Title: Getting Started With 1PMP – The Best Content For Prospects
Guest: Anne Garing
Peter: Today, I’m with Anne Garing of Anne Garing Coaching. We are continuing our series of taking her through the one page marketing plan by Alan Dib. Today, we’re going to talk about capturing leads and nurturing leads. The gist of capturing leads is about finding people who are interested in your services. Maybe not ready to buy today.
People who may be interested in your services. And when we started this endeavor, you talked about doubling your consultancy. So doubling the amount of people. So what this looks like is if you were to do that, if you were to double your consultancy and stick with your current model of you meet somebody, they contact you, you have a free consultation, they decide whether or not to work with you and away they go. What we’re talking about now is spreading your influence further than that.
Right now, you’re just at the sales funnel. You have people who are prospects or interested in something that you offer. Then there’s this consideration phase, and then there’s this go time. They’re ready to purchase and they buy. You’re basically dealing with people right down here at the bottom of the funnel right now.
So what we’re talking about in terms of the sales funnel or looking at, we’re talking about, let’s move up a little bit here. So we’re going to cast a wider net. We wanna expand your sphere of influence. So you are getting attention from more people. And then when you get their attention, you want to capture their interest in some way.
And right now, I believe on your website, have a subscribe to the newsletter is what you do now. So one thing to think about with respect to capturing leads is using something called an evergreen piece of content or a cornerstone content. So this is something that Alan talks about. His cornerstone content is this book. So he created this book.
This has become the catalyst for a lot of consulting business, coaching business. And for example, my organization, we found the book, then we followed up and found him. And then we showed an interest in becoming certified coaches, and then we signed up for the coaching class. That cost a lot more money than this book did. So in terms of what you’ve created, I’m not aware of any books you’ve written, or are there any have you ever thought about that?
Anne: About writing a book? No. I have not. That does yes. Nope.
Peter: There’s probably something between a blog post and a book is what I’m thinking about for you. And I’m just suggesting this. It could even be a collection of your blog posts. So the idea is that you are creating something of value for your target audience.
Anne: And how would they get it?
Peter: The most common way of getting something like that I’m talking about would be a downloadable PDF that they would get through your website. So it could be it would be something we would set up when we create your new website.
Anne: So can they download the blogs as it is?
Peter: They can read the blogs individually, but there’s not really a way to download the blogs as a PDF. You can save it. They’re available to read. Anybody can read your blogs. Right?
Anne: Yeah. I’m just wondering what is really the value of having a download. Like, if I saw that on a website, I would not be like, oh, I need to download a PDF.
Peter: In terms of a blog, I agree completely. But I can show you my download folder, which is full of things that I have seen online, found interesting, and downloaded. And they’re anywhere from 10 to 20 pages of PDF about a particular topic. Generally, it’s how to material.
Anne: How to, like, in terms of marketing?
Peter: Yeah. Step by step. Sometimes it’s a checklist. Sometimes it’s a maybe something like a white paper sort of thing. Like, not a white paper, but like a case study of somebody that used this product and these were the results that they got.
It could be a video of you talking about some part of coaching that’s very relevant to a specific audience. Maybe you have it behind some sort of a paywall, not a paywall, but like a download. We’ll just have to raise their hand to show their interest. What we’re really trying to do is just capture people’s interests so you can develop a relationship with them over time and nurture that relationship.
Anne: So one of the things we’ve talked about elsewhere is, like, LinkedIn. It feels like LinkedIn is up higher in the funnel, if you will, because people are reading the content. Right? It’s a broad audience. They’re reading content, but I don’t know who they are.
So it’s like they’re, like, swirling around there, but they’re unknown to me unless they like something.
Peter: Follow you.
Anne: Yeah. And I don’t know. Can you peel that information out and then use it in the way that you would use this kind of thing?
Peter: LinkedIn is certainly a great platform for reaching your target audience. Let me take a quick peek here, and I may edit this out. Let’s see here. Let me look at Anne Gearing. Okay.
This is interesting. So I am looking at your LinkedIn. I’m going to do a screen share, if that’s okay with you.
Anne: Sure.
Peter: Okay, so we’re looking at Anne’s LinkedIn here.
Anne: Okay.
Peter: And what’s interesting is you have six seventy five followers, and I’m guessing you may be able to see who they are. If you have six seventy five followers, the first thing you can do to interact with them in any way is to continue to post directly. And in some of your posts, could talk about the actual services that you provide as well. Let let me go on to my I’m gonna go on to mine real quick.
Anne: Wow. Look at that handy button that you’re right there.
Peter: Now I have to verify my code here. Oh, I’m sharing the wrong screen here. Give me one second. It said this login looks suspicious. Uh-oh.
Let’s see if I have any followers at all. Oh, it’s trying to get me to do some stupid other thing here. Sorry. Okay. Oh, this is interesting.
I didn’t realize I have eight and sixty five followers.
Anne: Look at you. That’s awesome.
Peter: I need to be a little more prolific about my posting here. So honestly, in terms of what you’re trying to do, I think this could be a very powerful platform. You already have people who know who you are, people who are interested or they’ve raised your hand and they’ve said they’re interested in learning more about you and wanna follow what you do. So that’s actually pretty powerful. How are you using this to nurture that interest?
Anne: Yeah. I post all my blogs there.
Peter: Great. So so the question I have for you is, and I think it’s something that I need to do as well, is put a few posts on every once in a while related to the actual service I provide. Like Mhmm. Actually state we are taking applications for new new students, new followers, new whatever the right. We are taking applications from leaders in need of leadership.
Some, you obviously don’t want to do it all the time because you’ll wear out your welcome, but it seems like that’s something that you have an opportunity to do. If you put it, if you phrase it correctly, I think you can do it without wearing out your welcome.
Anne: Usually, so I don’t so you can comment on this. Usually, very often, we will like, the last paragraph of the blog is, like, the blog is related, obviously, to coach up topic, things we’ve seen. And the last paragraph and they’re helpful. So, you know, it’s okay. Here’s our self help.
And if you want to work on this in greater depth, please contact me. So that’s how we have done that. I don’t
Peter: That’s great. What I’m suggesting is that you take it one step further and make a whole post about promoting, we have openings.
Anne: Okay.
Peter: The way that you state that is it could be, so you’re most likely able to connect with more people who are networked to the people that, Yeah. Right? So it’s almost like know a leader looking for direction, or obviously you come up with whatever language that you are comfortable with, but a direct appeal for a referral. The fact that you’ve got over 500 people following you, it can be amazing and you never know what people are going to, who’s gonna see it and respond. But I think it’s important that we say just not this is what we do, but actually be open.
Like, we’re actively accepting new
Anne: Clients?
Peter: Clients.
Anne: Okay. I like that. Again, totally, that feels super authentic and helpful.
Peter: Yeah. Yeah. The other style of the other one that just came to me, I’m just brainstorming here, would be something along the lines of who’s an ideal client. A target market. Yeah.
But in terms of stated in a way like who we help the most or who is or three signs that you might need coaching or something around the lines of and I need to do the same for us. Like, we we here’s our target audience. Our target audience is an established business that has plateaued, that knows there’s more, they would like to grow, they either feel like they’re stuck or they’re stagnated, and they want to get the ball rolling. They want continue on the path of growth. They’re tired of just doing the same thing over and over again.
They’re ready to try something new. And that would be the way I would apply it for what we do. And it’s super authentic, again, just being honest, hey, we’re here, we know we can help people.
Anne: Yeah.
Peter: And then the other type of post would be around people you’ve helped. So to the degree that people would agree to be highlighted by you, here’s a great story I wanted to share with you. If people felt comfortable, obviously, that that would be the challenge. For us, a little easier because we’re not dealing with such personal matters as coaching.
Anne: It’s actually so interesting because I feel like I do have clients who would be happy to talk about it. And it would be it would make a fun video. Right? Yeah. Doing this.
Just an interview with a client. Because it’s not that personal. It’s not that it is personal, but it’s not I know that everybody feels in their pain. But Exactly. We are not alone.
Peter: And I think the beauty of that is that it it also exposes your potential client to what it’s like to be coached to some degree, depending on the video format and stuff like that. And it would be easy to cut it to very short format, not a twenty, thirty minute, like I do drone on.
Anne: I like this. So I’m thinking, like, I could do so, like, for students, this is the time of year. This is graduation is upon us. Maybe I should do gift certificates. Yeah.
People will be offended. I just think, oh my god. If someone gave me a $600 gift certificate for coaching, you’re like, woah.
Peter: It’s about authenticity, and it’s about letting people know you’re actually open for business.
Anne: I know. Because I do wonder. Sometimes if you didn’t read to the end of the blog, people are, like, enjoying whatever. We do try to keep them short. Yeah.
Yeah. That you could just think that we’re just I don’t know. It’s part of the fun, which it is. The leader one. Do you know someone who is new to a role or on a new working on a new project?
Peter: Are you new to a role? You could I mean, I’m guessing within even your sphere of your followers, your 500 followers, there’s gotta be some I don’t even know 500 people.
Anne: Like You have 800 followers. So
Peter: I don’t I don’t know 800 people.
Anne: I I don’t know 600. Yeah. I think that would be super awesome.
Peter: And you could probably alternate your informational content, your like, the one with the Christmas cookies, the spice of life share sharing the spice of life type of posts. Mhmm. Know, obviously, you don’t wanna wear out your welcome.
Anne: But, like, a few times a year, like, every quarter or something, put one just like a like a direct pay. We’re taking clients.
Peter: Direct appeal.
Anne: I think the I think also the New Year, just last year what happened was I had the most ever clients that started January, February, and I think there is new year, new you.
Peter: I’m I’m totally feeling it personally myself.
Anne: You’re in luck.
Peter: Yeah. That’s the rumor.
Anne: Yeah. No. Because it is. It’s just like such a yeah. Such a great time to be thinking about what and it’s a natural break.
And I also love the three signs you need coaching. That could be really funny too.
Peter: Funny. Yeah. It’s all about identifying the and I think for what you do, it’s not like, for what we do with marketing, if your company is not selling anything, you probably need some marketing. It’s pretty obvious when it comes to leadership coaching.
Anne: Oh, yeah. Most people suffer through.
Peter: Yeah. People are just in denial. Right?
Anne: Or you never think that getting help would be helpful. Like, talking it through would be helpful. I actually one of the things that I am appreciating about the work with you guys is how much it reinforces how helpful coaching is because it just in the conversation, the ideas just are so much better than when they’re in your head. Just Yeah. Profound.
Right?
Peter: If we just think of something and we never verbalize it, it just never comes to life. So you can’t really try it on for size. Right? When you have a conversation or a dialogue, not everything that comes out of my mouth with respect to marketing is going to land. We’re using this framework.
And so what we’re trying to do is your needs and use the framework to just identify those needs and opportunities. And I think that’s that’s really and it’s a conversation.
Anne: And it’s and the conversation is is, again, like, I think, like, you could read the book and think, but this is so powerful, like, having the conversation. Yeah. Because it just lands in a really different way. And it also has in a conversation, there’s two people. It’s not just one person.
Trapped in your own
Peter: ruts. Exactly.
Anne: So powerful.
Peter: I’m glad to hear that. I completely agree. So the two pieces that we’re trying to capture cover today are the chapter four, which is capturing leads, and he’s talking about hunting versus farming. So the concept is if you’re just looking for people ready to buy today, it can be very difficult because as he points out, I think it’s in chart, I think there’s a chart in this chapter. There it is.
Okay. This is, this really summarizes the whole gist of everything that’s on page 108. Yeah. So if you’re just looking for people ready to buy today, 3% of the overall market. And another 7% are very open to buying.
30% are interested, but not right now. 30% are not interested, and 30% would not take it even if it were free.
Anne: I love that.
Peter: So 60% of the sort of potential market, they’re just, they’re not interested. And if you’re talking about just ready to buy, that’s 3%. And even if you add on the very open to buy, the other 7%, you’re still dealing with only 10% your addressable market when you’re really missing out on the biggest opportunity chunk is this interested, but not right now.
Anne: And it’s so funny because what so again, like, I see people at the end of the funnel. Mostly, that’s who I’m aware of. Yeah. One of the stories of a client recently was I’ve been hearing about you for two years from one of my old clients, and it’s all he talks about you all the time, but it’s so two years where I’m sure my old client’s like, hey, dude. And then he’s, oh.
So then finally, he’s ready, And he calls me and off we go. But it’s, yeah, interested, but not right now. Yeah. Sitting in that bucket.
Peter: So that was happening probably you had no idea that was happening.
Anne: Yeah. Right? My own theory, which is that it’s just a readiness thing. How to know when you’re ready for coaching?
Peter: Something along those lines.
Anne: Am I ready for coaching? Are you ready for coaching?
Peter: How to know three signs you’re ready for coaching.
Anne: Yeah. I like that phrasing better.
Peter: Yeah.
Anne: Need. Like, you’re ready is Yeah. Better than Yeah.
Peter: It’s better than trying to convince your friend. Three ways to convince your friend.
Anne: Nobody loves that. No. Three ways to convince your friend they have bad breath.
Peter: So that so first of all, it’s this the notion of capturing that interest, which you clearly have done just by generating followers. Then you also have your people who have subscribed to your newsletter as well. So I see those audience, and I like the way that you’re reusing your content So in both you’re definitely generating content. So this is about capturing interest and then nurturing the interest. And it seems like for you being a little less about the hand to mouth piece, just like thinking about more broadly about your network sphere of influence, which you already have established, nurturing them as your Salesforce, really.
Because it seems to me like
Anne: Yeah.
Peter: It’s not likely that you’re going to generate a new client from somebody that doesn’t know you, second person.
Anne: Right. They’re I don’t think strangers go to my website and submit a form.
Peter: Right.
Anne: They’re all they all go to my website because someone sent them there, or they just text me because someone gave them my contact.
Peter: So it’s first and second degree connections. So focus on that. Yeah. First and second degree. And now that comes back to this idea of doing a book.
Because if you do a book, and again, I’m not suggesting you write a book about some topic, but if you did, you greatly expand that know, people know you. Even like Alan Dib, who I’ve actually been on a webinar with him and actually interacted with him. I don’t know if you’d remember who I am, but we’ve definitely interacted and he’s probably interacted with
Anne: I hope he remembers who you are.
Peter: You never know. I’m his biggest fan. I’ve got a whole stack of books over here that we need to give away, by the way. But if you ever decided to do that, that that could be a way. Again, I don’t know if that’s what you wanna do.
Anne: Because what led me to for some reason, I was reading a old post. It was last Christmas. I was like, oh, write about last Christmas. And then I was like, dang, that’s good. And one of the things that could add value is that to just organize them more thematically so that if you’re interested in a topic, like, you could go here.
Yep. Instead of that right now, like, chronologically Chronological. Yeah. It’s chronological and the themes are emerging. It really it is what strikes us either seasonally or who we’re seeing as clients, issues that came up.
And so to organize them thematically seems like that would actually be value added.
Peter: Yeah. And that could actually, depending on the how that ends up, that actually could be something of value that you could offer on a LinkedIn post. For example, you could say, we put together this guide or this resource. That’s a very common thing that people do is actually because you’re the thing is you’re creating the content, which is a exercise in itself. You’re creating value.
You’re using that muscle. You’re actually your heart and soul and authenticity into what you’re writing, and it has lasting value. And so why not harness that? Yeah. So how many posts do you think you all have created total?
Anne: I think we are at a year and a half, so 18 Great. Roughly. Because we have. I’m so proud of us because we’ve gotten it every month.
Peter: You have to feed the beast. This we so let you know a little secret. We’re not sending out an email tomorrow. I was going to have the video edited and have all this, and then we had some people away and just happened. And I said, let’s just let’s be nice to ourselves here.
Anne: It’s okay. And also, yeah, everybody’s busy. It’s it probably wouldn’t get the kind of readership.
Peter: Exactly.
Anne: Yeah. Everyone has it off and
Peter: Did get to we will have one more post before the end of the year. We are at episode 95 right now. So we’ll have 96 episodes, at least 96 episodes before the end of the year.
Anne: That’s awesome, Pete.
Peter: That’s great. Yeah. And I feel like I’m just now starting to figure it out.
Anne: Yeah. Because you have to learn. Right? Yeah. I love that about Alan Dib too.
He talks about marketing is trying stuff and seeing how it goes. And I think I think this is a common theme, a common pain point in our culture that we’re so uncomfortable learning, and we want to jump from a to b as if beaming technology actually worked. No. We don’t get to we don’t get to jump from a to b. We have to follow the path and see how it goes and take detours.
Peter: Yeah. I think, yeah, I agree. Part of the journey is, I think for me personally, part of the satisfaction is going into something, knowing it’s gonna be awkward, knowing there’s gonna be some fails, knowing that it’s not always gonna work, but then in the end starts to work a little bit. And it’s so rewarding when it does work even just a little bit. And then just looking back, even on the failures and just saying, yeah, we did that, we failed there.
Anne: And we weren’t thinking, yeah.
Peter: And that’s one more thing we know that we didn’t know before going into it, so.
Anne: And if we waited to know everything before we move forward, we would never go anywhere.
Peter: Exactly. This has been a great conversation. I think we we captured for you the the essence of this during phase, which is they know who you are, but before they become a client.
Anne: Can I add a little more things? Oh, yeah. So then the next chapter was nurturing. Yes. So these were the things that I was thinking about.
So one was about making offers. And so I was thinking of seasonal offers, like doing a New Year’s special, two sessions for $200, get clear about your vision for the year, or a spring special. I was just thinking about leafing out. I’m not sure what that would look like, but I’m could be maybe a Thanksgiving special, one session to reflect on the past year. Oh, cool.
No one else.
Peter: Yeah.
Anne: How amazing would that be?
Peter: That’d be great.
Anne: And then I was also thinking about he talked about gifts. Like, I never know physical addresses, but I could get them. And he talked about books, I was like journals. Journals and then a sticker with my coaching. I like the idea of mugs with quotes because I have some favorite quotes, but I do hate mugs with writing on them.
Yeah. So I need business card stickers and journals.
Peter: Thanks for listening to this episode of Biz and Life Done Well with Peter Wilson. You can subscribe to us on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and most of the other popular podcast platforms. Please tell your friends about us and leave us a review so even more people will find out about us. Thanks again. We’ll see you soon.
