Using the right leads speeds up the process of inviting prospects to your business. It doesn’t matter if it’s a small or large-scale business; leads are essential for any business to thrive.
A lead is someone who is interested in your product or service, and there’s a chance for you to convert them into a customer. Leads can be of different types, and it is essential to understand how to target them to bolster your marketing efforts and increase your sales.
Unsure how to target your leads for better results? See below the different types of leads and how to target them correctly for better results.
Cold leads
These sets of individuals are almost complete strangers to your business. They are potential customers who have yet shown no interest in your product or service. Cold leads are the hardest ones to convert. To best target them, you should practice the following;
- Tailor your marketing message to attract their interest.
- Keep them abreast of vital information with quality and engaging blog posts.
iii. Be patient and persistent: If you must convert cold leads, it is important that you nurture their interest in your product relentlessly. But you must also give room for them to take it all and not coarse them into hasty feedback.
Warm leads
These are prospective customers who have some surface-level familiarity with your product/services. However, they haven’t explicitly expressed complete interest in doing business with you. They may have visited your website, subscribed to your email list, or perhaps heard about you from someone. It would be best if you gave warm leads priority in your sales and marketing efforts because they are easier to convert than cold leads.
Below are some tips for targeting this type of lead effectively;
- Set up a meeting/conversation with them to learn firsthand their needs and how you can help fulfill them.
- Circle back from time to time with intriguing value propositions.
iii. Take advantage of the contents that interest them by including Calls To Action (CTA)
*** leads
*** leads usually emerge after you must have carried out effective lead generation. *** leads are potential customers who have shown extended interest in your product or services, and with a little nudge from you, they can become customers in no time. They may have contacted you directly, requested a meeting, or even placed an order. *** leads require the least effort to convert, and they should have a higher level of priority in your sales efforts. And this is one reason why you should prioritize expert lead generation to increase your chances of acquiring these valuable prospects.
To effectively target *** leads, you must;
- Emphatically inform them of the outstanding qualities your product or service would offer them.
- Push for conversion by setting up formal meetings for active talks between both parties.
Information Qualified Leads (IQLs)
These kinds of leads are solely focused on getting the perfect solutions to their problems. They are research-oriented prospects and would only consume the contents that answer their questions or indulge their curiosities. To best target these leads, you should;
- Produce informative content frequently, such as blog articles and videos. It would help if you did not directly sell to these users. Instead, just provide them with the required information, but be sure to express your efficiency while at it.
- Pique their interest in you by offering them solutions to their problems, and be sure to keep in touch regularly.
Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs)
These leads are the other half of the Information Qualified Leads who stick around, consume your content and show interest in your solutions. Marketing Qualified Leads are similar to Warm leads, and you can employ a similar approach to convert them.
Your marketer can speed up the conversion process by offering demos, free trials/consultations, etc., to further pique their interest.
Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs)
Congratulations on getting a sales-qualified lead. They are one step closer to becoming your customer if you play your cards right. SQLs should be treated as *** leads, and as such, your sales effort should be increased in closing them. Direct sales pitches can be used at this point as you want these prospects to know that you’re keen on working with them, but you also want them to be interested in working with you.
Final thoughts
Lead generation is critical to any successful business strategy, as it helps increase sales, revenue, and customer base. In conclusion, understanding the different types of leads is essential for any business. By prioritizing and targeting the right kind of lead, you can improve your sales and marketing efforts, grow your customer base, and scale up your business.
Lark Begin is a digital marketer from Ottawa, Canada. Lark is an SEO Master, PPC expert and content writer. She helps many small businesses get ranked on Google each day.
