People strategizing with a mood board

3 Common Identity Mistakes

Be Somewhere

There may be no more important and yet more easy to forget principle than this. Your customers need to know that you’re real. Even if your business is operating out of your suburban garage, customers want to be sure that you are exactly what you say you are.

A P.O. Box and an 800 number could be anything, and these days, they smell like a scam. Toll-free numbers are no longer status symbols. In fact, they seem downright inauthentic. On your website, provide the physical address where you do your work, and a local phone number. Lastly be sure to setup a free Google My Business account. Yes we live in a world of remote workers but the business itself should have some stake in the ground somewhere. 

Don’t link to Social

It looks cool to have a bunch of social network links on your page, especially if they are new and rising channels. What do consumers think, though, when they click through to your Instagram account and see that you haven’t posted anything since 2011, and that was just an older version of your logo?

They’ll be disappointed, that’s what. And that’s a terrible first impression to make. If your website links to any social media profiles, make sure that you’re using them to provide regular updates and interaction. Don’t feel pressure to use ALL social media. Does anyone really want to follow a Doctor’s office Instagram account? 

Web Evolution

In this day and age of Squarespace, Wix, and Shoppify there is really no excuse for having a dated website. All too often we are laser focused on growth via SDR but we fail to realize that our (virtual) storefront looks like something from the 90’s. Updating your website can me a minimal expense with maximum ROI. 

 

icons of household tools

Top 3 Simple Lead Generation Tools

Business owners often wonder what are the best ways for them to find their next customers. We’ve all heard of lead generation before, but in some cases, you may not know how to focus your efforts. Certain lead generation tools help you sort ordinary visitors from interested potential customers.

Opt-in Forms

Opt-in forms are one of the simplest forms of lead generation that you can include on your website. They cut right to the chase! Do you want to receive information or contact from us, yes or no? Anybody who fills out one of these forms is definitely interested. They want to learn more about what your company can do for them!

Email Marketing

Sometimes people don’t want contact from a salesperson right away. More than sometimes, it’s most of the time. Email marketing helps break down those barriers. In exchange for contact information, you provide valuable content on a regular basis. If the content is useful enough, and it proves the value you offer, subscribers convert from leads to customers.

Pop-Ups

Those of us who have been on the internet since the 90’s think of popups as a dirty word. We remember the dark days before ad blockers. Loud and obnoxious pop-up advertisements would appear. They would obscure the content and try to trick you into clicking them.

Modern pop-ups are not like that. In this case, we’re referring to the ones that appear as part of a website user experience. These pop-ups keep your attention on the page that you’re on, rather than distracting you from it. They can be effective lead generation tools because they provide a second chance. Pop-ups integrate with the other tools we’ve highlighted here. They include opt-in forms or email subscription links before you leave the page. They can also be a call to action right when you arrive. With that, you know from the start what the purpose of the company’s website is.

Each of these lead generation methods has advantages and disadvantages. Not all will be right for your brand. At Boom Demand, we can help you carry out a plan that works best for your business. Contact us today to enjoy all the benefits of our sales enablement solutions!

Hand holding a lightbulb

3 Uncommon Ways to Find Growth: The Law of Reciprocity

What is the Law of Reciprocity?

 

The law of Reciprocity states that an individual or group will tend to return a favor to an individual or group that has helped them in the past. In the business world the Law of Reciprocity helps demonstrate the effect altruism can have on a business’ future growth. 

While it can be difficult to measure the ROI on goodwill, we believe helping others is it’s own reward and while you may not see immediate profits from your generosity we know it will ultimately help you get ahead of the pack. 

 

Get Help from an Industry Leader

 

Reach out to the industry leaders your product is designed to help and ask permission to interview them. Veteran’s in the industry are often willing to share insights with newcomers. Perhaps because they are already familiar with the Law of Reciprocity, and they know a little assistance can pay dividends in the future.

 

Start your search with current clients, then expand to businesses you have interfaced with previously. This can include companies you met at conferences, former professors or mentors, and those who are part of your Linkedin network or  Linkedin connections. Cold calling or Cold emails are also an option, but tend to see lower success rates. No matter how you approach these individuals, be straightforward with your request and be respectful of their time. 

 

Once an industry leader has consented to an interview, ask if they will also agree to be recorded. While this step is not necessary it is advantageous to be able to refer back to the video or audio for insights and you can derive a great deal of content from their recording in the future.

 

During the interview, ask questions about the specific strategies and practices that led them to success in your vertical. Inquire about pitfalls they have seen their competitors fall into in the past. Finally ask them about what they feel like you and your competitors may be missing in the services they provide. 

 

This interview has three purposes. First, it will help you discover best practices to implement in your operation. Second, it will help you discover what industry leaders expect from companies in your field and may reveal areas of opportunity for your growing business. Finally and perhaps most importantly it will help you cultivate relationships with giants in the industry.

 

Get involved in Community Service

Providing service as a company might seem counterintuitive to growth; however, service can often open up doors that you didn’t even know existed. 

Start by asking your team what are some good volunteer ideas. It is likely they are already aware of several charitable organizations and community service events. By involving your team in the service search you can quickly find a cause or group to support. More importantly, if they can pick the service opportunity your team will approach your volunteer project with genuine excitement and passion that is impossible to fake.

These volunteer experiences have a lot of potential benefits. First there may be press opportunities gained at even the smallest community service events and you may even forge business relationships with other companies while volunteering. 

Second, volunteering opportunities are an excellent opportunity to energize your team, focus on team building, and get out of the office. Bonus points for closing the business for the day and letting your customers know that your team is out for the day providing community service. 

Finally, companies and individuals are becoming more socially conscious and people are looking to partner with companies dedicated to bettering their community and world. Remember the law of reciprocity? As you and your company are seen serving the world around you potential clients are more likely to reward you with their business. 

Don’t ask for someone’s email address. 

This is the most daring and counterintuitive of this list. John Booth, a VP of Marketing at Cipher Systems writing for impactbnd.com, points out that you don’t need everybody’s email. You need the emails of people who are likely to become customers. 

Prospects are getting tired of surrendering their email to download content that doesn’t turn out to be so valuable. They also really dislike having to unsubscribe from mailing lists that aren’t actually helping them, either. The solution is to pivot to chat, and other methods of providing value and solving prospects’ problems before asking for anything in return. 

The law of reciprocity remains in full force here. Customers will be grateful for your orientation towards providing a service, rather than just mining them for data. This will generate higher levels of loyalty and increase the probability they will recommend your company to others. 

As Booth put it,

At the most fundamental level, my goal as a marketer is to build trust and establish credibility with my prospects.

I do this by sharing my company’s perspective, experience, and intelligence in a way that is educational and designed to answer their questions and help them solve their problems.

Doing all of this without asking for an email address is a very effective way to build trust and credibility, and it makes great business sense.

IMPACTBND

The Law of Reciprocity in Business: Grow like never expected

Countless businesses struggle on the edge of obscurity never gaining the trust, loyalty or customer base they want and that is because they don’t understand the Law of Reciprocity. Many business owners fail to see beyond the mere dollar and cents of running a business and never learn that the key to business growth lies in serving others. While there are countless ways the Law of Reciprocity could apply to business growth we hope these three examples have helped you gain a greater understanding that the more you and your company gives the more you will grow.

Wide view of modern cityscape

The Next Big Thing in the Future of Lead Generation

We talk a lot about lead generation here at Boom Demand. It’s the core of our business, so that makes sense. We may not be talking enough about where lead generation is going in the next few years, though. There are big changes on the horizon. They’re going to impact more than marketing and outsourcing companies like ourselves. What does the future of lead generation hold, and how will it make us all better off?

Lead Generation is Everything, and Everything is Lead Generation

Do you know what Uber is? That may seem like a condescending question, but think about your answer. We know that you’ve already heard about and used the world-famous ridesharing app. It represents one of the biggest changes in business and transportation history.

But we ask again, what is it? Is it a better taxi service? Nope.

It’s a lead generation platform.

This may come as a surprise at first. We don’t usually think of lead generation in the context of services like what Uber drivers provide. And yet, that is exactly what it is.

Uber gives service providers (drivers) leads. Those leads are people willing to buy their service at the right time and place (riders). It’s very different from trying to hail a taxi. It’s a targeted lead generation service. The market knows what people want, and it knows who can provide it. Drivers want riders and vice versa. The app knows where the closest and best ones are, so it provides the bridge.

This is important because it’s turning into the way our entire economy operates. It’s not only Uber, and similar apps like AirBNB, DoorDash, Science Exchange, Recharge, and many, many others. It’s the proliferation of the “gig economy” where most workers are now freelancers. The future of lead generation is relevant to everybody.

The Future of Lead Generation is Freedom

Many commentators bemoan the rise of the gig economy. They complain that it makes it harder to earn a living. In many ways, their arguments have merit. You could say that successful freelancing takes a certain kind of determination. It’s quite different from holding down a lifelong factory job.

The flip side of that is the freedom to move where the market moves. Workers’ fortunes are no longer so tied to the ups and downs of a single country or industry. With powerful lead generation solutions, they can find the right clients, faster. Likewise, clients can find better services faster, too.

The future of lead generation is its central role in the economy. It’s like the bioelectrical impulse that keeps a heart pumping thousands of times a day for decades. Every act of lead generation is a contribution to the prosperity of the entire world. And that’s why we’re so proud to do what we do.

Stairs going up

3 Ways to Get Better Lead Generation Data

Every growing business is in a constant fight for new customers. You’re competing with other service providers. You have to keep existing customers happy. It’s not easy. If you stop moving forward, you don’t stay put; you start to slide back down. You need a constant stream of new life to keep the business moving. Getting better lead generation data is key to that effort. The age-old question, though, is how?

1: Organic Lead Generation

It’s no secret that the absolute best source of leads is always an organic one. What does that mean? It means that customers come to you because they know they need what you have. They might not know they’re looking for your specific company. But they’re searching online or in-person for the type of products you sell.

Helping them find you is essential. That means having a good website design, with lots of useful content. It means putting out ads and networking. It means making it as easy as possible for them to find and contact you. Whatever other tactics you’ve been using to get new leads, this one should be your top priority. No prospects are more likely to become customers than the ones who come to you as organic leads.

2: Scraping Better Lead Generation Data From Public Sources

Of course, you cannot only wait for organic leads to show up. You have to be proactive, which means putting your brand out there with some cold outreach. But outreach to who? Well, there’s a lot of loose data out there; lots of contact information waiting for a call or an email.

How do you know who to call, though? Say you crack open an antique phone book and start at the beginning. You’re going to spend an absurd amount of time talking to voicemails and people who will never, ever buy your stuff. Not worth it.

No, what you need to do to get better lead generation data is search smarter. You can use your competitors’ own platforms to find your own leads. Find people who are interacting with them on social media or online forums, and reach out. If you can address their complaints, concerns, and unmet needs, you can win them as clients.

3: Results Analytics

Once you have better lead generation data in the first place, is the work all done? No. You can keep improving and tightening your focus.

Keep careful records of all your data sources; how, where, and when you got them. The leads that become prospects and then turn into customers are a gold mine in more ways than one. Analyze that success. Discover what’s been working best for you, and iterate on it!

Always leave some room to experiment and try to find even better ways of doing business. But don’t leave your best niches without serious attention.

Boom Demand helps companies use strong sales development strategies to their advantage. Contact us today if you want to see better sales sooner!