The small habit that’s killing your lead flow

Today’s Skill: Stacking Days

“I’m not getting enough leads”. It’s not an uncommon phrase that gets uttered. I’d imagine you’ve said it yourself from time to time. I know i have.

It’s top of mind because I had a tough conversation about this topic with my brother Nick recently.

My brother and sister-in-law created an impressive business management tool called Fetch for the dog training industry. Their combined expertise makes them a formidable duo to grow a successful business. When people engage with them, they have high traction. However, they are still struggling to find their consistent flow of leads because they are rather unknown.

And, therefore, until they get more known, the leads will be harder to come by.

So, since they know I am a sales coach, they asked me what the problem was.

After asking a couple of questions, it became rather obvious.

→ They lack consistency.

They don’t spend enough time on the front end of the sales process. They hide themselves in “other work” which can easily be justified as important to the business.

But, as Mark Cuban famously said, “Nothing happens until a sale is made.”

And, the only way we can possibly make sales is to have people know about us.

This is not about perfection. This is about focused action.

An overfilled pipeline needs to be your #1 goal.

Until that is achieved you’ll always be scraping and clawing for every lead that does come in. It’ll add stress to those conversations and you’ll do whatever you can to close new business, even if they are the wrong types of clients.

Let’s change that.

Here’s how you’re going to start winning at lead generation.

Pick one action

This is where folks get tripped up right off the starting line. They feel they have to be everywhere so they scatter content and fire off emails instead of being hyper focused.

In turn, they use automation or AI to speed through the work which makes it more generic and less “you”.

So, pick one channel. 

Phone, Email, Linkedin, Referrals…

You know your business better than anyone, where are your clients most reachable?

For Nick and Sara, it’s starting by drawing a large circle around their hometown of Charlotte, NC and reaching out to every dog training business by phone or email.

For you, it might be targeting specific business segments using LinkedIn or reaching out to every past client you’ve ever had.

Pick one.

Then…

Develop A Plan

Everyone wants the “silver bullet” on how to get more leads. Without a plan, it’s almost futile.

→ You’ll quit before you start.

I don’t care what you do, but what you do should have a plan attached to it.

Maybe you’re cold emailing like Nick and Sara.

The simple plan I coached them on:

1. Spend 2 minutes researching a potential prospect. (For them, it’s Dog Training businesses).

   → Choosing one clear industry or Ideal Client Profile makes this easier.

2. Create an email list with their contact details

   → A google sheet with name, company, email, phone and website is simple enough

3. Send a short but highly personalized email.

   → Use this great framework to start with

4. Make a point to follow-up 1-2 times over a few week period.

   → Don’t spam them but don’t only reach out once.

Think about it this way…

If you go to a bowling alley, there isn’t an exact way to throw the ball but you clearly know which lane you are throwing down and what your objective is.

→ Do the same for your prospecting

• Who are you reaching out to?

• How many per day?

• What are you going to say?

• When are you going to do this?

Map it out so it’s crystal clear. Stop guessing which actions you’re taking.

Make sure you plan accordingly.

And…last but not least…

Stack Days

Doing this for one day or even a week is going to barely move the needle. It needs to be done every day. 😱

Imagine you reached out to 5 people a day. That’s it.

Over the course of a year that’s over 1800 potential new clients you’ve connected with.

→ How many do you need to run a successful business? 5 a year, 20 a year, 100 a year?

Whatever the number, the results come from the consistent action.

• You want to lose 30 pounds

• You want to learn the guitar

• You want to break 80 on the golf course

It’s done over months or years, not days.

I know, it sucks at times. You don’t like to put yourself out there to get rejected and you don’t want to come off as “salesy”. But, there is no substitute for small, consistent actions, day after day.

Remember, there are tons of things you could be doing.

But, you can’t do them all effectively at once.

So, start with one.

What is one proactive action you can take to start getting known by the right clients?

Because that consistent action helps get the ball rolling down the hill.

And that momentum is what you need to start stacking days and creating a filled pipeline.

Here’s a great video clip from when Chris Paul appeared on the Rich Roll podcast. I love how he says, “Reps remove doubt.”

Hope it gives you some added motivation!

Your Action Item

Here’s my 30-day challenge.

→ Pick your action and outline your steps (keep it simple)

→ Reply to this email with your plan and commitment

→ Include your cell number and I’ll hold you accountable during the next month (promise, no spam calls 😊)

I’m going to be your spotter at the gym.

No strings attached.

I just want to help you stack days and reap the benefits on the backend of it.