[00:00:00] How many times have you heard a business owner say, "I just need more leads"? Maybe you've said it yourself. I need more people to find me. I need more inquires. I need more traffic to my website. I need to post more, run ads. I need to network more.
And yes, sometimes that's absolutely true. You need more qualified people entering your pipeline. But today, I want to challenge you to look at something before you go and spend another dollar or another hour trying to generate more leads. I want you to look at what happens to the leads you already have.
Because here is the thing. You might not have a lead generation problem, you might have a lead conversion problem. And if that's the case, getting more leads may actually be making your business less efficient. Because every lead you generate is an investment, [00:01:00] right? You invest money in advertising. You invest time in networking and creating content.
You invest money in optimizing your website. You invest in your reputation, your brand, in building relationships. You invest in all of those activities that get somebody to raise their hand and say, "Hey, I'm interested. Tell me more." And then what happens? If you convert only a small percentage of those people, you're essentially spending more and more money and time filling the top of your funnel while allowing potential clients leak out everywhere else, and that gets super expensive.
It means your customer acquisition cost goes up. You have to work harder to generate the same amount of revenue, and you're leaving money on the table. But when you get better at [00:02:00] converting the leads you already have, something magical happens. You can work less and earn more. You can make the time and money you've already invested in marketing and lead generation work harder for you.
And there is another benefit that I think is just as important. When you really examine your conversion process, you end up improving your business. You learn more about your customers. You learn what they're confused about, what questions they ask, what makes them hesitate. You learn where your process is clunky and where your communication breaks down.
And when you improve on that, it makes you so much better at running the business. So today I wanna walk you through the entire journey from the moment somebody becomes aware of your business and brand [00:03:00] all the way until they become your client. And what we're going to look at is where service businesses tend to lose leads and how you can stop those leaks. So let's start by looking at your customer journey.
A potential client might go through something like this. They become aware of your business, they inquire, then you have a consultation with them. You send a proposal, you follow up, they say yes, you onboard them, you deliver the service, and then hopefully you retain them, and then they refer you. Now, not every business has every one of those stages.
You might not need a consultation if, let's say, you're a massage therapist and the client just books an appointment with you. There's no big conversation. You might not need a formal proposal. [00:04:00] You might have a very short sales cycle, right? But every business has some version of this journey, and every transition from one stage to another is an opportunity for the customer to either keep moving forward or disappear.
And that's what I mean by a leak. It's not necessarily somebody saying no to you, but sometimes they simply fall through a gap in your process. And when you don't even realize there was a gap, that's how you're wasting money and time. So let's look at some of the biggest ones and hopefully help you realize you might have some and help you fill them
Leak number one, the lead inquires and you take too long to respond. So we're starting at the beginning. Someone becomes aware of you as a business. They like what they see, they have a [00:05:00] problem, and they think you might be able to help, so they reach out. This is a high intent moment. You have a lead who is raising their hand, and what happens next matters enormously.
One of the leaks I see is simply the business takes too long to respond, and I have experienced it myself as a customer. I remember reaching out some time ago to a beauty salon because I was interested in booking their service, and it took them so long to get back to me that I actually assumed they weren't open anymore, or they were so busy with customers they weren't taking anybody on
So I went somewhere else. And, maybe the salon was incredibly busy in that time, or the person responsible for responding was away, or they had a staffing issue. I'm sure there was a [00:06:00] perfectly reasonable explanation, but the problem is your customer doesn't know any of that. They don't know how you operate, and in reality, they shouldn't care, right?
All I experienced as a customer at that time was silence, and that silence communicated something. And to me, that meant they don't want me as a customer. And then I had another experience with a business that provided classes for kids. I was looking for something for my son, and again, when I reached out to inquire a little bit more about that, because the website wasn't clear , I experienced a delay in communication.
And it wasn't even me, but after a couple of days, my son said to me, Mom, I don't think they want me. I don't think they care about me." So think about it for a second. It's a child who took... who [00:07:00] received lack of answer as a message, and it wasn't a sophisticated sales objection, right? This wasn't about the price or the quality of the program.
It was just simple, the experience of me and him not hearing back in a timely manner
And then compare that with another experience I had with a new hair salon. So I wanted to find a hair salon that was much closer to where I live, because the previous one, I had to commute about 15, 20 minutes, and, I'm all about time efficiency. So I decided I wanted to find something great but closer to home.
And I reached out to the one I selected. They were super responsive. My questions were answered very timely. They directed me to the next step. It was super easy, and I became a regular client. Because, yes, they had a delivery, they [00:08:00] had an amazing service delivery after to match my experience in the beginning, but it was just so easy to do business with them, right?
So the lesson here is that your potential customer doesn't know how busy you are. They only know what it's like to interact with your business from the moment they make a contact. And truly, in today's day and age, there is no excuse for you to make it easy and timely. And it doesn't mean that you have to be available 24/7 all the time or be stuck to your email or phone.
You don't, because you can give people information in many different ways. You can have a website that answers their questions. You can direct them to the next step through your website, through your social media profile. You can use automation. There is AI, there's [00:09:00] chatbots, there is frequently asked questions.
There's so many ways you can make that first experience easy, simple, and timely
So there really shouldn't be a qualified inquiry disappearing into a black hole for days or weeks in your business at this day and age
Now, let's say you've responded, and then the person is interested, and your next step in the process is to have a consultation with them, which is great. But here is where a major leak happens, and that's when the consultation becomes a sales pitch. So you spend the entire time telling them about your business, your credential, your packages, your process, features, and you barely spend time understanding the client in front of you.
But the purpose of a consultation shouldn't really be [00:10:00] how much information I can give to my client, whether they need it or not, right? But it should be, can I understand what is happening for this person and determine whether I can genuinely help, and if so, how? So consultation is you about first understanding, and understanding comes from asking the right questions. Asking the question about the client's problem, asking what they've already tried to solve that problem, understanding what success looks like for them. Where do they wanna be, and what's stopping them from getting there?
That's where value-based selling comes in, and I teach that type of selling to all of my clients because when you understand the gap between where your ideal client is and where they want to be, then it's easy for you to help them understand [00:11:00] how your service can bridge that gap And that's a very different conversation from, "Here is what I do, here is my package, here is the price," and I've seen that to play out really well for many clients. But I will give you an example from one of my recent clients in the financial planning space, right? When they came to me, they definitely did the right things in terms of lead generation. They were visible, having conversations. They had warm leads being introduced to them or coming from their previous career.
They also had cold leads from reach out. But what was happening is that there was a breakdown between people saying, "I'm interested," to actually signing the contract on the dotted line. They would delay. They would say that they needed to think about it, then they would go quiet. And the problem is with this limbo where [00:12:00] they weren't saying no, they were still sending positive signals that they wanted to work with my clients, but they also weren't making the final decision and actually moving into service delivery.
So when we mapped out their process and understood what happened at every stage and what the client needed and where were the gaps that what they needed wasn't delivered, the information that they needed wasn't delivered in a way that would build safety and trust. And once we fixed that and became intentional, things started shifting, right?
My clients started closing people who had been sitting on fence for months. They started closing cold leads who didn't know them at all before the first reach out, right? So sometimes the lead is not a problem. It's the lack of [00:13:00] process, the journey that you take them from the lead to the decision.
Because when you don't have a process, then it's hard for you sometimes to pinpoint why the client is stalling, why they're not decided
Now, let's talk about the objections because that's a third leak that happens often and I wanna help you with I think a lot of business owners, when they hear an objection, they immediately think, "Oh, the client doesn't wanna buy. They're not interested." But usually, if the client is not interested, they don't have questions.
They don't have follow-up comments. So objection isn't necessarily a no. It is often simply a question because the client doesn't have enough information or confidence to make the final decision just yet. So that's why they say, "I'm not sure if this is the right time. I need to think about it. I need to talk to my husband, my [00:14:00] boss," or whatever.
"Can you send me some information?"
And hey, sometimes yes, people genuinely don't wanna buy and they don't wanna tell you that, so they're coming up with that type of objection, but that's okay. But then you shouldn't assume that every person who does it means rejection, okay? So instead, when you hear that, just get curious, ask more question.
Try to understand what they don't understand or what they're uncertain about, what risks they're seeing, right? What information do they need to make a true final decision? And this is another reason why documenting your sales process is so valuable. Because if you keep hearing the same objections over and over, A, you don't have to reinvent the response every time, so you know how to handle it, and [00:15:00] also the reason why you're getting the same objection might be because somewhere in your process you're missing a step, or you're missing certain information to then, about the client and their challenge, to then help them bridge that gap.
Help show them how you can solve for whatever is missing, right? So you can learn a lot about the client and how to improve your conversions when you have a process that you can then look at, by the prism of analyzing every consultation you have. You can improve your marketing this way, you can improve your proposals and your service
Now, the next two leaks are related to the proposals if you have proposals in your sales process. Some service businesses can close directly during the [00:16:00] consultation, so it's not like you need to have a proposal. But there are many businesses where a proposal is part of the process. So maybe you're a professional organizer or interior designer, an event planner, a contractor, even a consultant with some larger, more bespoke projects.
And so the proposal is necessary because the work is custom, tailored to the client, and prices differ from client to client. And there are two really common places where leads get lost here. The first one is surprises. If the client gets the proposal and suddenly sees something they didn't expect, you might lose them very quickly.
So let's say there's a fee they don't understand, or somehow the scope changed from what their understanding was. Something is in there that wasn't discussed. They might start questioning their entire [00:17:00] decision. The proposal should not be where you introduce some important information or important part to the project for the first time.
The proposal should be just confirming and formalizing what you've already discussed, clients agreed on, everybody's good
The client should be thinking after receiving the proposal, "Yes, this is exactly what we talked about. I'm good." Rather than, "Wait, wait, wait. What's this? I didn't agree to that."
The second big proposal leak is time. And this is especially important for contractors or business owners where the client is probably not talking to you alone. They might be talking to two or three other contractors or your competitors. So imagine you have a great conversation, you go to their home or their property discuss the project.
You say, "I'll get a proposal to you soon," and then nothing happens [00:18:00] for three days, for five days, for a week, two weeks, maybe because for you, soon means a week, and for the client it means tomorrow. Or maybe because you just got so busy that you keep postponing that proposal. Meanwhile, client is waiting and another contractor has already sent in theirs.
And then the client might conclude, "Hey probably this contractor that I really they're either disorganized and that means my project will not be well organized, or they're so busy that they have delays, that means my project will have delays. Or maybe they decided not to take a job." Or simply they'll be like, "I'm just ready to move forward, and this other company just made it easier for me to say yes." So the important lesson here is that sometimes you don't lose the client because somebody else was better at service [00:19:00] delivery and the quality of it. Sometimes you lose them because somebody else was just easier to do business with, and that's also valuable for your customer.
You need to understand it Now, next leak, it's about follow-up. That might be one of the biggest leaks of all, follow-up or lack of follow-up. And I know that this is one of those things that people talk about constantly. I think I even created a podcast just about follow-up. But a lot of business owners don't do it, or they leave it to their memory to do it.
It's not part of their process. I see business owners, let's say they send a proposal, and they say, "Okay I will send this over. Let me know if you have any questions." And then they wait and wait, and then they leave it up to the client to get back to them, and the client gets busy with their life, and they don't.
And then the business owner says I guess they [00:20:00] weren't interested." But really, what happened was that there was no set next step, no agreed follow-up date, conversation, which then didn't create an opportunity for the client to ask questions and for you to understand what the client is thinking and address any hesitations, right?
You kinda left the decision to sit in the client's ballpark, in their inbox, and we all know we're all busy. So I always recommend you have to establish the next step before your current interaction with this potential client ends. So then they expect you reaching out. You're not chasing. You take control over that next step, and you're continuing a process that you've mutually agreed on.
A lot of deals do live in the follow-up, but the follow-up should not depend on your memory, because if it does, it's going to [00:21:00] fail. It should be built into your process, whether it's in your CRM or through your calendar. Just don't leave it to your memory, "Oh yeah, I will need to follow up with that person."
Leak number seven is a bit sneaky, and this is when you think that the sale is over when the client pays. And that's where many business owners overlook things. So the client says yes, they sign, they pay. Congratulations, you have a client. But psychologically, the sale might not be completely over for the client, especially if they made a significant investment in your services.
There might be still a bit of a fear, a little voice in their brain saying, "Hey, did I make the right decision? I'm not sure yet." So that's why onboarding experience matters so much. Your onboarding process [00:22:00] should reinforce the client thinking, "Yes, absolutely. This was the right decision, and I'm glad that I made it."
But imagine the opposite. Imagine they paid you, and then they don't hear from you for days, or they have to repeat the same information to three different places, or they have to respond to three different people from getting emails from people they weren't expecting, right? What happens then when everything feels disorganized?
Instead of reaffirming their decision, you're creating buyer's remorse. You're making the client question their decision in maybe removing themselves, pulling themselves out of the project, or at least never coming back. So your onboarding should be simple, clear, easy for the client, timely, and [00:23:00] professional, right?
So you want the client to think, "Oh my God, I'm so glad I chose them. This was the best decision ever." Because the onboarding, when it's great, it continues the sales process by building more trust and deepening the relationship with the client
And finally, leak number eight is when you don't have a system for retention and referrals. Because the customer journey doesn't end at the first purchase and you delivering the first service. For many businesses, there is an opportunity in retention. If your service is reoccurring, make it easy for the client to rebook.
Don't make the client remember to contact you or to start from scratch. Anticipate their next needs. Stay in touch. Nurture them in between the services. Continue creating value so [00:24:00] that not only they come back, but they also happily refer you
And getting referrals shouldn't also rely on your memory, but Instead, it should be built into your process, right? However you work, you need to think about when the client is the happiest, when can you ask them for the referral? What's the means, medium that you ask them? How do you track it?
And it's the same thing with testimonials and reviews, right? Don't rely on, "I'll remember," because you won't. You're busy. Every part of your business that relies on memory is a potential leak
So this brings me back to the question I started with. Do you have a documented written sales process, but ideally the whole customer journey? Not just like CRM with certain stages. Not just "Oh, yeah, after I talk to [00:25:00] them, I send a proposal," and it's kinda like in your head, you remember. But actually process that is thought through, that you've tested, where everything is intentional, and that it's designed, and that it's designed around your ideal client journey from their first touchpoint to them becoming a client and then staying with you
Because a documented process isn't about becoming robotic or prescript- too prescriptive or salesy, but it's about making sure that nothing gets missed. It's about showing that you really care about your customer and their experience, that you thought through everything. The client gets the information they need.
They know what happens next. Everything is timely. The follow-up happens. The objections are addressed, right? Everything is intentional
So here is what I [00:26:00] challenge you to do after you've listened to this episode. Before you decide to add any more leads or spend any more money on acquiring new leads, first take a look at your last 20 to 50 leads. Trace what happened to every single one. Where did they come from? How quickly did you respond?
What was the consultation like, right? What happened during the consultation, after a proposal? What were your response times? Did you follow up, right? And then if they bought, great. How was their onboarding? And then if they didn't buy, where exactly did they disappear?
And then ask yourself, was it really a lost lead to it, or was it really a lead that wasn't ready to buy from me, a true no? Or what [00:27:00] I lost them because there was a broken part in my process. And the good news is, if the second is true, you can fix it
Because when you look at the leads you already have, this is sometimes the fastest way to grow your revenue without the need to finding more people, without the need to going out there, networking more, or s- posting more on social media, or spending more money on ads. And when you do that, you also become better at serving your clients and at converting the people you already have, people who are already raising their hand saying, "Hey, I'm here.
Help me
In this way, you lower your effective customer acquisition cost, you make your marketing better and more profitable You generate more revenue without proportionally increasing your spend or workload. You save time, you learn more about your [00:28:00] customers, you improve your processes, and you create more referrals, right?
So in other words, you don't just improve your sales, we actually improve your entire business. And this is ultimately what we wanna talk about here on Diamond Effect Pis- Podcast, is helping you build a business worth owning, and that isn't simply about getting more leads. It's about building a business where systems, processes, and people work together so your customer has the best experience ever, and that's how you create sustainable, profitable growth
So I'll leave you with this. You don't always need more leads. Sometimes you just need to stop losing the ones you've already earned. Have a fantastic week. Thanks for listening. I'll see you in the next episode
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