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It doesn’t matter how good your product or service is, if people don’t know about it they won’t buy from you. I don’t know of any businesses, both online or brick and mortar, that couldn’t do with more leads. Imagine having new leads or potential customers coming into your business on autopilot? Day in and day out a constant stream of prospects coming your way? If that sounds amazing (and it should) then keep reading... How to generate leads for your business In this article, I’m going to show you exactly how to generate leads in South Africa. This is the exact strategy I’ve used to generate 38 471 leads for my online business (See the screenshot below from inside my CRM, Convertkit that I took this morning) I’m going to show you, step by step, how you can implement this in your business too. You’ll hear a lot of sales guru’s tell you that to make sales you need to have a big list. Back in the day, most sales reps had a massive Rolodex on their desk that they could call on at any time. Nowadays, your email list is your Rolodex. The money is in the list of leads you generate If someone visitors to your website or walks into your physical store, it means nothing if they leave without you capturing their details so that you can contact them again. You can get 10 000 eyeballs to look at your website but if they leave without saying ‘stay in touch, you don’t have a business, you have a pretty website. Have you ever tried to fill a colander with water? Exactly. You need to figure out a way to retain those prospects. Turn them into leads and finally, customers. The strategy I am going to show you is a great way to generate free business leads in South Africa, on an ongoing basis. If you want to speed up the process, all you need to do is throw some money at your lead generation efforts. ...before digging into how to generate leads for your business in South Africa (or globally), let’s do this: What is a lead? Before we go digging into to generate leads, let’s take a look at what I am talking about when I talk about a lead: In simple terms, a lead is a prospective customer. A lead is someone who would be interested in buying your product or service if you are able to persuade them that what you do or sell offers the solution to their problem. There are two types of leads, qualified leads and unqualified leads. It is important to realise that not all leads are created equal. A qualified lead is someone who has raised their hand and indicated that they are interested in what you do. An unqualified lead is simply a name or email address on a list. They may or may not be interested in what you do. I’m only interested in qualified leads (and so should you). Generating qualified leads is what drives sales. How to generate fresh leads in South Africa Timing in lead generation is vital. When selling the longer you take to follow up, the colder the prospect gets. That is why it's important to have a constant flow of fresh leads that you can sell to. In this article, I am going to reveal the one hack that has transformed the way I generate leads for my business. If you follow this lead generation process it will transform your business too. You may be asking yourself, in the digital world, how do you get someone to raise their hand or opt-in as a lead. The secret hack that exploded my lead generation in South Africa It took me a long time to learn this lesson but once I figured it out, it changed the way I generate leads forever. For years I had a form on my website that said something along the lines of “Subscribe to our Newsletter”. You’ve probably got one too. How many leads are you getting onto your list that way? That’s what I thought… Not many. I also generated the odd lead like that, but nothing to get excited about. It was only until we started giving something away in exchange for an email address or contact details did my lead generation take off. Using a ‘Lead Magnet’ to generate leads in South Africa I know you’re thinking “What is a lead magnet?” I thought that too when I first heard the phrase... A lead magnet is something you give away for free in exchange for your prospect’s contact details or email address. Think of it as an ethical bribe. By giving something of value away you’re asking your potential customer to make a small commitment to the process. Think of your sales process in terms of relationships. Making a sale is like getting married. Imagine walking up to a complete stranger and asking them to marry you? That would be uber creepy. But if you asked enough people you may find one that is crazy enough to say yes. If you’re asking people for the sale right off the bat, You may make the odd sale too. But to make lots of sales, you’ll want to dial your lead generation process back. A lot! How most businesses are generating leads The above example is how most businesses generate leads. They’re trying to get married before they’ve been on a date. When you create a lead magnet it takes the pressure off trying to close the sale upfront. It allows you to warm your qualified leads up and guide them towards the sale. As much as giving something away to generate leads is a great idea, what you give away needs to be relevant. The lead magnet must be lead to your prospect to the next logical step. That should be your product or service. I’d happily give you my contact details if you were giving away an iPhone, but I wouldn’t buy your mascara. Your product needs to be the next logical step after your prospect has used your lead magnet. 11 Examples of lead magnets that you can use to generate leads in South Africa Just as all leads are created equal, not all lead magnets to generate leads are created equal either. What you are giving away can make or break your lead generation efforts. Here is a list of 11 lead magnets that you can use to generate leads in South Africa: Cheat SheetResource Guide or Tool KitChecklistTemplatesVideo TrainingFree SoftwareCoupon CodeFree TrialeBook/GuideQuiz or SurveyTest or assessment Now that we’ve covered the basics of lead generation in South Africa, let’s look at each one in a bit more detail. A Cheat Sheet A cheat sheet works really well as a lead generation tool in South Africa. They are normally a one-pager and super easy to use or consume. Mindmaps of a process or a one-page standard operating procedure (SOP) are great examples of cheat sheets. Resource Guide or Tool Kit Most industries or businesses have ‘tools of the trade’. Compiling these tools or resources into a list makes a great lead magnet. In my experience, these tool kits and resource guides tend to be the highest converting lead magnets when generating leads. Checklist Who doesn’t love a good checklist? If you’re anything like me having a checklist for import tasks makes a world of difference. Think of areas within your business or industry where a checklist will be helpful for your potential customers. Templates Another fantastic lead magnet idea is templates. Things that can make your customer’s lives easier or save them time will positively impact your lead generation efforts. Two great examples are telephone script templates and Cake decoration templates. Video Training A free video series that you can give access away to will also help you generate a lot of leads. There may be a short process you can demonstrate in a video. You could teach something relevant to your industry. Video is also a fantastic way to build rapport and trust fast, which in turn helps you sell better. Free Software You may have a software tool that you’ve developed that you can give away as part of your lead generation efforts. The software may be something as simple as an excel spreadsheet calculator that you can give prospects in exchange for their contact details. Coupon Code A discount coupon code is a double whammy when it comes to lead generation. Not only are you gaining a lead but you’re also pushing for the sale. Coupon codes are not only reserved for online businesses. You can use them for brick and mortar businesses too. Free Trial Offering a free trial is another fabulous way to generate leads. If your product or service lends itself to a free trial then this is definitely one you want to try out. eBook/Guide The eBook or guide was the original lead magnet used for lead generation. It can be time-consuming to write an eBook but they’re often winners when it comes to generating leads. Quiz or Survey A quiz or survey is one of my favourite ways to generate leads. Not only do you get the lead but you also learn about your prospect in the process. This can be very helpful in creating a customised follow up that leads to the sale. Test or assessment And finally, a short test or assessment can also make for a great lead magnet. Earlier I spoke about qualified leads and this type of lead magnet sifts through prospects ensuring you only generate the most qualified of leads. The practical steps you need to take to generate leads in South Africa Now that you’ve got the basic foundation of lead generation down, let’s look at the practical side of things. The actual how to implement this lead generation strategy. Whether you’re generating leads for your business or if you’re in the lead generation business, then this is for you. I’ve put together some free lead generation training that will walk you through my 3-step framework that will help you generate leads for your business on autopilot.