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As women in business, we know all too well that new customers don’t just fall into our laps; we must create a stellar plan for them to land there. Simply, the art of marketing is paramount to your overall success. So what does it take? Here are the 3 L’s to ensure that potential clients continuously land your way:
LEADS
There are a multitude of FREEor low cost sources that can be used to help your business with highly-qualified sales leads.
Here are 3 ways to build your leads:
- Social Networks: Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are great FREE sources and highly effective in lead generation as it brings potential clients to your business.
- Website: By creating a web presence, will bring new traffic to your site. Traffic = Leads! The key is to consistently publish fresh content such as articles, videos or interviews that highlights what your business offers and the benefits gained. In addition, having a FREE offer to entice visitors to leave their contact information is effective.
- Referral Marketing: If you’ve spent time on relationship building, establishing communication, building trust and resolving potential problems or conflicts, then your customers will see little risk in recommending your company to their peers.
Just as people do business with people they know and trust, they also feel more comfortable when a product or service is recommended by a friend. A prospect that was referred to you has already been told about the quality and professionalism that you provide your customers with.
Say after implementing this or a similar plan, you've gained 25 new leads per week. That’s 1300 new leads per year!
LIST
One of the most vital tools for business owners is the ‘LIST.’ To remain competitive, it’s do or die! Your list is simply a database used to store your contacts such as name, business name, address, email, phone number and website address and more! If you need database software, A few systems that I am familiar with:
- ACT: makes it easy for you to manage your contacts and calendar, and connect to powerful, subscription-based sales and marketing services.
- FileMaker Pro: worldwide leader in easy-to-use database software
There are many ways to build a list, but here are two that work for me:
E-newsletter: The use of e-newsletters has quickly come to be an indispensable component of the advertising campaigns of many businesses, large and small! This is an easy, low-cost and profitable way to be introduced to warm leads! Consider increasing your chances by creating a landing page that includes a ‘free offer’ or ‘discount’ on specific services. Make sure you use a service such as:
Article Marketing: This is an effective and cost efficient way to provide solutions to potential prospects and current customers. Be sure your articles are well written with relevant content that relates to your niche. Your website or blog should include an RSS feature which allows visitors to subscribe to your feed.
LEVERAGE
Ever wonder how billionaires such as Oprah Winfrey or Donald Trump are so successful? By leveraging their time and resources of course! This is a no brainer way to grow your business… by leveraging established relationships with your clients and your network!
Not sure how to leverage? Here are 3 ways:
Leverage Peers. Can you think of any business owners that you know and whom you share mutual customers with? You should be running, not walking to discuss a collaborative venture. For instance, if you are a business writer, you can partner with a web designer, PR firm and / or an ad agency; and a realtor can partner with a mortgage lender, title service and home builders. The key is to learn about each team members business so that you can promote it as you would your own. Your new sales team will enable you to grow more rapidly. It makes so much sense to work smarter and not harder!
Leverage Experts. Partner with industry experts to collaborate on a project. For example, create an audio or video series by interviewing experts. Dr. Shannon Reece interviewed 12 leading women experts and offered the live events FREE to those who registered. These experts shared personal and professional experiences and keys to success. This series will soon be available at a cost. Can we say passive income!
Leverage Investors. Do you need capital to expand your business? Consider exploring investors who are willing to finance your growth. This can be a daunting task, but the outcome well worth it! As you near your forty-ninth business pitch, that fiftieth might be your lucky charm!
So what strategies will you put in place to continuously obtain leads; manage your list and leverage your resources?
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