5 Types of Nurture Programs
I talk a lot about nurture programs.
That’s because they are some of the most inexpensive and effective marketing any business can do.
They are also incredibly versatile.
Here are 5 different ways you can use a nurture program in your business…
1. Nurture prospects during the sales cycle
This is the most common way to use nurture… To take people who are serious prospects for your business - who are already interacting with your sales force - and send them something on a regular basis that reinforces what your sales people are doing with them and educates them about the value you provide.
Nurture programs of this type are typically heavily educational, since your goal is to overcome objections and teach them what they need to know to understand why your solution is the right one and why it is worth what you charge for it.
You might send case studies, educational articles you have written, reprints of articles published about your business or written by someone in your company, and articles written by others that support your point of view or explain why it makes sense to do things the way you do.
You might send links to videos of customer testimonials or demonstrations of how to use your products. You might have links to podcasts of interviews with you or key individuals in your company.
The goal of this type of nurture program is to help people move through the sales cycle faster, and to convert more prospects to customers.
2. Nurture “B” or “C” prospects
This is the second most common use of nurture programs…
These are people who are not quite ready to be serious prospects. Maybe they don’t have a budget yet, maybe they are still very early in the research stage.
They have contacted you and expressed an interest, but it is too early for them to actively engage with a sales rep.
However, you don’t want to ignore them because they are likely to buy at some point and you want them to buy from you, rather than a competitor.
Setting them up in a nurture program keeps your company in front of them, and lets them learn about your offerings in a low-key way.
Your goal here is to keep enough mindshare so that when they are ready to get serious, you’ll be on their list.
3. Nurture “ideal” prospects
This is an interesting strategy that can be extremely effective.
You identify up to 100 people who you would like to be customers.
They might be marquee customers, people or companies who are well-respected in your industry. They might be companies in an area where you want to expand and do more business. They might be organizations that are a little larger or better funded than your normal clients or just companies you really really want to do business with.
But they have never contacted you. They might not know you exist.
Well, you start marketing to them. You mail them something every month, something that educates them about what you do and what your offerings are.
Get in front of them month after month, and they will start falling into your sales cycle.
Your goal here is to introduce your company to high-value, ideal prospects and convert them to customers.
4. Nurture people who refer business to you
Most small businesses get most of their customers by referral. And most small businesses do nothing to general more referrals.
The main reason that’s the case is that almost all of us hate asking for referrals.
But it’s possible to get referrals without asking for them. At least, without asking in person.
You can set up a nurture program that goes out to people who refer prospects to you (or who could refer prospects to you) and have a little note on some of the pieces that says “We love referrals” or “If you know anyone who might be interested, we’d love to hear from them” or “Know anyone who might be interested? We’ll take excellent care of them (and send you a cool tshirt to say thank you).”
There are dozens of low-key ways to phrase a request for referrals. You can use any number of them.
But how you ask isn’t as important as that you DO ask.
Your goal here is to make sure the people who could refer business know what your business does and feel good about the quality of work you do, so they are comfortable making referrals. And, of course, to ask for the referrals.
5. Nurture your customers
You’ve seen all the statistics about how much more cost-effective it is to keep a current customer than attract a new one.
So direct a bit of your marketing budget towards making your current clients feel special and valued.
This is particularly easy if you have relatively few big customers. But it can be done even if you have thousands.
If you have fewer than a couple hundred customers, you can send a small gift once or twice a year. Not during the holidays, which is when everyone else does it. But in the spring or summer or early fall.
It can be inexpensive and clever - something with your company’s logo on it.
Or it can even be electronic, which is the way to go if you need to deliver thousands of them around the world. It could be a free ebook or tips on how to get the most out of your products…
The goal here is to make your customers feel appreciated and special.
There you go… 5 inexpensive ways to use nurture programs to help you grow your business. Which one are you going to try?
Sphere: Related Content4 Ways to Get More Referrals
The vast majority of small businesses get most of their customers through referrals.
Referrals are the leads that are most likely to close, and they are usually effectively free.
So why are you not doing more to increase the number of referrals you get?
The problem is that most people are reluctant to ask for referrals. It’s true for you (I’m sure it is!) - I know it’s true for me, and it’s almost certainly true for everyone who works for you.
But there are ways to generate more referrals that are practically painless. Let’s look at a couple of those…
1. Create a tag-team referral process
The best time to ask for a referral is right after someone has become a customer. They are enthusiastic about your company, and referring someone else to you validates and reinforces the decision they have just made. But sales reps can be very reluctant to ask for a favor at this point - they just got the purchase order and they don’t want to jeopardize that.
So make it easy for them. Set up a system where the sales rep calls to say thank you and tell them what the next steps are. Perhaps you need to schedule a kickoff call or meeting. Have the sales rep say that Sally will be calling to schedule the kickoff call, and when she does that she will also be asking if they know anyone else who might be able to use your solution.
That’s easy, right? Your sales rep is not asking for a referral. She is simply saying that in the future, they will be asked for a referral.
It’s easy for Sally too. Sally can now call and go through her checklist with them, schedule the meeting, and say that as Mary (your sales rep) may have mentioned, she would like to ask if they know of anyone else who might be able to use your solution. The question is no longer a loaded one, and it is not being sprung on them.
It’s easy for your customer too. They have had a chance to think about it, and if they know someone, chances are pretty good that they will have that person’s contact info handy. If not, they are prepared for the question and can graciously decline.
2. Have a scheduled referral contest
Let customers know that sales reps will be competing to see who can generate the most referrals in the month of April. That gives the customers a chance to think about it and be prepared for the question.
Then sales reps can email or call customers, tell them they’re trying to win, and ask if they know anyone. When it’s a game, it’s more fun to participate. And when you ask for referrals in a light-hearted way, it is easier for everyone.
3. Segment your referrals
Go through the following groups in your head, and try to find one individual or company in each group that might be interested in referring business back and forth. Then go ask them!
- Competitors
- Companies that sell products or services that are typically sold in conjunction with yours
- Companies that sell products or services that are typically needed before yours
- Companies that sell products or services that are typically needed after yours
- Consultants who work in your industry
- Service providers who work in your industry
- Accountants, lawyers, recruiters and other professionals who work in your industry
Yes, the first item on that list was competitors. Almost certainly your products or services are not identical. Each of you is stronger in certain areas. Refer business back and forth in the areas where you don’t overlap.
4. Consider other touchpoints
Where and when else do customers or prospects touch your company? Can you build in referral processes there? Here are a couple more places to look at:
- Your website (refer a friend button)
- Customer service/tech support (after the satisfactory resolution of their problem)
- Email marketing or email newsletters (ask recipients to forward the email)
If you work on adding one new referral source each month, in less than a year you will be generating a substantial number of new, high-quality leads.
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