How to Get the Prospect First (MLM example)
Want to know how to find new customers before your competition even knows they exist? Here’s how it works:
For most actions that we as human beings take, we generally go through a research phase (where we think about and study up on things) and then we go through the action phase (where we actually do the thing we were thinking of doing).
The closer someone comes to taking action (for example, the action of starting a business–as opposed to just researching different businesses) people use different words in their searches.
This is important: a person who is, for example, financial motivated and looking for a solution to their money issues will use different words in a search engine than someone who has things under control and is exploring the possibility of branching out into other money-making activities.
The action phase
A prospect with looming financial difficulties will use phrases like “make money fast” and “easy money online” to find what they need. You can find a lot of leads by marketing to phrases such as these.
This is a good thing, because we like a lot of leads and these people are motivated to make changes to their life for whatever reason. They’re ready to take action.
The down side is there’s usually a lot of competition in the “action phase”.
Since “make money fast” is where the action is, that means that the cost per click is usually higher and chances are that you’re one of 20 web sites the person has visited in the last 24 hours. The heaviest competition is found where the prospect’s motivation to act is the greatest.
The research phase
On the flip side, someone who doesn’t need to act immediately will search for different keywords. During the “research phase” people aren’t under pressure to make a decision and they use different keywords as they do their research.
If you attract people during their research phase, the down side is you’re unlikely to close the deal quickly. They’re just looking for information right now.
The up side is that there is very little competition for leads this early in the game, the cost per click is much lower, and you have a chance to become a mentor and advisor to these people.
Remember how I talked about being a mentor to your prospects, as opposed to a salesman? The “action phase” is where the salesmen play. The “research phase” is where the mentors live.
Let me show you what I’m talking about.
Getting them early
One possible set of keywords you might look at would be “home business taxes”. These words, though they don’t make much sense at first, represents someone looking for an answer to a specific question.
If someone is typing in some combination of “home business” and “taxes”, there’s a good possibility that they’re searching for answers to questions like “what kind of tax benefits do home business owners get?” or “what kind of tax laws do I need to be aware of as a home business owner?” or “Where can home businesses get their taxes done?”
What can we deduce, just sitting here using our brains for a minute, about someone who types these keywords into a search engine?
- Chances are good that this person owns a home business or is seriously considering it. That makes them a good target for us to begin with, but more than that it means…
- They’re law abiding, forward thinking people who are either making money now or expect to be making money in a home based business soon, which means…
- They are likely in a better financial position to start or expand their home business than people who are concerned with making “quick money now”, so it’s likely that…
- They have the financial backing and they see the big picture of business ownership, with more realistic expectations of home-based businesses and what they can accomplish, which means…
- They’re in it for the long run, not the short profits, and they’ll make a solid addition to your team
Can you see how different keywords can help you find completely different leads? Not that everyone who searches for “easy money” is in financial straights or that everyone who looks up information on taxes will enter your business complete with money and brains, but it’s much more likely.
If you can find someone who is doing their research, that means very little competition for you!
You have time to educate them not only on the tax implications of having a home business, but on a variety of other topics that people in business are interested in. You can use this information to become a trusted resource for them and, when they decide to act they’ll turn to you first.
Have I already tried targeting the “home business” and “taxes” keywords? No, I haven’t. I just thought it up while I was writing this. I think it’s a great idea, but it’s just one of thousands of possible keywords you can use.
At the moment, when I type in “tax deductions for home business” in Google there is one paid ads that pop up from a tax attorney. There probably aren’t that many people who type in that phrase, but would you like to meet the ones who do? Google says that roughly 300 people a month search using phrases broadly related to “tax deductions for home business” and there is currently no competition for it.
There’s no right or wrong approach to finding leads online. Whether you find them in the research phase or the action phase, it all works as long as you understand what you’re doing.
Everyone else is a pushy salesman
I personally prefer finding people during their research phase.
I create emails, blogs, and books that I use to educate people as well as attract them to me. With all those supporting materials in place, I actually spend very little time with each person I mentor but enjoy a good relationship with them nonetheless. I like to get their attention and trust early so that anyone else they meet after meeting me will seem like a pushy salesman.
One, the other, or both
The nice thing is that there are research phases and action phases for all sorts of situations, and you don’t have to choose one or the other.
It’s actually easier to start off in the action phase where people are more motivated to work with you (even though there is a lot more competition), and then as you go along you can start writing emails and articles that shift the weight of explaining and selling from your shoulders to your web site.
As we spoke of earlier, this is how you move from being a salesman to being a mentor, and once you’re in that realm you can find people in their research stage and gain their trust before they show up on your competitor’s radar.