Marketing is problem solving. Buyers have a problem. Sellers have a solution.
I am not a marketer, I’m a developer.
One of the things I see over and over again is this huge rush for people to convert leads to sales.
Patience is missing.
A LOT of the marketing activity that I see goes like this:
Ad > Landing Page > Thank You Page > Sales Call. Often within 24 hours
A very very common complaint from sales people is that "the leads aren’t qualified" to which marketers retort "it’s a sales problem".
The fact is, the leads probably aren’t qualified.
We’re often sold Prospects for the price of Opportunities.
The other thing is you are paying a lot of money for prospects, jumping straight to the sale, and if that sale fails, you’re calling it quits.
The fear is that a prospect will be ready to buy straight away. You want the money straight away, while the prospect is hot, and you’re worried that if you put them through the process, they’ll either cool down, or go somewhere else they can buy straight away.
As I see it, potential customers can be split into 4 types. Some call this the buying cycle. I prefer to call it the buying journey.
Suspects - these are people with an interest
Prospects - these people have parted with details - they’re on your radar
Leads - these people have been engaging with you
Opportunities - These people are qualified ready for sales.
Suspect
People who match the profile of your target market. They may not even be aware they want your product or service.
Action: Plant thoughts.
How to Measure: Page Views, following on social media