When attempting to meet the soulmate of our dreams, as humans we can be strange creatures. For example, women often look in the mirror they believe they always look worse than they really do, while men on the other hand always seem to think they look substantially better. They like to believe that they’re oozing the savage sexuality of a bull moose during mating season and that they’re only about three push-ups away from a set of abs that could grate a block of Cracker Barrel.
There’s 30 years worth of Kraft Singles under this time bomb, ladies.
So where am I going with this? The dating scene. An inbound marketing strategy can draw a lot of parallels from dating when we’re talking about lead nurturing and finding a perfect customer match for your business. We’ve pretty much all been there at some point. After you’ve met and set up the first few rendezvous (the attract phase), at some point you realize that you’re going to want to learn more about the person sitting across from you eating the ironic $89 chef salad served in a wine glass.
You should already know the personas that you want to attract. If you don’t, try this handy free guide to identifying who your dream customers really are. Those are the qualities you’re looking for in the perfect mate or the perfect match for your business. So let’s sit down, you and me, so I can give you some fatherly advice to consider when nurturing leads.
Remember that awkard moment when you dropped to one knee and popped the question right after the drink order on the first date? Of course not. That would be ridiculous. So why do so many companies do this on their website? The standard Contact Us or Buy Now buttons that we see so often assumes that the prospect is already at the point of sale and wants to talk to a sales rep right now. Believe it or not, only 3% of visitors on your website are ready to buy right now, so asking them to buy right away is akin to proposing on the first date. You’ll want to get to know your prospects and nurture a relationship over time before asking for marriage to the brand.
Let's take things slow tonight by spending 3 hours trying to find something to watch on Netflix.
Usually when you hear this it’s the other way around and it’s true. A big part of developing the buyer relationship is listening to questions, concerns and needs. But, part of it is also asking your own questions. Unless you are the Amazing Kreskin and can read minds, the only way to get inside the heads of your prospects is to ask a set of progressive questions. Listen to their likes, their wants and their problems and talk about solutions to those problems. Don’t just talk about the product or the service either. Talk about how it will benefit them and minimize their pain points. By doing so, you help build trust in those relationships.
Do you know how many marriages end because things get stale? It’s something like 478% (not verified.) We all have our favourite restaurants, television shows and entertainment locales, but if you crazy kids did the same thing every day things would get old, fast. Now, consider the prospects that are visiting your website. Are you providing the same stale content that’s been there since day one, or are you using exciting new content to keep their fires burning? Based on your buyer personas you should be striving to create a custom experience focused on each point in the sales process.
Don’t be afraid to use past experiences to change things up. Remember that failure is the foundation of success, so if there’s some particular content or a social media channel that isn’t having the effect you thought it would – test and measure. Find out what your personas are looking for. What are their questions and their pain points? Start developing the relationship that leads to a match made in heaven with this free guide:
A free, customizable buyer persona worksheet
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