Small Business Lead Generation and Home Business Lead Generation

Could Your Small Business or Home Business Use More Leads?

If you’re a small business or home business considering lead generation strategies, the complexity – and cost – of some of the more complicated systems can be off-putting.  But…it doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive.  In fact, with a little planning you can create a lead generation strategy that is simple to use, low cost and very effective.

Small Business Lead Generation: Why is it Different?

Generating leads for small businesses is different because small businesses are different; you don’t have the budget, you don’t have the manpower and you don’t have the time.  So how can you develop an effective lead generation program?

Step One: Use Low Cost Marketing Strategies

Advertising can be expensive but small businesses and home-based businesses don’t generally have a lot of money to throw at their lead generation strategies.  You need to find ways to attract people to your business so the only option is to focus your efforts on the bigger marketing picture – not just advertising.

Here are five low cost marketing ideas that you could consider:

1. Use good SEO (search engine optimization) instead of online advertising – you’ll find a good introduction to SEO in our free report
2. Use online and offline PR (public relations) to generate interest in and coverage of your business
3. Use low cost advertising options like PPC (pay per click) instead of more expensive display advertising
4. Get involved online, using social media tools like blogs, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and business forums to build interest and useful contacts
5. Create useful content. Content is very much a part of SEO but it also helps build trust in your brand and can be used very effectively as an incentive for people to get in touch. Mix online content with offline content.

Step Two: Use Automated Lead Generation Strategies to Save Time and Manpower

If you’re short on time and can’t afford to have staff running around looking after your lead generation program, then the natural solution is to automate as much of the process as possible.  Here are four quick ideas for automating your lead generation system:

1. Put it online. Lead generation works just as well offline as it does online but it does require a lot more manpower. Having the focus of your lead generation strategy online helps make the process simpler and more cost effective.
2. Use templates. Chances are you’ll have to respond to similar inquiries and similar situations repeatedly.
3. Use templates and pre-designed marketing materials to simplify and speed up this process. For things that will rarely change, invest in good quality print or well-designed online versions.  For things that will need tweaking or are subject to change, limit your costs by going for a basic design that can be easily changed and adapted to the situation.
4. Use auto-responders. Auto-responders are simple bits of software that automate your communications – sending pre-written emails at a pre-determined time.  They are good for delivering administrative information and for simple updates.  You can also use them to deliver useful content or sales reminders.  However, they should not be used for more detailed correspondence and shouldn’t replace your personal contact with a prospect.  Think of them in this way, if you would write a personal note before sending the same information in the post you should think twice about using an auto-responder.

Every small business faces the same issues – small budgets and lack of time and resources.  By focusing on low-cost marketing ideas and automating as much of the process as possible, you can create a lead generation process that suits your business.

What Next?

We do it for you: If you need help developing a lead generation system for your small business or home business, Click here for more info about the lead generation services we provide.

Do it yourself: For more lead generation ideas, Download our free report

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Small Businesses

3 Overlooked Principles Of Small Business Lead Generation

How to Generate More Leads for Your Small Business

Most sales people and entrepreneurs will tell you that they’re good in front of customers.  They’re ‘people persons’.  “Put me in front of a prospect and I’ll close the sale” is a common statement among salespeople and business owners.  In the US, the Small Business Administration (SBA) estimates over 80% of new businesses never reach their fifth year anniversary.

If sales people and business owners say they are great in front of prospects and that they possess the traits of stellar sales people, how can the studies indicate so much failure?

Are the sales people lying?

… No they’re not.

The 1st Overlooked Principle of Sales Lead Generation: No Stress

Generating a lead and closing a sale are not the same.  When you close a sale you are asking the prospect to make a decision.  Making a decision is a commitment.  It means risk, responsibility and stress.  No matter how smooth and professional you are, closing a sale is stressful for your prospect.

Sales lead generation must be stress-free – the exact opposite of closing a sale.  You need to sift through the market and allow all those interested in your offer to stand up and be counted.

The 2nd Overlooked Principle of Sales Lead Generation: Getting to Know You

Sales lead generation must adopt a soft-sell approach.  Your prospect might need something you have for sale.  Ideally you want her, someone who doesn’t know or trust you, to step up and introduce herself.  No one appreciates being sold – not even salespeople.  And without any knowledge of you or your business, every approach will be viewed with skepticism.  If you push too hard at this point she’ll run away.

You want your prospect to feel comfortable, relaxed and in control – that means gaining her permission to begin a professional sales relationship.  That means offering your prospect a chance to learn more about you without making a commitment.  For example, to generate sales leads using a soft-sell approach you could:

• Promote a free workshop or seminar about a topic of interest to your prospects.  You can hold workshops in your office or at a public venue like a hotel or restaurant.  You can also hold them online through the Internet or over the phone via a teleconference.   There should be no strings attached for attending.  You’ll want to give good, solid information about how to solve your prospect’s problem.  The purpose is to be seen as an expert in your field, not a salesperson.
• Provide informative content. Through your advertising and marketing efforts you can promote free, useful and engaging information.  This can be offered in exchange for your prospect getting in touch or providing their contact details.  Develop content with no obligation such as a brochure, report, CD, or DVD that delivers a real solution to their problems, ideally including your product or service in the solution.  Great content allows the prospect to research your business in her own time and can provide the permission you need to follow up.
• Offer a free trial or demo. Offer a free trial or demonstration with absolutely no obligation. Make it easy and non-threatening for prospects to come out from hiding, accept your offer, and make their needs known to you.

The 3rd Overlooked Principle of Sales Lead Generation: Automation

Sales lead generation takes time and effort to be effective.  Most small business owners don’t have lots of spare time so it should be automated.  Your money is made closing sales – not generating leads. You need to automate the lead generating process so you can:

• Devote more time closing sales
• Have an abundance of leads to feed future sales

So how can you automate your lead generation process?

• Automate by leveraging people: Have an assistant make all the arrangements for your workshops, answer the phone and fulfill requests for your reports or brochures.  Your assistant can also mail and email your ads, sales letters, or coupons for your free samples and demonstrations.
• Automate by standardization:  Start a library of written templates for your most common needs.  Don’t reinvent the wheel each time: Have a platform you can start out with and alter it slightly to fit your current situation and the specific needs of the prospect.  What belongs in this library?  Sales lead generation letters, thank you letters, follow up letters, answers to common questions, brochures, reports, your media kit, and prospective client kits.  It also includes your ads, and invitations to workshops.
• Automate by leveraging technology: You can use specialized sales lead software. Or, keep it simple and use a spreadsheet program like Excel.  You can even use the electronic address book on your computer.  Input every lead into a computerized database.  You want your lead’s contact information so you can follow-up with them.  That’ll require a simple system for keeping track of communications with each prospect.

If you market online you should consider using an autoresponder.  Autoresponders are software programs that allow you to input your contacts, add your sales messages, then program it to automatically email the messages to your list on a schedule you choose.

Set and forget.

Since you decide when to send your messages, you could be on vacation for a week and still have your sales lead generation tactics automatically working for you.

Summary: Simple Sales Lead Generation

Too many small businesses fail because they don’t manage their lead generation process effectively.  Understand the difference between sales and lead generation, make getting in touch with you easy, rewarding and risk free and finally, automate as much as you can.

Follow these three steps and you’ll be able to focus on doing what you do best – dealing directly with new customers and closing the sale.

What Next?

We do it for you: If you need help developing a sales lead generation strategy for your business, Click here for more info about the lead generation services we provide

Do it yourself: For more lead generation ideas Download our free report

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Lead Generation & Small Businesses