Few marketers seem to understand exactly what elements drive leads and sales overall.

Similarly, few marketers understand what drives the success of each individual marketing tactic.

Are we over-relying on our outside marketing resources for expertise they may not have?

It may be because marketing has so many different areas to learn. We tend to rely on agencies, web developers, writers, designers, or consultants for particular expertise.

But, when it comes to tracking results, that’s our job. It’s the marketer who should be tracking leads and sales, and the success of each marketing tactic. So why aren’t more marketers aware of what affects results?

Are we mindlessly generating reports each month?

To drive superior results, you (and your team and outside resources) need to get some of your digital marketing skills in better shape.

Lead Generation – a skill too many marketers lack

“Really?” you say. “What’s the big deal about generating leads?”

You can answer that yourself – by your results. How effective and cost-effective are your Lead Generation programs? Do you know exactly how much it costs you per lead from each tactic and do you know what each lead is worth to you?

Lead Generation is a specific body of knowledge. C-suite executives assume their SVP of Marketing knows how to manage it. And marketing managers assume their agency or web development team understands it.

But it’s more than just slapping up a white paper Offer or “sign up for our e-newsletter” form to capture email addresses.

When the main purpose of your website is Lead Generation:

Your Marketing team (and outside resources) should understand everything there is to know about Lead Generation.

That includes:

  • How to balance Lead Quantity with Lead Quality
  • How to develop a plan for A-B-C leads
  • How to drive leads from appropriate Buyer Personas
  • How to capture leads in the Early Buying Stage.

Do you really have a Lead Generation strategy that addresses each of these elements?

When the main purpose of your website is Lead Generation, that also means your key Lead Generation Offer(s) need to appear on Home, every product/service page, and every blog post. Do they?

What’s your conversion rate from each Offer page? And from your website overall? How have you been able to improve those numbers?

All of these are key Lead Generation skills you need to develop to improve your results.

Offer construction – the element that drives the lead or motivates the sale

Whenever you have a Lead Generation problem, it’s usually due to the Offer you’re making (or not making). The Offer drives the lead.

If you have a Lead Generation website, crafting Offers is the key skill you (and your team) need to develop.

You’ll want to craft Offers for each Buyer Persona by Buying Stage. When you create Offers, do you think about which Buyer Persona(s) you’re trying to appeal to?

  • You can answer your key Buyer Persona questions – and objections — with a Content Offer.
  • You can get the attention of certain Buyer Personas with the type of Sales Offer you make.

Crafting Offers that drive action is a skill set that goes FAR beyond discounts and white papers.

There are DOZENS of types of Lead Generation Offers you could be using. How many have you tested?

With ecommerce, the Offer is the something extra that encourages the sale NOW. To drive ecommerce sales, there are also DOZENS of different types of Offers you could be using, to move far beyond percent-off discounts. How many different ecommerce Offers have you tested?

When you learn how to craft Offers that achieve your specific goals, your results are likely to improve. How much time does your team spend on crafting Offers? Or does it always seem to be an afterthought, or an “I don’t know what we should offer this month, what do you think” type of non-strategic discussion?

If you have a Lead Generation website, you should LIVE for crafting Offers.

Selling with words – crafting effective Sales Content

You probably review Sales Content regularly. How do you recognize Sales Content that will really SELL?

It’s a critical point. Because when you’re driving leads or selling via ecommerce, you’re typically selling with words. (You’ll sell some products primarily visually – like home furnishings and clothing. But you’ll sell many other products and services primarily with words.)

Your copy in your email and website needs to SELL. What does it sound like – and how is it structured?

  • It should sound exactly the way your best salesperson would say it if face-to-face or on the phone with a prospect.
  • And your Sales Copy should follow the Sales Process – the same process you’d follow if selling in person or by phone.

Is that how your copy reads? Do you always read copy out loud to edit it? Do you know if your Sales Copy addresses all the steps in the Sales Process? If not, why not?

If you’re not familiar with the steps in the Sales Process, how can you really evaluate copy that’s supposed to sell?

These 3 Results Obsession skills can mean the difference between mediocre versus fabulous marketing results

Invest in boosting your Lead Generation, Offer Construction, and Selling with Words skills. You can use these ROI-related tactical skills across media to continuously improve your results – and help spend your marketing dollars more effectively.

Excerpted from Chapter 1 of the new book, The Results Obsession: ROI-Focused Digital Strategies to Transform Your Marketing. The 3 Results Obsession Skills are addressed in detail in multiple chapters:

  • Chapter 4 goes into step-by-step detail about how to craft Offers by Persona by Buying Stage.
  • Chapter 5 gives you an in-depth education on Lead Generation Strategies.
  • And Chapter 6 presents dozens of Lead Generation Offer ideas.
  • Chapter 7 includes dozens of Sales-generating Offers.
  • And Chapters 8-10 give you a step-by-step roadmap to plan, write, and evaluate copy that really SELLS!
  • Chapter 13 addresses the specifics of website copy, while Chapter 17 covers email copy specifics.
Get The Results Obsession Book on Amazon!

What Reviewers Say

“The emphasis on TRAFFIC, LEADS, and SALES, and how to analyze these metrics will surely prove helpful to readers. So many marketers execute campaigns without properly analyzing the results. This book gives you an understanding of what the KPIs are that need the most focus.”

Ruben Leon, Spectrum Mailing Lists

“Do you need your digital marketing efforts to produce better results? The Results Obsession walks you through clear, specific, detailed steps for diagnosing problems, driving leads and sales, website navigation and content, SEO, online ads, email, testing, measuring, and staffing — all focused on the specific needs of small businesses.”

Susan McIntyre, The Catalog Doctor™ and Founder, McIntyre Direct

“This is really, really good stuff. Karen Marchetti has written the definitive handbook on digital marketing for small businesses. This book serves as your “expert consultant” to help get maximum return on every marketing dollar, and hire the right marketing specialists. Why wing it? With a book like this, you’ll never have to”

Jerry Bernhart, Bernhart Associates Executive Search, LLC