Baiting The Hook

What a strange title for a blog post, but as I consider each of my services oriented web sites to be an unattended fishing line, I think it's apt.

A lot of business people I speak to scoff at the idea that a web site can generate high quality business to business sales leads.

I'm not quite sure what these people have been doing for the past ten years or so, but the fact that many of their businesses already have webs sites probably tells it's own tale.

Sadly, the tale that it tells is that they have a web site simply because it's expected of them these days.

One small business man that I know quite well asked if I could make him a web site for his new catering business.

I asked him what he needed and he said, "oh, just a one page thing with my contact details on will do".

Is that typical?

Not really.

I've spoken to certain individuals and watched their eyes glaze over when I've mentioned their web sites.

It seems they see it simply as an online brochure - something to point their customers to, rather than something for potential customers to seek out.

And that's the difference.

One of the very hardest things to sell online apparently is professional services.

I'm told (often) that because there is no physical product or downloadable product, that it's simply not possible to sell services. Besides, they usually continue, there's so much competition that it's not worth the effort.

Well, I come from a sales background. More than 20 years of selling has taught me that the very best sales are the passive sales from people who have already been pre-sold.

I make my sites as informative as possible in their given niche.

I give away as much free information as possible, far more than my competitors would be comfortable with.

That creates trust. It enhances credibility. It catches bigger fish.

Why does it catch bigger fish?

Simply because the big fish have scared humans working for them! (Especially with talk of recessions and looming job cuts).

It doesn't matter what level of seniority these scared people work at, if they are given a task to find a supplier of services, they want to get it right.

The last thing they need is a service provider that doesn't deliver.

It puts them out of their comfort zone and the more specialised the service, the more scared and uncomfortable they are.

So what do they do?

They research! The best place and possibly now, even the default place for research is the Internet.

So, in order to catch these people (not companies remember), all you have to do is GIVE them exactly what they are looking for, preferably without them having to fill in a single line of personal information.

Yes, I know, that goes completely against what the gurus will tell you. They say get their contact information as soon as possible and then you can mail them forever.

But this is business to business.

Remember, our client is a scared employee. The LAST thing he wants to do is get bombarded with sales calls.

He wants to anonymous. He'll do his research quietly in the background, without pressure.

Pressure is scary, so we go softly softly and give him the stuff he can't find anywhere else - lots and lots of lovely information, to educate him and make him feel safe.

When the time comes to call in an expert, who do you think will get that call?

I doubt it will be those with their online brochures that scream, "we can, we will, we want".

It's unlikely to be those who shout, "Give us your contact information before we give you the time of day".

It is most likely the site that says, "Here is what you are looking for. The answers. This will make you look good. Your job will be safe".

That's what I aim for when putting together a services web site.

Then I look closely at the web logs to see exactly what my visitors have been looking for.

Then I add more pages to give them even more of what they are looking for.

It's easy really, but it's made easier by those millions of web site and business owners who still don't get it.