But do you know how to leverage these tools to generate leads? To make an active contribution to your sales activity, these tools need to be combined with a webmarketing strategy, and their use thought out in a coordinated way.
Here are 3 examples of effective "sales tunnels" to generate leads with the help of your web tools.
[Reminder] What is a "sales tunnel"?
If you've read our article "Et si votre site web générait (enfin) des leads?", the notion of the "sales tunnel" no longer holds any secrets for you!
If not, here's a quick summary:
In webmarketing, a "sales tunnel" is a "scenario" you've thought through in advance to direct your various contacts (physical or web) to key pages on your website, with a view to turning them into identified prospects.
It is based on 3 key elements:
- Attractive content for your prospects, or LEAD MAGNET
- An entry point for identifying them, called a LANDING PAGE
- And an email sequence designed to turn them into QUALIFIED LEADS
How does it generate leads?
A sales tunnel is built to provoke interactions with your potential prospects, once you have captured them and directed them to your website: a click, a visit to a key page, the submission of a form...
The aim is to transform them from "unidentified visitor" to "identified visitor" (with a name and contact), and then into a "qualified lead".
A "qualified lead" is a contact with whom you are in a position to initiate a commercial exchange, i.e.: in whom you have detected an interest in your offer, and for whom you have direct contact details (email + telephone).
The scenario consists of using your web tools in a strategic and coordinated way to help you validate these 2 key points.
3 examples of effective web "sales tunnels
Let's take the case of a (fictitious) consulting firm in the field of Customer Experience.
Here are 3 examples of lead-generating scenarios:
SCENARIO 1 - Self-evaluation questionnaire
This scenario is one of the quickest and least expensive to implement. Ideal for a first approach to the "sales tunnel" logic.
- LEAD MAGNET: Self-diagnosis
A potential prospect visits the company's website and reads a blog post, for example: "3 inspiring Customer Experience companies". A Call-To-Action(CTA) at the bottom of the article invites them to carry out an online self-diagnosis on the subject. For example, "Evaluate the quality of your company's Customer Experience".
- LANDING PAGE : Questionnaire page
The interested visitor clicks on the CTA, which takes them to an online questionnaire. (You can start by creating your own web questionnaires with a free tool like Google Form).
To take part in the questionnaire, you need to fill in the following mandatory fields to receive the results: Name + Email address, and optional fields: Position + Company + Phone number. (Don't forget the mandatory RGPD mentions )
- EMAIL SEQUENCE: Summary of results
2 days after taking part in the self-diagnosis, the company emails the participant a summary of the results, together with a proposal for a telephone meeting to discuss the results and, for example, define a short-term improvement plan.
- LEAD QUALIFICATION: Appointment scheduling
If the participant accepts the proposal for a telephone appointment, they become a "qualified lead" and their contact details are forwarded to a sales representative!
SCENARIO 2 - Thematic Ebook
This scenario, which takes a little longer to implement, enables you togradually establish a relationship with an identified new contact and build the company's legitimacy in his or her eyes.
Discover the KESTIO webinars, where we discuss
all topics related to sales performance with our experts:
Fabien Comtet, CEO
Dominique Seguin, General Manager
Nicolas Boissard, Marketing Director
- LEAD MAGNET : EBook
A campaign Linkedin Ads campaign on the Linkedin profiles of the "Customer Experience Directors" of targeted companies generates a flow of qualified visitors towards an Ebook with attractive content for this target.
For example, a 15-page dossier on "Customer Experience Champions".
- LANDING PAGE : Download page
Interested visitors are redirected to a dedicated page, featuring a download form with mandatory fields to receive the link to the Ebook: Name + Email address, and optional fields: Job + Company + Phone number. (Not forgetting the mandatory RGPD mentions).
- EMAIL SEQUENCE: Self-diagnosis
Email 1 - Sent to people who have downloaded the Ebook
An initial email sent 2 days later invites them to carry out an online self-diagnosis of their company's Customer Experience.
The participant chooses between 2 options:
Option 1
Receive a summary of the results by email
Option 2
Be contacted by telephone for a personalized review of your results
Email 2 - Sent to respondents to the online questionnaire
A second email is sent 2 days later, containing :
Option 1
a summary of the results in pdf format, with a "Call-to-Action" (CTA) prompting you to book a free consultation.
Option 2
A proposed appointment for the results feedback interview, at the end of which the summary will be sent to the customer.
- LEAD QUALIFICATION: Appointment scheduling
If the participant validates the proposal for a telephone appointment, he becomes a "qualified lead" and his contact details are forwarded to a sales representative.
SCENARIO 3 - Conference support
As this 3rd example illustrates, a web-based lead generation scenario can also include one (or more) physical contact point(s)!
- LEAD MAGNET: Conference support
The company's CEO hosts a conference on "The new challenges of the Customer Experience".
At the end of his talk, he invites participants to download his lecture material.
- LANDING PAGE : Download page
The conference support download page includes a form to fill in to receive the support, with mandatory fields: Name + Email address, and optional fields: Position + Company + Phone number.
- EMAIL SEQUENCE: Satisfaction questionnaire
Email 1 - Sent D+2 to people who have downloaded the media
An initial message invites them to complete an online satisfaction questionnaire about the conference.
At the end of the questionnaire, respondents can ask to be called back by an expert to define their Customer Experience priorities.
Email 2 - Sent on D+2 to respondents to the questionnaire
If the respondent has not asked to be called back at the end of the questionnaire, a new email is sent 2 days later, again offering a personalized interview.
- LEAD QUALIFICATION: Appointment scheduling
If the participant validates the phone appointment proposal (in step 1 or step 2 of the email sequence), he becomes a "qualified lead" and his details are forwarded to a sales representative.
Each of these 3 scenarios enabled the company to identify new contacts via its website, and to transform some of them into qualified leads that it passed on to its sales force!
What's more, the chances of converting these prospects are multiplied, because :
- They already know the company,
- The company has acquired a certain legitimacy in their eyes
- Sales reps have precise information on their profile (obtained via the form, questionnaire and interview).
Many variations of these scenarios are possible, depending on your business sector, your offers, the profile of your prospects and the marketing tools you have at your disposal. Start by deploying a1st scenario in "test & learn" mode to generate your first leads. You can then apply these scenarios to each of your offers and build on them!
To develop your company's communication tools, think Webinar!
Webinars can be used to showcase attractive content and enhance the company's activity.
However, it does require a few rules: in this webinar learn how to organize a webinar that generates more participants and leads.
