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How To Generate Leads Without Cold Calling
You’ve probably been on the other end of a cold call yourself. Picking up the phone to a complete stranger who is trying to sell you something or introduce you to a new service.
While there is a chance some people show interest, it’s more likely that the majority of people will say no.
If you’re a business owner, you might put lots of effort into cold calling with no real reward. So here are some tips on how to generate leads without cold calling.
Table of contents:
What Is Cold Calling And Does It Generate Leads
Basically, cold calling in sales is when you get in touch with a person who hasn’t had any prior contact with you before.
You might randomly choose a person to call or several people, and hope that one of them will buy your product after talking to you.
It’s your job as the salesperson or business owner to make a first point of contact and to go from there.
If the person hangs up or walks away, they have gone. If they engage in conversation, you might just be able to convert them into a lead.
Cold calling can still work for businesses, but is it effective? You are spreading your net wide with a high chance of catching nothing.
Is it worthwhile or are there better methods to generate leads?
Answer: Yes there are!
4 Other Methods To Generate Leads Without Cold Calling
Let’s look at 4 other way to generate leads without cold calling.
Method 1: Network online to generate leads without cold calling
You can use emails or social media platforms and comments to begin effective communication with potential customers.
Networking is about engaging with people and forming a relationship. Not just shouting about your special deal or publishing the same advert, but online instead of on a billboard.
It’s good to offer something of value that potential customers can learn from, experience or find out more about your business.
This will help to build up trust in your brand and offer.
For example, you may have a Facebook page for your business.
If you only post a series of adverts and then disappear for a while, it’s very likely that you won’t get much interest.
However, if you provide regular content via your posts, maybe offer a deal or a competition to engage interest, then you will start to build an organic following.
People who are drawn to your page and follow it are showing an interest in your business. Therefore you are already generating leads. You could also try Facebook advertising to target your ideal customer.
Don’t forget, once you have interest in your page, keep engaging with your followers, because this will help to build a relationship and trust in your brand.
By continuing to provide value on your Facebook page, it’s more likely that a potential customer will choose to buy from you rather than your competitor.
Method 2: Writing or Blogging
If you haven’t written a blog before, it doesn’t have to be complex. If you own or run a business, you’re obviously an expert in the product or service you are offering.
Start by thinking about your customers.
What questions do they ask about your product when they buy? What do they search for on the internet when looking for the service you offer? Some of the best blogs for generating leads are those which can solve a problem or answer a customer question.
Try writing an original blog once a week if you can.
There are many benefits to blogging, writing content and starting to do inbound marketing for your business:
- Firstly, you are providing fresh content which can help to keep your business higher up in the search engine rankings than competitors who are not blogging.
- Secondly, a well written blog provides something of value which is useful information that can help a customer. Hence this can prompt a customer to expect more content from you and to return in the future.
- Thirdly, an entertaining or informative blog can increase your audience and potentially lead to more sales.
Method 3: Offer Incentives Through Email Marketing
You may have tried to offer incentives through cold calling in the past. But sometimes this can come across as pushy instead of useful. It’s a lot easier to do via social media or email marketing.
For example, you can create a monthly newsletter that people can subscribe to.
If you are launching a new product, this is a great way to introduce potential customers to it.
By now, you may have built up an email list of people who have shown an interest in your business and they want to see more.
This is now a great list of leads. When you send a newsletter to this list, there is a much higher chance they will buy from you than if you email a random number of people through ’email cold calling’.
You might offer an incentive on your website to get an email address. For example, subscribe to our newsletter and you will be in with a chance to win a product.
Or subscribe to our newsletter and download your invitation to the launch event.
Method 4: Generate Leads With Excellent Customer Service
Word of mouth is a powerful sales method. If someone experiences amazing customer service from you, they are likely to tell others.
If they let you know, you could ask them to leave you a positive review online which will also help to generate new leads.
This works not just with potential and new clients, but with current customers too.
Loyal customers are worth more than their original purchase. They may return for more sales if your customer service continues to be top notch.
Cold calling deals with an initial random contact, but excellent customer service continues a relationship and provides more loyalty.
Conclusion: How To Generate Leads Without Cold Calling
In conclusion, cold calling is not completely dead, but there are other ways to generate leads more effectively without cold calling.
Methods such as building up your Facebook business page and blogging don’t have to cost a lot of money either.
By providing people with useful and informative content about your business, you are creating something of value that might help them.
Perhaps a potential customer can’t choose between you and your competitor.
If you are working on the methods mentioned in this article, it puts you on a higher level to your competitor. You are providing content that is highly relevant and of good quality which gives you a competitive edge.
If you don’t have time to work on these methods though, it’s worth investing money by hiring experts.
The team at Lead Genera can talk through your business needs and start generating online leads almost immediately. Contact them today at leadgenera.com.