How to get INBOUND ENQUIRIES from people who NEED what SELL!

Last night I did a poll.... here was the question?

How many inbound enquiries do you get from your posts on LinkedIn?

The results at the time of writing was 77% of people said they didn't get any inbound leads or not enough.

I'm not surprised, as I meet a lot of people who say we're posting content but getting no enquiries.

When I scroll through LinkedIn and see the posts, I can see why so many people struggle to get inbound enquiries.

I see a couple of issues which when I point them out to you will make total sense. In this article I want quickly walk through some key areas you should focus on.

I have also expanded this in a podcast episode, so if you want to listen and get a bit more meat on the bones, I've included preview image, which if you click you can download the episode

Why are people NOT getting inbound enquiries?

Let's first look at the reasons why people don't get inbound leads.

The Audience Problem

It takes an investment of time and effort to build an audience. The simple reason most people don't get inbound leads is because they don't make the investment in building it. Some give up, some never try, some build the wrong audience.

Building an audience is more than getting people to see your posts, it's about getting the right peoples attention and holding it. Not just with one post, but holding that attention over a period of time. For someone to make an inbound enquiry they will need to have seen you multiple times with a consistent message.

Building the right audience comes down to your Audience Value Proposition / Client Value Proposition - why do you people need you, why should they stick around?

Why should they hang on your words?

It might take 15-20 content touch points for them to make an enquiry, so you have to be smart in creating content that aligns with the service you sell and the needs of the client.

If I'm adding value to peoples world, they like, they comment, they share and they follow. If I'm not adding value, it's a ghost town.

The Value Problem

Value is a double-edged sword. There is what is valuable to you (company-centric) and what is valuable to your audience (audience centric). For you to get an audience you have to give them value. Things that speak to important issues in their world.

This is where your value prop comes in handy, with this you can product content that is connected to what you sell but your audience will find valuable.

By aligning your value prop to your content, you now can produce content that is valuable and directly links to the needs of your potential clients. This takes a bit of a mindset shift but once you get it, the ideas flow and you have a stream of great ideas that attract your target audience who are in need of you.

Here is an example of a client centric value prop, it's an exercise we do in Maverrik's Accelerator Programme

People pay attention to what matters to them. They don't care about you, your amazing brand or your awards. They want stuff that helps them. Aligning your content and services so that the value you bring appeals to:

• People who need your services
• People who will gain value from your services
• People who will pay for your services

This isn't about promotion, it's about education. Your job is to create demand for your service by educating your audience and helping them see for themselves why they NEED you.

It all comes down to the value proposition. You can't speak to people who need you, if you don't understand their world.

The Intent Problem

I use the term Intent Thresholds. If you want more inbound enquiries you have to bring your audience with a need for your service to the boil.

Just 3% of your target audience are actively looking to sell what you are selling. That doesn't mean you should focus on them. You should be focusing on building your audience with the 97% and bring them to the boil - a crude phrase, but it fits.

You use your content to educate them and help them see the value in what you do and how you do it.

Let's say you have an engaged audience of 100 people. 3 people in that audience are actively thinking about a service like yours right now. 97 aren't. Using your content to build trust and expose their need, means you pick up the enquiry. That's why this process of inbound enquiries isn't something you can pick up when you choose, it's an ongoing activity.

Now coming to Intent Thresholds, I create these in my content, as part of my content and as standalone pieces to get people to signal to me, they are realising they need me. As they do this I have a clear plan of how to 'bring them to the boil'.

These thresholds then show me where I am at with the audience and what I need to do next.

If I'm looking for them to make an inbound enquiry, I will run a cadence of content that rachets up my value and builds multiple intent thresholds in a short period of time, say over two weeks.

If I'm looking to stimulate interest which I want to follow up, I have in my roadmap a plan to get people to send me signals each week.

This all sounds complicated but actually it's simple.

You need the following:

• Proposition - Why they need you
• Roadmap - A plan of action and cadence of activity.
• Attention - Using the value prop to create messaging for content
• Intent - Thresholds for people to let you know they need you.
• Results - a clear and focused process for people to convert.

Like I shared earlier, I dig into this in detail in the podcast but this process, which I use myself. In fact you are in it NOW.... is helping me generate more than 200 new leads per week.

By lead, I mean people from my target audience telling me they need me.

I do it with content, because I have a value prop, a plan and consistently stick to it.

The salesy bit...

If you'd like to see how this works you get book a Discovery Session with our team and they'll help you see how this can work for you.