Avoid These 6 Lead Generation Mistakes to Ensure You Always Have Prospects

Right now, you might be missing out on lots of lead generation opportunities without even knowing it. Learn how to make sure this doesn’t happen.

Many accountants see themselves as commoditised. And this stops them from generating the number of leads they deserve.

This is what used to happen to Sam. She couldn’t identify the right marketing opportunities, as she thought all marketing was the same. 

But this changed as soon as she joined our program. She realised that there were so many different ways to attract new leads and convert them effectively.

As a result, she now has a tight marketing system in place that keeps drawing in new clients.

Believing that all marketing is the same is a common mistake. But it’s far from the only one. Accountants often don’t understand how marketing works, which makes them fall into many costly traps.

When generating leads, what you do is as important as what you don’t do. So, here are some of the most common marketing mistakes to beware:

Mistake # 1. Being Invisible

Right now, you might be struggling to find your ideal clients and staff. You can’t seem to draw in those people that will make your work enjoyable and meaningful.

Why?

It’s simple. 

Your competition is stealing these people away from you. And they’re doing so by being more visible than you.

The thing is, there are more than enough clients out there to last you for several lifetimes. But you’re not reaching them because they can’t see you.

Fortunately, the solution to this problem is a simple one. All you have to do is put yourself in front of your target market. It sounds simple but it doesn’t mean it’s easy. 

Yes, you’re under a lot of pressure and have very little time. But this is no excuse to remain invisible. You need to focus on creating the omnipresence in your market.

How?

By being consistent and repeating the same actions daily, weekly, and monthly. In other words, you need a strategy that will regularly remind your audience of you.

For example, you can commit to posting on LinkedIn every day for the next 30 days. Try it and you’ll see how much more visible you’ll become. 

Just imagine what you could do if you’re to post on multiple channels on a regular basis in the long run.

Mistake # 2. Not Having a Defined Strategy

Many accountants come to Oompf Global saying that their marketing doesn’t work. They do SEO, paid ads, and other tactics that don’t seem to generate the desired results.

And in almost all cases, there’s one reason for this:

Outsourcing without a strategy.

You see, accountants are afraid that their marketing plan won’t work. As a result, they outsource their fear and let others handle the marketing tactics. But since those tactics aren’t part of a cohesive strategy, they often result in a waste of time and money.

So, how do you fix this?

Overcome your fear of marketing and bring it in-house. Take charge of the messages that you send out into the market. 

This will let you build strong relationships with those ideal clients and bring them on the journey with you.

Mistake # 3. Failing to Weed Out Vampire Clients

If you’re like most accountants, you probably have a few nightmare clients that take up most of your day. You can’t seem to gain much freedom, and you don’t enjoy almost any work that you do for them.

This is what we call vampire clients. 

These clients have tons of insane demands, don’t pay on time, and overall suck the life out of you. At the same time, they don’t appreciate you, nor do they see you as a valuable asset to their firm.

On the other end of the spectrum are your radiator clients. 

These are the clients who don’t cause any trouble and make your work smooth and enjoyable. You’re happy to get an email from them, and you look forward to each new project.

To create a VITAL firm, you must get rid of your vampire clients and shift your attention to the radiator ones. 

How?

By categorising all your clients into A’s, B’s, C’s, and D’s. Once you do, focus on keeping your A’s and get rid of all the D’s immediately.

You’ll instantly see a massive jump in work satisfaction. You’ll realise that those vampire clients weren’t worth their money and that this newfound joy is infinitely more important.

Better yet, once you know what makes an A-grade client, you’ll know how to find more of them. You can fill your pipeline with ideal clients and make every working day more exciting and enjoyable.

Mistake # 4. Not Having a Call to Action

What do you expect someone to do when they visit your website or social media page? 

Do you want them to leave their email details? 

Reach out to you? 

Engage with more of your content?

You must know exactly what your goal is for the leads that you’re trying to attract. And then, communicate that goal clearly to your audience. Otherwise, how can they know what the next step is? 

Without a CTA, you’ll have lots of people who visit you and go away because there’s no way to keep the conversation going.

There’s already a lot of confusion in the market. Leads need you to simplify things and guide them. To do so, have clear CTAs in all the right places and encourage your leads to keep building a relationship with you.

Mistake # 5. Failing to Create Content for All Stages of the Buyer Journey

With all that said, you must understand that the sales process is a multi-stage one. And each stage must have its corresponding content that will move the lead into the next one.

For example, let’s say that someone visits your website for the first time. The last thing they want is to see a sales pitch. That’s pretty much bound to drive the lead away.

Why?

Because they’re still not ready for this kind of content. 

Maybe they just want a specific piece of information that you can offer. Perhaps they’re looking to learn more about you before they consider buying.

Know why people come to your website and match your content to their intention. It’s critical to meet your leads at the right buying stage so that you can hold their hand through the other stages.

This is why you need educational and entertaining content that will nurture relationships with leads. 

Don’t get ahead of yourself and try to sell to strangers. This almost never works and the lead will go to a more patient competitor that can offer more value. 

So, spend some time creating diversified content. Provide help and value. That’s what will make leads much more likely to stick around.

Mistake # 6. Ignoring Old Leads

Do you follow up on those who interact with you online or in-person? 

If not, you’re throwing away a massive chunk of potential clients.

Research shows that 75% of leads aren’t ready to buy on the spot. They won’t buy at all without a follow-up.

And yet, many accountants generate leads then immediately move onto new ones if those leads don’t convert. Don’t do this, as you’re throwing money away while missing the opportunities that are right in front of you.

Make sure to follow up on every single lead you get. If someone leaves you their email details, have a nurture sequence ready to go. Encourage leads to keep interacting with you and reach out. 

With a strong follow-up structure, you can convert many more of your existing leads before you start chasing new ones.

Build Strong Relationships

Lead generation isn’t about casting a net and hoping you catch a client. It’s a multi-step process that requires trust and communication. 

This is why you need an elaborate lead generation system. Having one ensures that leads don’t go to waste, saving tons of time and money.

Don’t forget to cut off all your vampire clients as soon as you get a chance. Contrary to what many people assume, running a firm is about so much more than money. If your clients keep causing trouble, they’re simply not worth your while.

Identify those ideal clients and see what they have in common. Look for characteristics that make an A-grade client and focus on landing them instead of letting everyone in. 

Because once you set up your lead generation framework, you’ll be able to cherry-pick the clients that will make you enjoy your work more.