Engagement Magnets: Turn NO Into YES With An Alternative To Lead Magnets

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Let’s dive in….

With so much competition out there and so many businesses providing similar products and services to you, there’s no doubt that it can be hard to get “yes - count me in” responses from prospects:

Instead, it may be:

“No thanks, I’ve already got one of those…”

But what if you changed your engagement strategy slightly?

Is there a good way to approach prospects even if they are covered for what you provide already? After all, if they have already got your product or service, it means that they are potentially still a prospect; items need replacing, services need upgrading, suppliers need to be kept honest, and reviews of services happen regularly in any smart business.

So how could you turn a “No thanks” right now into a “maybe” or “YES” in the future?

The standard lead magnet approach

For most businesses, the marketing strategy goes a little like this:

● Approach prospects to download their lead magnet in return for their email address

● Follow up with an email marketing campaign

● Present an offer and try to convert

The lead magnet can be a guide (like above), an eBook, a cheat sheet, an invite to a webinar - anything that adds value to the prospect and encourages them to take the first step in building a relationship with you.

This is fine when it works - like for prospects who need what you are offering right now and can perceive immediate value.

But it requires a YES to get the ball rolling. It can be very frustrating to put time and effort into creating lead magnets, only for the prospect to say “NO - I’m already covered” at the first hurdle. And for that to be the end of the relationship…

Don’t take NO for an answer

If you’ve targeted the right audience, your prospects do need what you have - just maybe not yet. So it’s worth NOT taking NO for an answer.

With the social networks in full flow, people receive opt-ins all the time. There is the danger of overkill.

And, just as importantly, whenever somebody needs to decide whether they want something, it creates a dilemma in their mind between risk and reward. 

When they receive a message from someone they’re not familiar with, their brains instantly scan for risk.

And guess what? The default response is NO because deep down most people are worried about being scammed or losing something. There’s always the question of “What’s the catch?”

Maybe they had a bad experience before and are projecting their fears and frustrations onto your offer. They are just not sure that the reward outweighs the risk, so they’ll say NO.

But it doesn’t mean you should give up. It just means that lead magnets won’t work. Try something different: you must either increase the reward or lower the risk to tip the scales in your favour…

Lower the risk with engagement magnets

In social environments, building relationships through engagement is a winning strategy. After all, people do business with people they know, like and trust.

But if you can’t get past the first base, you need to take a different approach.

Instead of simply offering a lead magnet that it’s easy to say NO to, try offering something of value for which you expect NOTHING in return?

It’s like you’re saying:

“Hey listen, I know you’ve probably got this covered already but just thought you might find the attached useful… I normally provide this to paying clients but wanted to share with you for free…hope you get some value from it!”

Then attach a cheat sheet or other valuable resource. Make it easy to consume and able to add value instantly to the prospect’s business. Just give it to them for free, expecting nothing in return.

The reward is clear but there is no risk in the deal. An engagement magnet gives instant value and a message of “let’s just keep in touch”.

For those who might otherwise say NO, it provides the possibility of a YES!

Start a third more conversations: More YES answers

Once someone is given something, they often feel obligated to give back. It’s just human nature.

By following the engagement magnet strategy above, you can expect a third of people who would have said NO to a lead magnet to follow up with you at some point.

This is because they have started to see you as a credible, trustworthy source of value for their business. Perhaps even more so than their present supplier?

Two thirds of people won’t follow up but that’s OK. Focus on the one-third extra conversations that you’re starting. This leads to more engagement, more trust, and ultimately more conversions.

By taking away the need for them to make a YES or NO decision at the first hurdle, you remove all risk and present an instant reward. Some prospects will surely respond to this.

Remember: Try taking prospects from the risk mindset that results in NO to the reward-focused mindset that results in YES!

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