If you listened to the VP of Marketing at Marketo, Jon Miller, discuss lead nuturing my recent podcast, (to subscribe to these podcasts for free, go to the iTunes store and search”demand generation.”) you heard why it is so important.
The fact is that many businesses are potential customers that are not ready to buy today, but may buy in the future. Unless you find a way to connect and build trust over time until they are ready to buy, these prospective customers can be lost forever.
In this article, I explore how businesses should talk to prospective customers, especially highlighting the importance of good stories.
Look at the girl reading a book. Could she be engrossed in product specs and speeds and feeds? How about our world-class whatchamacallit? No, she’s reading a story that captures her imagination. That’s what your marketing team needs to do.
The first rule every marketing must embrace when they look at lead nurturing programs is this:
Companies don’t buy. People do.
Since we’re speaking to people rather than companies, one must engage on an emotional level. You need to build trust and confidence in your company and the very best way to connect in this manner is through the use of stories. People react to stories on an emotional level and trust the companies they connect with.
Think of some companies you respect today: perhaps Apple, BMW, Southwest Airline, and Singapore Air. In each case, do you think of the technicalies of the products? Or do you think of innovative designs, a driver’s car, friendly service and pure elegance? Those are companies that built a brand by telling stories.
There are no hard and fast rules for story-telling. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Be patient and gentle. Don’t overdo it. Think outside the box. Don’t be afraid.
I cannot tell you what to write in your story. But here’s a link to a great e-book by my client/partner on Telling Your Brand Story to Grow Sales. In fact, maybe you need to recruit differently or outsource it — check out my partner. But think of how you can engage your prospective buyers with stories and you’ll prosper.
For companies looking for best practices in b2b lead generation who wish to improve the way they acquire new customers, Find New Customers is the place to go. CSO Insights says companies need to improve the way they generate leads and implement processes for business to business lead generation.
Jeff Ogden, the Fearless Competitor, is a demand generation expert and sales leader, as well as the President of Find New Customers, a lead generation company, who helps businesses create lead generation campaigns and continually publishes the best lead generation ideas, so his readers can determine the best lead generation strategy to find new customers.
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Jeff Ogden
I absolutely love your post about story telling in lead nurturing. This concept has come a long way in the leadership arena. However, the jump to lead nurturing seems logical. Stories capture the imagination. They create a feeling and, at their best, empower people to think big.
Whats great is that a story can be told, recorded, and written out to share with many people with limited resources.
Again, great post!
Peter