For every lead reaching out to you today, for every prospect who responds to your call, there are likely FIVE TIMES as many interested in what you have to offer and hoping to connect!. . Just not yet.
Many marketers think that sending out ads with a call to action, like filling out a form, sending in an email, or setting up a phone call, is the best way to guarantee interested clients.
The only thing this is guaranteeing is that these marketers are selling themselves short by drastically limiting their audience!
You see, call to action ads come with high levels of responsibility right upfront, essentially from a stranger. They require that your prospects not only come across your ad while there is a need that you can fulfill but that they are also willing to take the time to stop scrolling, read, step up to the plate, put themselves out there, fill out a form, and speak with someone that they don't even know.
Yes, in the end, the responses you receive from these call to action ads will most likely be high quality, excellent connections, but what about all of those responses that you did not receive, all of those prospects who were not yet ready to step up!?
There are numerous other potential clients out there who are just as interested in what you have to offer and eventually would love to connect. Unfortunately, they are unable or unwilling to take that first step of reaching out when they come across you. As a marketer, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is closing the door on these "not yet" prospects or brushing them off as uninterested, unworthy, or unimportant.
Instead, try thinking of these prospects as "on deck."
Be patient. Nurture these relationships. Create growing connections without responsibility.
Offer them information and resources that they can file, pursue at their own leisure, and return to when ready. Make consistent, reliable, and informative contact that keeps you in the back of their mind, ready and waiting for that moment when a need arises that you can fulfill. Offer them numerous opportunities and options for reaching out and connecting, and welcome them when they do!
Hold the door open for these "not yet" prospects and watch them turn into qualified leads!