“Working with Leadstoyou over the past 18 months has helped us secure our ongoing day to day business and enabled us to expand both in terms of the services we provide and the geographic area we cover.

They have supplied a regular flow of leads even during the summer months and we like the fact that we can control where our business comes from.

Their presence has allowed us to make the most of business generated through the Internet, something we would not have been able to do ourselves without spending thousands on promoting our website, which for a company like us would be simply not affordable.

We have found their system to be extremely flexible, simple and easy to use and they have always given us the impression that they are working with us in partnership.

Leadstoyou has become an invaluable part of our business.”

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“We are now in our second year of working with Leadstoyou, having started in November 2010, and throughout that time they have supplied us with a continual flow of enquiries from home owners with a genuine interest in accessing the grants that are available through Government initiatives for cavity wall and loft insulation.

The flow of leads even continued throughout the summer months, something which is very unusual in our industry.

We like to work with local suppliers and to find one with such an efficient marketing system and excellent back-up service right on our doorstep is great.

Although Leadstoyou is an Internet based business there has always been a person we can talk to by telephone for any information we may need.”

Claire Beer, General Manager, Energycare Insulations Limited, Exeter

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We have been working with Leadstoyou since they started in late 2009 and every day for over two years now we have received good quality genuine leads, which have resulted in an excellent flow of new orders.

The enquiries arrive consistently and in sufficient numbers to keep us constantly busy. Just yesterday for instance we received 11.

I have to take my hat off to Justin, James and the team. Their system is brilliant and on the rare occasion that we have any queries their administration and back-up always copes very effectively.

I think it is fair to say that, in the current climate, without Leadstoyou we would be struggling.

This has to be one of the best business relationships we have.”

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Four weeks of FIT fueled frenzy

Solar PV enquiries December 2011 (blue) Vs. November 2011 (green)

The FIT announcement caused a spike in solar panel leads early in November, and subsequent publicity helped to keep numbers high. Enquiries started to slow in the second half of the month and the first few days of December have continued this trend. The decline is partly due to informing all web site visitors that the 43p tariff is no longer available.

This has also led to us filtering out a higher-than-usual number of “tyre kickers”, those curious folk who just want to talk about solar, rather than act. We will continue to prevent these enquiries from reaching you.

It is extremely difficult to predict how December will fare; any comparisons with last year are swallowed up by the huge growth in the industry during 2011.

However, from talking to hundreds of solar panel installers during the past month, the overwhelming consensus is that solar is still an extremely good investment, there is still a huge amount of interest from the public, and the market is now in a good position to grow during 2012 and beyond.

Thermal grows as PV slows

Public interest in solar thermal grew during November to the highest we’ve seen all year. The FiT publicity is undoubtedly the cause, but again, much of this ‘interest’ is people looking for information rather than quotes, and these are filtered out before being sent as leads.

However, increased public awareness in thermal can only be a good thing. We usually that find a surge in interest translates to a surge in demand (i.e. leads) approximately 4-6 weeks later. We’re likely to see strong demand for thermal in January and a possible rush to claim a premium payment before April.

We’re also seeing a lot of interest in solar thermal leads from PV installers. Thermal and heat pumps are definitely the one’s to watch.

Demand for heat pumps hots up

We started generating heat pump leads earlier this year, and numbers were slow at first. However, thanks to a combination of increased public awareness in renewables, and some clever marketing wizardry, we’re now generating more than 100 heat pump leads a week, and this figure continues to rise.

Just like solar panels, we make people fully aware of the costs and qualify their time frame to ensure each enquiry is genuine. We also capture the lead’s fuel source and a description of their requirements. Remember, these are people who’ve initiated the search for quotes themselves, and so the propensity to purchase is high.

Insulation enquiries up on 2010

Insulation enquiries 2011 (blue) vs 2010 (green)

Demand for insulation grants has remained high throughout 2011, particularly during the summer, mainly fueled by ever increasing energy bills. An unseasonably warm November hasn’t put people off from getting their home insulated before Winter, and as temperatures drop in December, the next rush is only just around the corner.

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Asking the right questions is vital

If the last few blogs have peaked your interest in leads generation, you may be considering contacting a company for the first time. For many business owners this can be daunting. No matter how much research you have done, it is always worrying to agree to part with your hard earned cash. You will always wonder if you have made the right decision – until the leads and the sales start to roll in, of course.

Knowing the right questions to ask your potential leads generation company will help you to make the right choice and will put you back in the the driving seat. One obvious hint: if they refuse to answer your questions, they aren’t right for you. The perfect leads generation company for you will one which is open and honest and ready to look after their customers. The following is a list of the questions you will need answers to.

How does lead generation work?

Ok, so you will already be pretty clued up about this from having read this blog. But the company you are questioning may have a different approach. They need to be able to explain their product succinctly and in layman’s terms. If they baffle you with science, you might want to think again.

What niche do they specialise in?

It is always a good idea to hire a leads generation company which has a foothold in your niche. So if you’re looking for solar panel leads, your leads company should specialise in that area or in renewable technologies. They need to know what they are talking about as much as you do.

What will the costs be?

You need to know in precise detail what the full costs will be. This includes any set up fees, ongoing costs, the cost per lead and any additional costs which might crop up such as a yearly renewal fee. You need to take all of this into account so you are never surprised by your invoice. Don’t just go with the cheapest – choose the best.

How flexible is it?

Find out what access you have to your account, how easily you can adjust your payments, whether you can stop and start your campaigns with ease and so on. You need to run your leads generation in a way that suits you, not how it suits the leads generation company. Most companies will allow you to be completely flexible, if they don’t you need to keep looking.

Am I tied into a contract?

You may want to try out the leads generation service for a few weeks or months to see how it goes. If this is the case, you need to be sure you won’t still be paying for the service in six or 12 months time.

How do they find and qualify their leads?

You should avoid any company who tells you that they cold call their potential leads. Not only is this pointless, you will be paying for leads who are not properly qualified. You want the best possible leads and how your generation company finds them is important. Find a company who uses the power of online search terms to find their leads.

Can I get a refund if I can’t contact my lead?

If you have a long list of leads, but find that half of them have incorrect phone numbers or wrong addresses, you will be wanting your money back. Your leads company have little control over incorrect information, but they should still offer a refund if this happens. Ask about how long you have to return a lead.

Will I get a guaranteed number of leads?

Even though you only pay for what you receive, you may still want a set number of leads each week or month. Good lead generators will allow you to set a monthly or weekly limit on the number you receive. Avoid lead companies who guarantee to provide a certain number of leads because in this industry, nothing is certain.

By now you will be an expert in lead generation. You know how to find the company which will work best for your needs, you know what questions to ask them, you understand how it all works and you know what to do once those leads start pouring into your inbox.

All you have to do now is enjoy the results of your hard work!

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How to convert your leads into sales

It can be a daunting thought to know what to do once you have a list of good qualified leads. Do you simply call them all and hope for the best? Should you have a plan in place? Should you just email them and let them come back to you?

The fact is that what you do with your leads is the most crucial part of making the most of the money and time you have spent on lead generation. You have invested in the best possible leads and you do not want to waste a single penny.

Customer relations management systems

It is extremely important that you have a system in place which will help you to keep track of and manage your leads effectively. There are a number of software options available which will keep a database of your leads and which will help you to know where in the process each lead is.

Each lead will be called a certain number of times and you will need to keep excellent records of the outcome of each contact. Even if the lead fails to turn into a sale, you will want to keep the details so you can inform them of any future specials or deals they may be interested in.

Timeliness

Leads which turn into sales are usually those which are contacted as soon as possible after their initial enquiry. This means that you must be prepared to call them the same day as you receive the lead from your generation company.

The longer you leave it, the more time they have to find an alternative, change their mind or decide to go with a competitor. In addition, a quick response looks professional to a potential customer.

Do your homework

Before you call you should have familiarised yourself with the product they are wanting, their needs (as far as you can tell from their enquiry), the costs they will incur, the delivery or installation options and so on. In fact you need to be ready to answer any question your lead may have.

You should also know what the competition is charging for your product, so you can be ready to counter any arguments they may have for going elsewhere.

Be persistent but polite

While you do not want to bombard your lead with calls and emails, you should be willing to be quite persistent over the first few days. Many people will want to take their time making their final choice and therefore will need reminders of your product.

You should call on a daily basis for at least five days and follow up each call with an email detailing what you have said in your call. Of course if your lead appears to be wearying of your calls or asks not to be called again, you should respect this.

Your attitude and politeness during your calls will be crucial to making the sale. Never harass or intimidate your lead. Never state that they have a limited time to complete the sale or the special will be withdrawn. You should always allow them to make up their own mind – while leading them in the right direction.

Be flexible

If price is proving to be a real sticking point, you should be willing to have a little give and take in your pricing structure. Don’t lose a sale over a 10% discount or free delivery. Even a small profit is better than no sale at all.

Know when to give up

Even qualified leads can change their minds. Unfortunately you will find that some leads just don’t want to buy your product once you have contacted them. This is unlikely to be the fault of you or your lead generation company, it is just a fact of life.

You should always know at what point it is right to give up on your lead. Generally this is when they have stated point blank they will not be buying from you, if they have said they are buying elsewhere or they say they can’t afford it (even with discounts or alternatives offered).

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An enquiry is not a qualified lead

You may think that you have plenty of leads – you get calls every day from potential customers and your website gets loads of hits. Aren’t they all good leads? Not necessarily. In fact these “leads” are probably just “enquiries”. What you need are Qualified Leads.

Enquiries and not qualified leads

If you think carefully about how many of these enquiries you receive turn into sales, your hit rate is most likely quite low. In fact many of the enquiries you receive are probably considered by you to be leads, but really they aren’t. The reasons for this are varied:

• They have called you to find information which wasn’t on your website
• They quickly realise you are not in their area
• They learn that you don’t actually sell what they were looking for
• They accidentally ended up at your website when they were looking for something else
• They are calling for advice or information and have no intention of buying anything from you

You need qualified leads and the services of a lead generation company will take your enquires and check they are qualified leads before you even have any contact with them at all. But how do they turn enquiries into leads, thus giving you the best possible chance to turning the lead into a sale?

A genuine interest in your product

The method by which your qualified lead comes to you includes them making a specific search on the internet. They will have been looking for your product right from the start. At this point the leads generation company know that this customer wants information about your product and could be interested in buying it.

If they become a lead, you know that they have taken the extra steps required to give your lead generation company their details and is willing for them to be passed to you. This shows real commitment and above all shows the following:

• They are the decision maker when it comes to purchasing your item. They have allowed their name to be taken and want to be contacted. You can be sure they are willing to talk to you about your product and will be happy to decide if they will make a purchase.
• They are likely to have enough money to buy your product. They will be aware of the costs (at least at a superficial level) and they have agreed to take their enquires past the information stage and on to the potential purchase stage.
• If relevant, they will live in your business area and will be looking for a local company to help them with their purchase.

When you receive the details of your qualified lead there is only one thing missing – you. You need to convince your lead of the benefits of your product and the fact that they need to purchase from you and not from one of your competitors. The lead generation company can only do so much and at some point you will need to close the sale.

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Outsourcing lead generation can be extremely effective

So maybe you have looked into outsourcing your lead generation, but think that there is nothing to it – you can do it all yourself and save loads of cash – right? Well, many people have thought that this is the right approach and their businesses have suffered as a result.

Letting an expert take care of your lead generation is not only a great idea, but it makes good business sense. Take a look at the following benefits of Internet lead generation and see how it could work for you.

Saves time

As a business owner, your time is literally your money. You need to use that time as effectively as possible. This means that you need to be face to face with your clients, making sure your staff are working well and generally keeping on top of the running of your business. Finding leads is one of those tasks which can easily be passed over to people who are experts.

It is technical

Let’s face it. Not all of us are quite up to date with the best ways to get online customers and leads. Knowing the right ways to get visitors to your website is beyond many business owners and you are not expected to be an expert in the field of computers and the Internet. You simply need to be an expert when it comes to your product. Let someone else take the technical stuff off your shoulders.

It is targeted

Any good lead generating company will be making sure that they only send you the best possible leads. They will be vetted to ensure that they want the goods or services which you offer. It is targeted and reaches those people who want to deal with you. Leads will be sourced from your local area and checked to ensure they meet all of the criteria you have specified. Would you have the time to go into that much detail?

You’re in control

Most lead generation services will allow the business owner to have complete control over how they spend their marketing budget. This means you can stop and start a campaign as you wish, focus on the times of the month or year which suit you best and have campaigns running alongside promotions and sales.

Saves money

Lead generation allows you to be able to track your spending and see how much money you are spending on each lead. In this way you can see the exact profit you make on each and every sale which comes from a lead. Knowledge is power and you have all the information right at your fingertips. Normal advertising doesn’t offer this same level of flexibility or the ability to drill down to each individual cost versus profit.

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In this case all you need are leads. Leads are people who have been directed to your product because they specifically want it or believe that they might. They are not people who have stumbled across your website, nor are they dragged there against their will. Properly qualified leads are looking to buy from you.

Getting this type of lead can often take much more work and money than you as a business owner is willing to put in. You could try huge advertising campaigns, Google adwords, brochures and emails – but unless you are targeting the right customers you could be wasting your time.

What is internet lead generation?

1. A lead generation agency produces websites which they have optimised to be search engine friendly using keywords which match your customers needs. They may also conduct an advertising campaign on your behalf. (see below)
2. People who visit these websites looking for the product you sell are then offered the opportunity to get more information.
3. They can leave their details on a submission form which is then passed on to you. You pay only for these pre-qualified leads.
4. In some cases these leads will be contacted to ensure they are perfect for your business or they will be checked to make sure they live in your area or are looking for exactly your product. In all cases they will be happy to be contacted.

An internet lead generation agency will use the following methods to get leads on your behalf:

• Search Engine Optimised websites: The agency may set up a website specifically designed to showcase products exactly like yours. This might include informative articles and news items. The aim of the agency is to get this website to the front page of Google. They can do this by ensuring it is packed full of great keywords. Your customer may find this website long before they find yours.
• Pay per click campaigns: Running a campaign using Google Adwords or other similar Pay-Per-Click (PPC) platforms can be a huge waste of money if it is not targeted correctly. They are simply advertisements which relate to online searches. If clicked on, the website owner pays. A lead generation agency knows how to run these campaigns and can use them to get the best possible leads to be passed on to you.

Set up and costs

Some lead generation agencies will allow you to set up an account free of charge. Then all you do is keep your account topped up with funds and decide for yourself how much you wish to spend. This type of flexibility is what sets lead generation apart form other forms of advertising. You can stop and start as often as you like – tying your campaigns to special deals and promotions.

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