I’ve been hearing a common theme lately, and it goes something like this: "The market is slowing… we don’t have as many leads… we’re not crushing it like we were two years ago, and we’re not sure what to do."
For anyone who relates to this, here are a few ideas:
Suggestion #1: Ask More Questions
The first group of people I’m hearing this from became accustomed to a constant flow of leads. so they got in the habit of bringing price up as soon as possible to ensure they were only talking to the MOST qualified leads.
The fix: Ask more questions to find out what matters to the prospect. What made them interested in talking to you in the first place? Why does that matter to them? Have they looked into something like this before? What other options are they considering? Etc.
Suggestion #2: Be Proactive
For some people, the idea of proactively generating business outside of leads from marketing has become (or always has been) a foreign concept. Living off of marketing-leads-only is very common in some industries so if this is new to you (or your team)... There’s more good news. If you decide to get after it and self-generate pipeline, the leads from marketing will feel like an added bonus on top of what you’re already generating through your own efforts.
One easy way to do this? Ask for referrals from your customers. If you have a product or service you believe in, you’ll be amazed how willing people are to refer business to you.
The key is: you have to ask. Most people are more than happy to refer business to you but they won’t think of it on their own. So make a game of it. Set a goal for how many referrals you’ll ask for each week and make it one you know you’ll hit.
Suggestion #3: Double-Check Your Mindset
If you haven’t received as many leads lately…. What do you say?
Is it, “Of COURSE there aren’t any leads because there's a recession.” Or “Marketing needs to step it up.” OR…. Do you think, “There are people out there who need my help. I just have to find them.”
If you have the mindset of, “It doesn't matter what I do, it's all crumbling, the recession is upon us, people aren't spending," your actions and your results will reflect that.
Simon Sinek said it best when he said, “What you DO simply serves as proof of what you believe.”
Bottom line… if you focus your efforts on qualifying before talking price, proactively generating pipeline, and cultivating an abundance mindset… it will make such a difference.
