Managing online lead generation

Myth six: Now that everything is online, the phone does not matter so much

One of the key mistakes made by pool and spa/hot tub companies when it comes to lead generation occurs when it loses focus on telecommunications. No matter how smart and efficient a company is in generating leads, if its people are not great on the phone, the leads will be ruined anyways. Being good on the phone means:

1. Lightning-fast call backs: In the eyes of a prospective customer, the speed with which a company responds to an inbound lead is a test of its service quality. Every minute that goes by between the time a homeowner submits an e-mail inquiry and when someone actually calls them can hurt a business.
2. Dedicated, well-trained phone staff: This is the front end of the entire business. A pool and spa/hot tub company can lose customers if the person who speaks with potential clients first is unfriendly or uninformed.
3. A smooth, systematic, efficient phone process: Are prospects pre-screened adequately? Are appointments set consistently, and are confirmation calls made for sales appointments? Finally, are customer inquiries followed up on? The company’s phone operation needs to work well, 100 per cent of the time.

In conclusion

Online lead generation is fantastic; it has changed the pool and spa/hot tub industry for the better in many ways. It has also raised the bar on what it takes to be successful.

Far too many service providers are more than happy to take a company’s money in exchange for simply getting them online visibility and impressions. Unfortunately, so much of it never adds up to what the business really needs—leads.

Keep these six myths in mind the next time the opportunity arises to invest in online marketing. They will help to ensure the business snares more than its fair share of great pool and spa/hot tub leads from the Internet without exceeding expectations or budgets.

Todd Bairstow is a well-known entrepreneur and online marketing expert with 18 years’ experience in the field. He founded Keyword Connects in 2005, where he developed a business plan to generate leads for his clients on a 100 per cent performance basis. Bairstow can be reached via e-mail at todd@keywordconnects.com.