We all get a little ping of excitement when a lead comes in through our website via a contact form or email. How do these leads get handled? Let’s break down what SHOULD happen!
So a visitor comes to your site and they decide that they are going to fill out the contact form. Exciting, right? It should be. A lot of people see that lead in their inbox and leave it until they finish their work for the day. Until the end of the day!!!?
That is the BIGGEST mistake you can make. With our competitor’s being as accessible online as we are; nothing can be left to chance. As soon as those leads come in…RESPOND! Below I have included a short top 5 list that breaks down the absolute do’s and don’t’s when receiving an online lead.
#1: Respond right away. It is extremely important that you respond to that lead immediately. If the lead came in after hours than it should be the first thing you address when you get back in the office the next morning.
#2: Call. If the person that filled out the form entered a phone number…call it first. Do not email and hope to get a reply, call immediately! A phone call is not only more personal but more likely to receive a favourable response form the prospective customer.
#3: Try again. If the person’s voice mail came up; leave a message letting them know you will be calling back and call back. Many times people give up on the first try and lose the opportunity.
#4: Be prepared. Make sure that you read the information that the contact left in the form they filled out. Sometimes you can gather their problem, concerns and even company. If a company name is left, don’t be afraid to Google them and learn a bit more. Make this a very brief background check lasting no more than 5-10 minutes as you will learn more in the discovery process on the phone.
#5: Don’t be afraid to qualify. Leads that come through the contact form are great but not all will be perfectly suited to your ideal clientele. Make it a priority in the first minute of your call to identify whether this person could be a potential client. Ask criteria based questions; such as: budget, target market, goals, etc. Don’t be afraid to be honest upfront…you don’t want to waste your time or the time of the person inquiring about your services.
The internet is a fast growing, inexpensive and effective place to generate leads but if they aren’t properly followed up with, opportunity losses are great. Track how many leads are contacted and the progress of the lead; see if they result in a sale, missed opportunity, possible new business, etc. Not only will you be able to keep track of the lead but you will also identify the actions that you took at different stages of the process.
~S
