The catchy tagline. The beautiful website. A Facebook page with tons of engagement and followers. It means nothing if you don’t have a sales process that helps you generate a lead, and turn the lead into a customer.
The Small Business Administration says that 1 of 2 businesses fail in the first two years. Do you want to know why? They put too much energy into marketing and not enough energy into their sales process.
Shiny Object Syndrome
Small business owners see the power of social media. They hear self proclaimed gurus telling them they need videos and podcasts. Growth hackers tell them they need to build a large social media following. Social ad ninjas spout all the latest tips and tricks. And so they go all-in on social media marketing.
That’s great, but how do you generate a lead? How do you turn the lead into a customer?
Your sales process comes first. Don’t worry about growing your leads if you don’t have a process to turn leads into sales. You’re wasting your time and your money.
You might make a few sales. Until you have developed a system for creating a customer, you are wasting your time.
First Things First
Social media is a great tool for generating leads. It also exposes companies that don’t have or aren’t committed to creating a sales process. A process that is measurable and repeatable.
Get that Twitter cover photo looking great. Find the perfect meme to drive new followers. But first, make sure you have a solid sales process. I’m not sure which came first: the chicken or the egg. But I can help you iron out your sales process comes before ramping up your marketing.