Sales principles: Know what’s in it for them
The principle of understanding what’s in it for them is applicable within the cold prospects context. Today, no one is going to hand over their email for nothing in exchange. You have to provide some value upfront to them in order to get their email. While value is subjective, You have to employ empathic skills and think about what a prospect might like to see, know, do, or feel within the context of their industry or their interest. The keyword is their. It is only going to be about you when your message is crystal clear on how what you do benefits them. Even then, it’s still about them.
Lead magnets to cold prospects can be anything about them. It could be a training. It can be a white paper on industry trends. It can be a Tools the Pros Use PDF. It can be a book. It can be a set of cheat sheets. It can be an intro to a training, a module of a larger training you sell. It can be a how-to video solving a vexing industry problem. It can be a webinar offering a transformation. It can be a written plan to solve another vexing problem. It could be a free web site evaluation and consultation. They key is value for them. And value is all about solving problems.
“Who gets the deal: the guy who read the book or the guy who wrote the book?”
— Jeffrey Gitomer
Books make fabulous lead magnets for nearly anyone, especially consultants and coaches and industry experts. They position the author as an expert over and over again. How can they not be? They wrote the book on the subject. Outsiders perceive authors as experts on the spot. These are people to be trusted. They cared enough and had enough discipline to sit down and write out their expertise for others with the sole intention of helping them solve problems. Then, they practically give away their earned expertise and strategies in a book. Then, they’re often found speaking on the subject they write about. More value given away. Then, they’re often interviewed by others for their expertise. More value given away. Note that these communication modes can be packaged into a book as well. People love interviews with industry experts because they’re usually talking about solving problems. And if you work hard enough as an author to become a bestselling one, you are a bestselling author forever. A book is a business card x 1,000. The more you are perceived to be an expert in your industry, the easier it is to sell people. Finally, for the most part, books are perceived as timeless. In a world of timely information, when something is perceived as timeless, it is far more valuable. Use books as lead magnets whenever you can. They’ll attract the qualified prospects you seek.
