What is meant by leads?

Perhaps you have already considered acquiring customers online. For this, you need leads, or you may have an offer on your desk from another agency to generate leads for you. 

There are a number of mistakes you can make in lead generation, which can result in wasting your money. In this video, I want to raise your awareness of this. I am Daniel Schäfer, entrepreneur and advisor for new and established businesses. The topic of customer acquisition via online marketing channels is a major one.

An important term that comes up repeatedly is the lead. A lead is a potential customer who has not yet made a purchase decision. So a lead is still some way from becoming an actual customer. In a shortened funnel, or sales funnel, visitors to a landing page can become leads. However, these leads are not yet customers. Ideally, about 5 customers are generated from 50 leads. To achieve this ratio, you need a certain number of visitors or traffic to your pages. A lead is therefore a prospect who leaves their contact details and gives you permission to contact them. It is important that you define in advance exactly which target group you want your customers to be.

For example, if you operate in the B2B sector, you need to know that companies themselves cannot be acquired as leads. It is always individuals behind the companies who must be defined as contacts. Pay close attention to who your target group is and who the decision-makers are. It is important to identify the needs of your potential customers and to ask whether they are interested in your product or service.

It is also important to know whether they are willing and able to pay for your offer. Ask about their planned budget and whether it matches your offer. Also ask about the timeframe in which a decision can be made. It is important to have a process in place to ensure your leads are optimally managed. Such a process is called an LNP process, which stands for Lead Nurturing Process. Make sure you contact your leads regularly and offer them the next steps. Otherwise, they may feel rejected and turn to other providers.

This process ensures that follow-up is guaranteed. In a negative example, leads who enter the system may not be followed up and may feel rejected. This can lead to negative reviews. It is important to use software that automates lead conversion and has different phases. The customer should feel supported and valued and receive suitable offers. It is also possible to include surveys or other offers. It is important not to overwhelm the customer to avoid spam. It is advisable to develop a well-thought-out lead nurturing process and use good software. Leads are valuable, but not automatically customers. It is important to plan the entire process from initial contact to customer conversion and to calculate the cost per customer. It may be worthwhile to consult experts in online marketing and other areas to optimise the process and achieve success.