Why do you need a Clear and Stated Purpose for Lead Generation?

All too often lead generation strategies and activities are a mish-mash of half-baked objectives with no clear end point in site.  Additionally, these failed strategies often have too many details and too much nuance to be set for success.  The worst lead generation strategy, which is familiar to most businesses is “activity that looks like work but really isn’t.” My advice is to come up with a very clear, easily understood and easily achieved goal for your lead generation activity.

A Clear and Stated Purpose

My favorite clear and stated purpose for lead generation, the one I always come back to? The one that has yielded me the best client relationships and repeat business?  Simple:

I would like this person to agree to a relationship with me.

That’s it.

“What do you mean by relationship?” you might ask. That’s simple too: if they will reply to my emails and take my phone call then we have a relationship. I certainly don’t want to abuse our relationship by being a pest, but when it comes to business development and sales of any sort I believe the hardest work comes from getting from ZERO to ONE, from turning a stranger into an acquaintance.  I’m sure you’re wondering “what do I email them?” and “how often do I call?”  Settle down, grasshopper.  Let’s start some relationships before we worry about the next steps, okay?

Keep it Simple, Stupid

Your wheels may already be turning as you think of your own clear and stated purpose.  Maybe you think your CASP is “I want this person to buy my widget” or “I want this person to come to our conference.” Again, settle down. Those are OUTCOMES, not purposes (and we’ll get to outcomes at some point).  But I will say that your potential outcomes are near-limitless once you’ve gotten your targeted lead from stone-cold stranger to a person with whom you have a relationship.

Lead generation isn’t hard.  We make it hard by trying to jump straight to outcomes.  Monthly sales, quarterly growth, annual quota fulfillment. Anxiety about turning leads into opportunities and opportunities into purchase orders and contacts.  All too often we let outcomes large and small serve as proxy for lead generation success. If you read this post looking for a recommendation then I would offer this: focus your lead generation on creating relationships…the rest is easy from there.

The post Lead Generation for Beginners – Chapter 1 – A Clear and Stated Purpose appeared first on RAINCLOUD.