Is there anything worse than the thought of chasing a dead end lead? Do you often find yourself going down this path, wondering why you’re wasting your time? Are you hoping to avoid these types of leads in the future?
Even with good flow between your sales and marketing team, there could come a point when you realize that you’re chasing entirely too many dead end leads. Not only can this cost your organization time, but the same holds true in regards to money and productivity.
When developing a marketing strategy, you should do so with the idea that you never want to chase a dead end lead. While you know there will be times when this happens, your goal is to minimize the likelihood.
Think about it in the same manner as your personal finances. You need to have a plan for reaching your goals, while avoiding challenges that stop you dead in your tracks. For example, you need to know how to use your credit cards wisely as to avoid too much debt.
You should take the same approach with your marketing plan. When you avoid dead end leads you can spend more time on those that may actually convert in the future.
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s examine five signs that you may be chasing a dead end lead:
- You Don’t Have What They Want
Let’s face it: you need to offer a product or service that the person is looking for. If you don’t, there’s no chance you’re going to do business together in the future.
This is why it’s so important to qualify leads upfront. If it’s not the right fit, it’s best to cut ties early on. This will save you time and money over the long run.
- They Don’t Have the Budget
No matter how much interest someone has in your product or service, they must be able to afford what you’re selling. If they can’t, you’re doing nothing more than wasting your time.
You should learn more about a prospect’s budget before you get too deep into the sales cycle.
- They Ignore You
It goes without saying that your prospects are every bit as busy as you are. For this reason, they may not always have time to answer your calls and respond to your emails.
However, there comes a point when you need to take a hint. There comes a point when you realize that you are being ignored.
If this happens, put the lead on the backburner once and for all. If they come back around, so be it. But if they don’t, at least you’re not wasting any more time.
- They Use Every Excuse in the Book
You don’t want to be one of those pushy salespeople who doesn’t know when to stop. If you are, it’s safe to assume that you’ll hear every excuse in the book. It’s also safe to assume that the people giving you the excuses will never become a customer.
If a prospect is continually coming up with reasons to avoid you, there’s a good chance they simply want you to go away.
- They Never Take Action
Good leads are interested in what you have to offer and looking for every reason to give your product or service a try.
Dead end leads always seem to find a reason to avoid taking the next step.
If someone talks about taking action but never pulls the trigger, it may be time to chalk them up as a dead end lead.
Final Thoughts
It doesn’t matter if you want to achieve success with content marketing or another strategy, you need to know the difference between a hot lead and a dead end lead.
Once you become skilled at telling the difference, you’ll find it easier to use your time in a more efficient manner.
What are your thoughts on generating leads for your business? How do you avoid dead end leads? How do you ensure that you’re giving hot leads the time and attention they deserve? Share your personal strategy and advice in the comment section below.
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