Isn’t it great to get a bunch of people opting in to your offer?
Hey… You Got Leads!
So now the CASH is rolling in, right?
If that has not been your experience, then you’re crashin’ out when you should be cashin’ in. But don’t think you’re alone.
One of the biggest pitfalls to online marketing success is converting leads. The truth is, most people are extremely active in trying to obtain leads, but once they have them they think the game is over.
THE AUTO-RESPONDER TRAP
My clients are great. They take copious notes on how to grow a blog, develop killer content, mesmerize prospects and suck them mercilessly into their sales funnels.
They get it. The game is all about offering great value and attracting grateful prospects.
They also understand the flow charts. Furnish value, attract leads, and get them into an auto-response email list that more actively promotes the product or service offer. They even get down to the business of creating an impressive auto-responder list of emails that defines, illustrates and otherwise promotes the heck out of their primary offer. Their auto-responder campaigns are often impressive and even quite deep, maybe 45 to 60 days and beyond.
But here’s the trap. The auto-responder is so good, so efficient, so cleverly written and presented, that it is often left to stand alone in terms of converting the lead into a customer or client.
It is simply relied on too heavily by the busy entrepreneur in his or her frantic efforts to keep feeding it a growing list of anxious prospects.
HERE’S THE CRASH
So prospects go to a static, though well-developed list of email that tout an enticing product or service. They may buy in, they may opt out… they may simply stop opening the emails before sending them to trash.
“Well, there’s nothing I can do about that,” you could complain. “I brought them into my list, gave them the best offer I could muster, and now they either realize its value or they don’t. I can’t waste any more time on them.”
I actually hear this response to a crashing conversion metric all too commonly.
The prospects opt in. The emails automatically kick out. The open rates drop drastically after the first few days. The conversion rate quivers, dips and finally crashes.
And the frustrated entrepreneur usually responds to the crash in one of two ways:
1. Give up and decide that internet marketing just doesn’t work (and, of course, it doesn’t… FOR THEM!).
-or-
2. Get really busy looking for more innovative and aggressive ways to build up “The List” (the idea being, apparently, that what didn’t work for 100 people will be much better when it doesn’t work for 1,000… What?).
AND HERE’S THE CASH
The solution is one that often meets with sighs, but believe me, it’s a game changer.
You can (and should) do all the things that we just walked you through in the “Crash” strategy.
But… In addition, you have to WORK (hence the sighs)… your list of prospects. I don’t mean create more emails. I’m not talking about better copy, more videos, or more poignant links (although each of these things is worth review).
The way to work your list into a frenzy, into a dither, into the CASH column… is a familiar technique. It’s called PERSONAL BRANDING and BUILDING AUTHENTIC RELATIONSHIPS.
You need to AUGMENT your skeletal auto-responder email series with broadcast emails on a REGULAR basis (at least… at least 3 times a week). The broadcast emails should be personal interjections.
Mention your most recent blog post. Link back to it. No sales talk. Just mention the blog post and why your prospect will want to read it.
Talk about why your 5-year old cried today… his first day of kindergarten.
Let off steam when you’re favorite team loses the 7th game of the World Series.
You get the idea. Let people in on your life, your thoughts, your emotions. Establish relationships. And in the process… Brand Yourself!
Alternatively, you can broadcast informational emails. A few a week. How to save money with this idea, how to create more business, reduce the chance of a heart attack… whatever pertains to your list… and that depends on your niche, be it business, health, relationships or whatever.
Is this extra work? Of course. That’s why so many people pass it by.
But this is the way to get the attention of your prospects, to deepen your relationships with them, further brand yourself, and offer them even more value.
This is also the way to improve your open rate and subsequently your conversion rate.
This is the way to avoid the CRASH and enjoy the CASH!
Please comment below. I’d love to hear your point of view.
Ah David,
I like your perspective on this. Again, relationships are the building blocks of any interactions. Great ideas that can be utilized in any business situation.
Thanks,
Val
.-= Val Wilcox´s last blog ..Have You Started Your Bucket List? =-.
Nice post, David. Especially building an authentic relationship i.e. letting people in and allowing them to get to know you a bit. Copy writing if done too well can sound too much like a marketing, salesy letter. It’s better to tweak it and add your personal voice to it.
Janette
.-= Janette Stoll´s last blog ..Is marketing your direct sales business with social media hot or hype? =-.
Nice to see you out here, Janette. Your personal voice is REALLY what you need to develop in order to build relationships.
That’s it, Val. All about relationships. Somehow we tend to forget that when it’s most important… with prospects who have opted in to our auto-responder list.
.-= David Merrill´s last blog ..Cash or Crash? Lead Conversion Strategies =-.
David,
This was a timely post for me as I have been someone who has given up in the past (& all too often before marketing strategies even have time to work!). Now I am shifting into responding by taking more action, doing, and remaining focused on my big picture goal. Thanks so much for this great reminder!
Take care,
Becca
.-= Becca´s last blog ..5 Mindset Marketing Secrets =-.
Glad to help, Becca. Remember to keep your goals big, but your actions small and VERY targeted, and always meaningful… as in building relationships, not numbers in a list.
Good luck! I’d love to hear how it’s working out for you.
Hi David,
You have highlighted a very common challenge for online marketers, one that honestly is not discussed enough. That extra work to send 2-3 personal messages a week just isn’t something 9 people out of 10 will do, and thus, therein lies the problem. I also believe many people don’t realize they are supposed to do that! They fall into the “automatic” trap of the autoresponder, sit back, and wait for the money to roll in!
The big guns — the ones who talk about getting 300, 400 leads a day online — work their buzzoomies off to build relationships with their lists, tell stories, and constantly be in front of them. Not just with their latest offers, but with little sidenotes about life. I subscribe to several of these lists and have learned a lot about what to do (and what not to do) from the messages I get from them.
I know I have a lot still to learn in this department and always appreciate your lessons and insights. No matter what I read of yours, it seems, I walk away feeling smarter and better equipped. You are a true teacher, David!
Mary Lou
.-= Mary Lou Kayser´s last blog ..Predictably Irrational: The Keys to Your Success May Be the Opposite of What You Think =-.
Thanks for letting us learn from your own personal journeys, Mary Lou.
Nothing like true life adventures to see preview the road to success. You’re on your way Mary Lou!
David, Agree!
Being in the industry for 10 years now, I definitely have experienced for myself and see in others the CRASH! The small percentage that actually listens to what you are advising are the ones that Get the CASH! It always amazes me how the ones WILLING to do the action steps are always the ones getting the CASH.. works like clock work.
Thanks for you brilliant way to write it out!
I’m new at blogging and it’s with great value to read blogs like yours.
Best, Lisa
Lisa Molina’s latest blog…Disney Channel Teaches Kids “Show Your Parents How to Be Smart Online”
You may be new to blogging, Lisa, but you obviously know the business from a different perspective. Thanks for sharing it. I look forward to your visits so we can all learn more from you!
David,
There’s some wise words there my friend. Believe it or not I’ve fallen into this trap as well. Build the emails and they will come. But it’s when we build the relationships that the true magic happens.
Thanks for sharing a great tip!
Ken Pickard
The Network Dad
.-= Ken Pickard´s last blog ..Critical Review of Jonathan Budd’s MLM Launch Formula =-.
We’ve all fallen into the trap, Ken. That’s what we gain from experience… the instinct to avoid getting burned twice! You’ve given us the best advice… magic only “happens” if you roll up your sleeves and “build the emails”.
Hey David,
This post is a must read for so many internet and network marketers. I have truly found through years of experience…. the money is not in the list, it is in the RELATIONSHIP with the list. You are spot on my friend. I hope people see the real gold in your wisdom.
Scott
.-= Scott Scales´s last blog ..Are you wasting time on blog comments? =-.
Great way to put it, Scott… “the money is in the relationship with the list”. Says it all, doesn’t it!
The more tools we can master to foster these relationships, the stronger our business will grow.
Thanks for your experienced insight, Scott.
Yes, Ken is right….very wise words here! As someone just at the beginning of setting up my autoresponders, this is very timely information. I couldn’t agree more, that whoever goes the extra mile to add in that personal touch wins! I am on many lists, and the ones I still open are ones that go beyond just the “automatic series” type messages. And of course, those are the ones I buy from as well.
Thanks for another very well written post, David!
.-= Beth Allen´s last blog ..The 5 Major Pieces to the Life Puzzle =-.
Good anecdotal confirmation of the premise, Beth!
I’ve experienced the same… the only emails I even open are ones from people who have established a relationship of some sort with me, not the ones who just blast away with a million auto-response messages that may… or may not!… be pertinent to my interests.
Absolutely brilliant point David. You’re right about the tendency to dump names into the list and let the list do the rest. The relationship building starts at the top of the funnel and should never end. In fact a sale should never be seen as “closing” a sale but actually of “opening” the relationship further. A purchase is a sign of trust and it needs to be honored.
.-= Kimberly Castleberry´s last blog ..How To Get A Thousand Blog Comments In Under 6 Months! =-.
That’s really important to underscore, Kimberly. We should never think of closing a sale, but of opening a deeper relationship!
I love that I get readers like you, Kimberly, who are really cool with this stuff!
It seems that so many people think that the trick to online marketing is to build a big list of followers and then let the automated system take over. No work with big pay. The truth is revealed in what you point out. I’ve opted in to my fair share of programs only to stop opening the emails because I lost interest. In a short time I could tell it was all automated and there was no real personal value exchanged.
The key as you point out is in building a relationship with your followers. after all, they signed up fro something from you and they can be potential customers for life. Shouldn’t you get to know them?
.-= Don Enck´s last blog ..The Power of Being Authentic =-.
Absolutely should, Don. Thanks for sharing your experience from the receiving side of the auto-responders. I’m with you. If I get not personal feedback of some sort, I may never opt out of a list, but I’ll probably never open them either.
Hi David,
Sometimes we relay excessively on automation and forget that in “the other site” there is a real person and if you don’t “connect” whit them you simply are loosing your time.
Thanks for remind this important topic.
Raisa
.-= Raisa Garrido´s last blog ..Como persuadir a tus prospectos =-.
Yes, Raisa, automation is really cool, but just don’t forget your customers and clients are people, not numbers!
Excellent post
I liked what you’re talking about the autoresponders, now I will write more familiar with all the people on my list.
Thanks
Magali
.-= Magali Delgado´s last blog ..Breves de Twitter =-.
Love to hear people taking action on this kind of advice! You’ll be doing yourself a real favor, Magali, to take a little extra time to connect with your list on a more personal basis.