We'll be the first ones to admit it: we absolutely love automated lead generation systems. It's what we do, but you could almost say it's what we live for.
Our clients tend to feel the same way once they get the concept. Having qualified leads come in, each and every week, directly from their website is fantastic. It means more inquiries, more inbound phone calls, and more interest in their products and services. It's a wonderful thing for any business, and very good news for your bottom line.
But, despite the excitement that usually comes when we discuss the ideas and online marketing plans with business owners or marketing teams, we find that there are three huge benefits that aren't always immediately apparent. That is, there are three different things that most companies end up loving about automated lead generation, even though they didn't consider them from the outset:
In a traditional business model, if you want to create more sales opportunities, then you have to make a bigger investment. That investment might come in the form of new staff members, a bigger advertising share, or even new products and facilities. By automating things over the web, however, those restrictions are largely removed.
That's because, when you are creating new opportunities through your website, a one-to-one input isn't required. As the plan takes hold, new leads can keep arriving without you making a single change to your online presence – it all happens without direct input from you or your team. That makes your company scalable, so you can expand without creating bigger fixed costs.
One of the biggest wastes involved with any marketing effort can be found in the "false opportunities" that are returned. In other words, a certain number of people will respond to your ads or messages, even though they don't stand a very good chance of actually doing business with you. For example, they may be people who don't actually need what you offer, don't understand what you are providing, or can't afford to make a purchase. But, they respond because they don't realize that these things are true.
With a system that follows up with prospects automatically, however, most tend to qualify themselves throughout the process. In other words, as they continue to hear from your business, they are able to decide whether they have interest and ability, and whether to take the next step. That saves you and your team a lot of time, because you no longer have to chase poor quality opportunities.
The converse is also true: by the time interested prospects do contact your business, they haven't just qualified themselves, but have also built up a high level of interest in what you have to offer. They have received numerous communications from you, so they understand your organization, your products or services, and your unique selling proposition.
As a result, they come to your company "ready to buy" and are less apt to spend a lot of time on objections or price negotiations. That means a more efficient selling process, and one that nets you a higher value for every sales opportunity and every new relationship.
Chances are, if you're looking into automated lead generation, it's because you want to see your business website creating more opportunities for you and/or your sales and marketing team. But, we hope you won’t overlook the other long-term benefits, too, as they can be every bit as important in the end.
Need help creating more sales opportunities for your company? Talk to the Kayak team today, and see how we have changed things for other businesses just like yours.