Do you hear that squeaking sound in the background? That’s what happens to your business when you don’t take care of your leads like you should!

Now every business goes through up and down cycles. But if you nurture  your leads along your marketing funnel, you’ll have a lot less of those quiet times.

Rather than letting these mistakes hurt your business, nip ’em in the bud and keep your business healthy.

Check out some of the top lead nurturing mistakes you might be making  yourself:

1. Using Too Much “Argot”

“Argot” is a rarely-used synonym for “jargon.” Do you see how confusing it was when I used that term instead of a simple one everyone knows, like “jargon?”

But doesn’t it make you sound intelligent? Well, sort of. You do sound smart.  But then your leads get turned off because they can’t understand or relate to what you’re saying.

No matter who you’re talking to – the secretary, CMO, or CEO – keep jargon to a minimum. People in general are too busy to go back and attempt to understand what you were saying.

2. Purchasing an Astonishing Number of Marketing Tools

It’s so easy to fall into this trap. There’s a tool for everything. And then there’s 3-5 worthy competitors for each type of tool. It takes at least a few months to get familiar with any tool before it starts returning real business value.

Choose your tools wisely. And just like you do with other parts of your business – keep it simple.

If you don’t, you confuse yourself and leads leak through the cracks.

3. Act Like a Person, Not a Robot

Do you practically recite your sales pitch? Are you too overbearing when talking with leads? If you resemble Bill Lumbergh from Office Space, you turn leads off.

You can be (tastefully) humorous, but you don’t have to. Just make sure you have a unique style all your own. Be conversational and relatable.

If people describe your personality as “businesslike,” you’re a little too stiff and formal. It takes practice, but you’ll eventually become more personable – and your leads will reward you with more business.

4. Your E-mail Communication Sounds Automated

Do you send the same responses that just about every other person or company sends? It’s boring, and it makes it seem as though a computer generated the response.

Just like you try to be relatable and interesting as a person, do the same in your e-mail. It does take practice, though.

Start by using the person’s name 1-2 times in each e-mail. Mention one thing that you remember about your conversation with them.

Ask for feedback from coworkers. Read your e-mails out loud. If they sound awkward, make some revisions.

Do This and Watch Your Conversion Rates Soar!

Seriously, doing this in today’s marketplace is what your leads want to experience. Implement these tips. Just try it.

Check your results – you’ll do better.

Thanks for stopping by and reading! See you next time…