Warm leads are perhaps the most frustrating and the most rewarding part of running a business. They’re right there, on the cusp of choosing your brand, but still remain just out of reach. It is every business owner’s goal to tip as many of those warm leads onto the “yes” side of the fence and convert them into paying customers. So what can you do to give your warm leads that extra nudge? Here are 4 highly effective tips for sealing the deal.
Provide a Sample
If you have leads that seem highly interested, but who aren’t quite ready to make the plunge, it might be because they’re not absolutely positive they’ll love your product. You can put those fears to rest quickly with a free sample of the product or service you provide. Samples are an excellent way to promote your product and show your warm leads exactly what they’ll be getting if they choose to work with your brand.
Of course, you don’t want to give it all away for free. So make sure the sample you’re providing is enough to give them an accurate example of what they’ll be purchasing, but small enough that they’re left wanting more. For product-based businesses, this might be something like a sample box of some of your most popular snack foods. Service-based businesses can provide things like free trials or consultations.
Ask What They Want
If you have warm leads that are holding back, here’s a surprisingly simple tip that most business owners overlook: Ask them why! Ask them what is holding them back from making a purchase and do your best to address the concerns or misgivings they may have about working with your company. If you think that it’s only your current customers who can provide valuable input for your business, then you’re dead wrong.
By asking your leads what is making them hesitate, you won’t only be gaining valuable information to help you make that individual sale, but you can recognize common concerns and trends that stall your leads from making a purchase. By leveraging innovation management software to collect, organize, and analyze input from warm leads, you can identify better ways to nurture those types of leads and move them along the sales funnel more quickly.
Actively Connect on Social Media
We all know that social media is an essential marketing platform. But it is also a valuable lead-nurturing tool. Social media is how they connect with people they know, and it’s where most of them turn when looking for recommendations on brands. So of course, you need to be active on the appropriate platforms. But you also need to actively connect with people on those platforms.
Your followers on social media are some of the warmest leads you have, so reach out to them on a regular basis. Answer their questions promptly, and give them special offers. This kind of consistent nurturing of your relationship will turn some of those followers into buyers, and some of those buyers into loyal customers.
Answer Questions without Selling
This is another part of lead nurturing via social media. Twitter and Facebook both use hashtags to make it easy to find certain topics of discussion. Stay on top of any hashtags relevant to your business, and chime in on important discussions. Answer any questions people might raise on topics related to your industry. And do it with no intention other than providing them with the information they need.
While you may be tempted to push for a sale (and if the conversation turns in that direction, go for it), most consumers will see through any veiled selling attempts and will be put off to your business. But if you simply provide information, they’ll be more likely to actually interact with you online, and will see you as someone with the knowledge and expertise—as well as the products and services—they need in the future.
By properly nurturing your warm leads, you can turn prospects into clients more efficiently and with a higher rate of success. So what are your secrets to converting leads into customers? Tell us about them!