Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Is it possible that your problem is with the landing path experience?

If you can generate clicks using Adwords, but you are not getting enough conversions, there are three possibilities for the reason: (1) your ad copy is attracting the wrong people; (2) your offering is somehow deficient (e.g., too expensive, too difficult to use, not well suited to your target audience, poor follow-up, etc.); or (3) the landing path is disappointing your prospects and they're leaving.

Are you segmenting your audience when they hit your landing page? You need some detective work to see where your problem is. Simply looking for new approaches without diagnosing the current performance problem is not likely to give you better results. It will just muddy the waters.

mgoodman focused in on the needed core analysis of your concern. In addition, we are in a belt-tightening recession that has altered buying habits. Businesses are more focused on "need to have services" versus "would like to have services". Where do your consulting and classes fall under?

What exactly is your target market? "My company sells consulting services and professional/career classes." In summary, this infographic https://www.slideshare.net/BizLib/2011-training-industry-report-infographic shows to me little upswing in your service market in 2011. Seems more investment in technology and online than consultants.

There is no one source of leads that typically feeds the sales beast, nor would you want only one (main) source. Your sales people should be telling you where to look for leads - how to reach the target market.

You need to go back to square one, in addition to mgoodman's suggestions, and validate your service in 2012. Don't assume what worked 5 - 10 years ago is still valid. Consider outside eyes to assist in your re-validation. Just because some still buy your service doesn't mean it is worthy of larger appeal and increased lead generation. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day. Do your SWOT analysis - you may find your service needs updating

Bob

Well excuuuuussseee me. Don't we have a bunch of prima donnas. When this recession started it is easy to see those used to the good times while the phone was ringing and the order takers. Forget it, that was "back in the day".

FIrst, I would implement a control to track their successes of the leads coming into house. Who is actually closing and who is just using the campaign, economy etc as an excuse vs a solid reason. I would talk to your best performers and identify exactly what they do differently than the medium. You have a cancer here and my guess this attitude didn't come overnight. But a few tried it with success and now we are bandwagoning. But track this for another reason, find what is where is working.

Next-- the reason you aren't getting much response to "call for free demo" is cause if you look at anyone from consulting services to Oil of Olay, all offer free demo. It's overused and trite and does not cause any excitement anymore. Just a yawning "so what". White pages would give you a more qualified lead, as they'd have read something they like and want to learn more. Notice I didn't say "want to buy now" because you are a consultant and you should be demonstrating that by conducting a consultative sell.

When the phones aren't ringing, how do your salespeople spend their time? They should be creating their own business. They can make "warm" calls by calling those who have taken your classes and getting someone else to attend. Or, upon finding those people in their positon have left, get someone new.

Identify your niches and be lazar sharp in marketing to them, vs the masses. Choose words they'd identify with. Today, with some reports saying we get bombarded with 3 or 4K hits of info a day, you need to reevaluate all parts of your marketing. We are moving back to one on one sales. Even if it is-- you click on a banner ad and in less than a minute, a salesperson is on your line.

You mentioned email blasts, but are these one time things, or are you doing 'lead nurturing' to move people that aren't ready to consider (now) to investigate, look at possibilities, justify with their management, and then be ready to be a warm sales lead (later)?

Something like Marketo or Eloqua comes to mind.