attention to their website, the company likely doesn't care about their product or service. You know that’s not going to be your website that they bounce from because you’ve done the work of creating a clear message with outstanding design. No problem there.
In our story, there are now two companies left competing for business. Let me tell you why the customer chose the one they did. The company that won the business offered something different than the others: a free solution to a problem.
The website offered what we call a "Lead Magnet" or a "Lead-Generator". It was something valuable that was intentionally designed to help the customer overcome a problem. The savvy consumer knew they would have to give up their email address to receive the help but, to them, it was worth the risk.
They entered their email and downloaded a resource. Because it was solving a pain point, it made them respect the company that created it. This same company knew the value of capturing an email address, so they sent five more emails that provided more problem-solving, valuable content along with a call to action.
Even though not all five emails were read, a relationship was made. Trust was won. Because the other three businesses offered nothing to establish and nurture a relationship, they were soon forgotten. These ignored websites were just another listing in the browser’s history folder.
But for the company with the lead generator, new business was gained. That's how it worked out.
In our story, there were four companies competing for business. Only one of them got the prize. What set them apart was a simple piece of content that began a relationship of trust.
Who are you in this story? Are you the brand with the unclear, dated website? If that’s the case, go back and make sure you make the investment to improve that critical, digital front door to your business.
Next, we need to convert the traffic into customers. A lead generator is a tool that helps your Who grow to trust you. It’s a resource you’re going to create to help them solve a problem.
This tool is going to be the catalyst for taking the next step closer to buying from you. It’s not just offered on your website either. We’re going to make a tool that’s going to help you create great content for social media campaigns or pay-per-click. It’s what’s going to grow your email list exponentially.
What are some examples of lead generators?
Let's list off a few of the popular types of lead generators:
- Well-designed PDF they can download: An insightful research White paper that looks at a problem in your industry and proposes a solution
- Case Study: You could write a case study on some successful experiences your company has helped create.
- Create a Checklist: Some people love a good to-do list. It’s a clear roadmap to solve a problem.
- You could also offer a Consultation Call. This is where you get on the phone and just talk to them. Collect their email, add value on the call, and then follow up with your email campaign.
- Free Sample:If you have a product, you could offer a free sample of your work.
- Mini-Course: If you're a great teacher, try the online education route. This is the chance to show your authority as an expert problem-solver. The more time they spend watching you, listening to your voice, they will create a connection with you.
Finally, you can offer a Complimentary Audit of their work as your lead generator. This is the chance to show off your expertise. It takes no design up front and it’s just you. This is great when you’re just starting out but it’s also demanding of your time. You’re at risk of attracting a lot of tire kickers who will take up your time for little return. But it is an effective tool.
As you can see, there are many different types of lead generators. Do you have another idea? You can shout it at the screen.
Nice work. I hope it goes well for you. We covered a few but there are more ideas you can offer that provide value for potential clients. You know your customers best. And even if you’re struggling, this may be the place where you need to test what works.
It’s worth the work you put into it!
What topic should you choose?
The good news is that while others may wrestle with this question for weeks and get nowhere, you’re not going to have that problem. You’ve already done the hard work of figuring out what your customers are struggling with.
You’ve identified a series of problems in their life that they are actively looking to solve. There’s something you can do, something you can create, that is going to help them take a step or two towards achieving their goals.
So look back at your Brand Messaging Guide. What did you identify as a pain point that you can solve. Write it out in any of the forms mentioned above and have it nicely designed. Then offer it on your website and post it all over the internet.
It’s your free gift to the world to show you can help. Don’t be shy about it.
I know this feels like extra work. But it’s worth it.
What Can A Strong Lead Generator Do?
1. Develops Trust With Customers
The more you serve people by solving their problems, the more likely they will trust you with their business.
2. The Hook To Get Engagement And Attract New Leads
On social media, if you’re ever unsure what to post, you can always offer your lead generator in new ways. A lead-generator can become the starting point for your posting strategy on social.
3. Grow Your Email List
An email list is the gold standard for marketing these days. We will cover that next lesson. A lead generator will give you a steady stream of new people that think you’re an authority in your space. It’s a lot easier to talk with someone who already thinks you’re a rock star.
Review
In this lesson we looked at:
- Why lead generators are important
- What kind of lead generator you can offer
- What topic you can use
Before we move on, let’s look at how far you’ve come. You’re now well on your way to having a powerful customer-centric marketing system. You’re going to have something you have created that you’re proud to offer the world as a gift. Your content is helpful. Your design will be classy. Any potential client will be impressed and trust you.
All of a sudden your competition fades from their attention and they are ready to do business with you.
That's the power of a good lead generator.
