Top lead generation mistakes

1. Spending on marketing activities that don’t produce ROI or are “vanity exercises.” You can run an ad in your local paper, but if the 25,000 people who read it aren’t part of your target market, it’s a wasted investment. Streamline your ad campaign to a targeted pool of people you want to take on as clients.
2. Holding unrealistic expectations about the results various marketing tactics can produce. People need an incentive to become clients. Offer a white paper, case study, article, book, research or sales call in your ad–something that requires them to take the next step and reach out to you.
3. Not implementing any lead generation efforts because of inefficient decision-making. You can have all the meetings you want but in the end, if someone doesn’t make a move, it’s wasted time. “All too often in services firms there are too many decision-makers who can’t get on the same page and decide what to do, when it comes to marketing and lead generation,” Doerr writes.
4. Not being able to sustain implementation over the long term. “Leads need to be nurtured over the long term so you are top of mind when the elusive time of need arises,” Doerr writes. Be patient and give your lead generation campaign time to take effect.
5. Relying on one tactic only. Combine different tactics like speeches and seminars, with cold calls and direct mail.
6. Poor implementation. After investing time and money into a marketing plan, if you have poorly written marketing copy, poorly designed or poorly targeted campaigns, it’s all for nothing.
7. Not communicating your value in marketing. Doerr suggests providing value directly in your marketing and selling efforts. “When you interact with a prospective client, or send any message to them, that prospect is evaluating what it might be like to work with you,” he says. “Help them understand that working with you after they become your client is much the same as what it’s like working with you before they become your client.”
8. Dropping or failing to nurture leads. Doerr cites research from BPM Forum, which shows over 80 percent of generated leads are never followed up on, are dropped, or are mishandled. Implement a process for tracking and following up on leads, and stick to it.
9. Not integrating various marketing tactics well. “Lead generation is a multi-step process,” Doerr writes. “It takes multiple touches to draw prospects into the seduction of your services. You need to offer a consistent message, at the right frequency, with the right mix of offers to get prospects interested. Even then, not all prospects will be interested in attending a seminar or reading a white paper, while others will want to do both before engaging a conversation with you,” Doerr reminds us.
10. Planning poorly for lead generation. Don’t get complacent in your lead generation planning. “When it comes to marketing and lead generation, some tactics work better for some companies than others … and you never know which ones work best for you until you test them,” Doerr writes.