I recently accepted a promotion to Director, Client Acquisition for #Strella. I’m honored, but already I have a gripe… leads! At #Strella, we’ve taken the time to streamline our business development process to pre-qualify potential clients and help them navigate their social media partnership with our company. I’m thrilled when they understand how we can help them achieve their goals and when they are positioned financially to say ‘yes’ to us. While they don’t say ‘no,’ lately it’s been near impossible to get a ‘yes’ from them. It’s as if making a yes or no decision is just too much for them. In fact, some just disappear. There are some prospects who have me asking, “dude, where’s my lead?”
Allow me to explain a little more about our process. Our initial contact with a client usually starts on their end. They approach us and we email them to set up an initial call to discuss their needs. In that first email, we give them a heads up our services and an idea of cost in order to weed out those who think we’re a $99/a month service. If they bite, we schedule the call. I’ll be honest. I get my hopes up here. Half the battle is an understanding that you get what you pay for.
If the initial call is successful, meaning we think we could be a good fit to work together, we schedule a call to review a customized proposal. In that call, we walk them through the deliverables and answer questions. During this conversation, we may schedule another call or we decide on a timeframe to make a decision.
But, then something weird happens… they disappear.
No matter how enthused they are on the proposal review call and how much they agree that it’s in alignment with their needs, they don’t make a decision that day – and many times they vanish.
Of course, we follow up our review call with an email thanking them for their time and letting the potential client know that we’re here to answer any further questions as they weigh their options. We don’t try to badger them or inundate them into submission, but we want to remain top of mind. For some, this email is a gift - a chance to go over some details once they’ve absorbed the proposal. For others, however, it goes unanswered.
So, here we are… hours wasted – dressed up with nowhere to go. We’re the nerdy girl on prom night. We’re the cab driver circling the airport waiting for a fare. We’ve been stood up and now we are drinking a glass of white wine alone at the bar. We got all excited to show a business what we can do and made it to a second date, but just when we think there could be a potential for a relationship, they don’t text back.
It’s frustrating. I got all dressed up and put on real shoes. If you weren’t interested, why waste my time?
