This month, we’re talking about how you can ensure you finish 2018 strong and start 2019 off right so that you achieve your goals and Double Plus your income. And today, we’re going to discuss one of the most important aspects of increasing income for entrepreneurs: lead generation.

In my 40+ years in sales and business development, one of the pivotal “golden rules” I’ve learned is the more attention you pay on lead generation, the faster your sales will grow.

Whether your sales are suffering, have stagnated, or simply aren’t where you want them to be, when you shift your focus towards lead generation, you will experience a profitable breakthrough.

It’s All About Trust

Many people think of lead generation as the first step in the sales process. While I agree, I also want to point out that lead generation activities shouldn’t feel like “selling” to you or your prospect!

I encourage my clients to think about lead generation as the first step in a methodical step-by-step process designed to open up a conversation with your prospect. In essence, when you engage in lead generation, you are inviting someone to keep the conversation going and build a relationship with you. And in order to get a prospect interested in engaging with you, you need to earn their TRUST.

Lead generation is really a trust building operation.

If you think of it as a sales operation, you risk alienating your prospect. Instead, think of it like a first date. If you propose marriage on the first date, your date will likely run for the hills. If you try to close a sale when you should be building trust, your prospect will run for the hills too.

There are lots of smart strategies that will generate more leads.

You can build trust with complimentary calls to ensure that your prospect is an ideal fit and will benefit from the product or service you offer. Talking to the right audience brings you one step closer to building the trust necessary to keep your prospect interested in learning more.

Networking is another way to fuel your lead generation goals. You’ll build your personal brand, while meeting new people, some of whom may be prospects. It’s also a great way to generate referral partners who can provide you with quality leads.

Let’s take an in-depth look at one of the most effective lead generation strategies you can employ, which is building trust using content.

How to Use Your Content to Generate Leads

The key to successful lead generation using content is that it needs to be valuable to your prospect. Curating great content will help you cut through the clutter online. When you post relevant, useful, engaging content – from industry trends to breaking news to thought leadership – people take notice and begin to trust your expertise and credibility. This is true both when you generate original content as well as curate quality content.

When a prospect meets you or hears about you, they’ll likely want to check you out in order to get a sense of who you are. Upon visiting your blog, website, or social media platforms, prospects will be more likely to trust your credibility if they see a stream of helpful, smart content that you have posted. Your content should clearly demonstrate that your finger is on the pulse of the latest trends in your industry and that you have valuable knowledge and insights that will benefit their lives or solve a problem they face.

Seek out opportunities to share news articles and other content that is relevant to your prospect’s problem, even if they’re not directly connected to the product or service you sell. Remember, the point of the content is to build trust and demonstrate value, not to “hard sell.” Don’t make it all about you! Engage in conversations with prospects who read your content by asking questions and responding to comments and queries.

Here are ideas on how to use content to generate leads and build trust:

• Actively share content on a variety of social media platforms including Twitter and Facebook.
• Build a professional LinkedIn bio and post articles in groups where your prospects hang out.
• Post engaging blog posts on your website and share them in your weekly or bi-monthly newsletter as well as on your social media platforms.
• Generate a newsletter that shares your insights, industry news, and noteworthy achievements.
• Submit articles and press releases to newspapers, magazines, and blogs that your target market reads.
• Create an infographic or white paper that you can send out to support your initial prospecting calls.
• Produce an eBook that demonstrates your expertise and showcases valuable information that solves a problem that your target market faces.
• Make sure your landing page allows visitors to input their name and contact information to get valuable free content such as an eBook or report as well as to sign up to receive your newsletter.
• Produce engaging videos that feature valuable information, stories, and insights that will engage your prospect and post them on your YouTube channel and social media platforms.

Quality Matters

Content is only an effective tool for lead generation if your content is high quality, fresh, and informative. You will inspire trust and confidence in your followers by consistently posting quality, valuable content that demonstrates your knowledge and expertise.

Infuse Your Personality

Another key ingredient in generating leads via content sharing is to be likeable and make sure your personality shines through. People buy from people they like. When someone reads your blog or social media feed, they should feel like they are getting to know you. Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine, use humor, and write or speak as if you’re conversing with a friend. The more readers like you and relate to you, the more leads you will generate.

Include a Call to Action

Everything you share should contain a call to action. That action step, which is usually free, might be attending an upcoming event, signing up for a webinar, signing up for your newsletter, or downloading an eBook in exchange for their name and email address. The objective is to get a passive reader to become actively engaged with you so you can hold their attention, build a relationship, and continue a conversation that moves you closer to making the sale.

Are You Consistently Generating Quality Leads?

Today, we have only just scratched the surface of the essential topic of lead generation. It is one of the keys that will unlock exponential sales growth in your business. I empower the entrepreneurs I work with at Celeste Giordano Coaching to master the art and science of lead generation by teaching them the same strategies I have used to build my own Legacy Business.

Contact me to learn a powerful proven system for generating quality leads and Double Plus your income in 2019.

If you are celebrating, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas! Mike and I wish you the very best this holiday season from our family to yours!

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Celeste Giordano’s mission is to help business owners develop the skills, knowledge and attitude necessary to “DoublePlus^TM” their income and become effective and inspirational leaders in their fields. Whether it’s taking your successful business to the next level or starting a new venture, she will teach you the exact skills and strategies you need to enroll more quality prospects, build a rock-solid team, and break through obstacles to achieve real profit and lasting success. Celeste is a professional business growth specialist, a master sales strategist, and dynamic speaker with 40 years experience in direct sales and managing high-performing teams.

To learn more about Celeste, click here.

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