Marketing Org Chart – A Closer Look at Lead Generation
In December, I introduced a graphic of a Marketing Organization Chart I found on a blog post by John Jansch of DuctTape Marketing . As a follow up I am exploring each of the four elements ( Strategy, Lead Generation, Lead Conversion and Customer Service.) in more detail. Earlier this week I took a look at Strategy today lets look at Lead Generation.
There are three main elements of Lead Generation: 
- Advertising
- Public Relations
- Referrals
Your prospects will come to you ether because they have heard about you from someone they know ( referrals) or from some third party (public relations) or from you (advertising)
REFERRALS
While John Jansch, listed this element third, I really believe this is where any small busienss owner should focus the majority of lead generation activities. Why? because prospects who come to you on the recommendation of another person, are more likely to buy.
You have been prequalified. As a result, you can move quickly through some of the early “get to know you” portion of the sales process.
How do you cultivate referrals? Spend time thinking about your core customer. Who else is selling to your client? These are the people who will be most influential. So if you want referrals from them, you need to be sending referrals their way as well!
PUBLIC RELATIONS vs ADVERTISING
I almost always recommend my clients invest in PR actives rather than advertising. ( It isn’t just becuase that is our area of specialization) It is because PR creates a third party endorsement which will always have more credibility then anything you say about yourself.
But good PR is not free! Just like advertising, it takes time to craft the right message, and deliver it to the right audience.
And regardless of where you concentrate your efforts, you need to trac which methods are most effective!
Include a public relations plan as part of your overall business plan. Need help getting started? Download our FREE Business Plan outline today!
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