Every business needs it. Every business owner makes it his or her top priority goal. It never changes, from the moment you start your business until you close the doors for the final time. To survive, your business must bring in leads that ultimately turn into good quality, paying clients.
But how do you bring them in consistently? What methods do you use?
Well that all depends on how much business you need in your studio.
Let's say that you want to photograph thirty weddings per year. How many leads you need to generate those thirty weddings would depend on a number of factors:
* How much do you charge for your weddings?
* Do your leads know and understand your pricing before they contact you?
* How good are you at turning leads into sales?
If your leads are pre-qualified, have a lot of information on you and your services before they contact you, know and understand your pricing, and have a strong referral, you might only need thirty leads to book your thirty weddings.
But if your leads come in with little knowledge of you or your services, they call in 'blind' from a vague advertisement with little information, and don't match your criteria for your ideal client; you may end up having to meet ten to fifteen prospects before turning one of them into a client.
Which would you rather have for your business: thirty prospects turning into thirty clients, or 450 prospects turning into thirty clients? Obviously, your ultimate goal should be the first option.
Lead generation is all about reaching out to your prospects, and turning them into clients. The better you understand your customers, the easier it will be to connect with them. The better you define your perfect client, and the better your marketing strategy to reach your perfect customer, the easier your business will be.
Once you have your client defined, you can begin reaching out to connect with them. There are hundreds of ways to connect; choose methods that work for you and your budget. Consider options like:
Networking events
Tradeshows
Magazines
Newspapers
Trade journals
Direct mail
Brochure placement
Flyers
Door hangers
Postcards
Card decks
Sponsorships
Ezines
Email advertisements
Banner placement
While the list for marketing opportunities is endless, you’ll soon discover certain methods that resonate with your goals and strategies, and seem to connect better with your prospects and clients.
Choose your methods, and monitor your results. And as the leads come in, observe the quality of each lead, and the method the lead was generated. Choose to continue using quality methods that bring in “perfect” leads. And discontinue use of other, less attractive methods. You’ll soon develop a strategy that is perfect for your business, and brings in a comfortable level of leads that generate your perfect level of business.
