Yellow Dog Consulting

Sales & Marketing Consulting for solo-preneurs.

Ask Yellow Dog: Do Drip Campaigns Delay a Sale?

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Do Drip Campaigns Delay a Sale_I’m starting to work with a new client and we’ve discussed adding a welcome series of emails with an opt-in offer to their website. This is something I often talk about with clients when we’re getting their newsletter setup. Do you have an opt in offer and should we have a series of welcome emails about it? The answer is usually:

  • Yes
  • No but I can
  • No, hard pass – please don’t make me.

Here’s the specific question from my client:

I know we’ve talked about doing a four part series. In theory, I’m fine with that, but I have been wondering if continuing to drip useful information to potential clients may inadvertently prevent/delay them for reaching out because they know more information is coming… I definitely want them to have that “whoa this is a lot we should probably just pay them to help us” feeling but not the “well this is manageable I’ll just keep waiting for these emails” feeling.

I LOVE this question.

It’s how we all feel about our opt in and any drip campaign series. Will they wait to buy or will they buy now? Here’s my response…

Good question…Downloads are a funny thing. Some people will download the list because they want something for free and never really plan to hire you – they just want the DIY. And some people download but never look at it. And then the 3rd group download it, use it and realize that yeah, they need you.
SO – I don’t think someone who needs to hire you NOW will wait the whole 4 weeks (or however long we make the series last) to call you if they need you. AND at the bottom of each email we can add a button to “schedule your initial consult” or whatever we decide to do.

Most Importantly?

What you measure matters. Make sure that you’re tracking where your leads come from. Did this person download the opt in and then schedule a consult a week later? Did they schedules 3 months later once they were on the newsletter list and started to get a better feel for how you work? Did you meet them networking and they checked out your website so were already warmed up to your awesomeness before they opted in?
The right clients come along when THEY are ready, not when you want them to be ready. The purpose of your opt in is to have a healthy sales pipeline continuously growing so the right people come in on their timeline and you aren’t panicking about where that next piece of business is going to come from.

December Pop Culture Round Up

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December Pop Culture Round Up‘Tis the Season to consume pop culture! The holidays means festive movies, time to catch up on TV shows, binge new things with family and maybe even read. (maybe). Here’s a few things that have kept me jolly this season…

Reading

I finally caught up with Ms. Marvel and as G. Willow Wilsons run with Kamala wraps up I am sad to see her go, but excited for what the new writer has in store for Kamala.

I also caught up on Nancy Drew – a great comic series by one of my favorite writers, Kelly Thompson (also a Portland author – huzzah!). This take on Nancy Drew was really fun and brought her original sensibility and smarts to the 21st Century. Bonus – yay the Hardy Boys!

I head to a warm location for a week of vacation shortly and can’t WAIT to overload my suitcase with books to FINALLY get caught up!

Listening

December was the month of listening to a lot of crazy and new podcasts. A few weeks back my friend texted me about The Dream. And I devoured it in a week. The Dream is about networking marketing/direct sales/MLM/pyramid schemes – whatever you want to call them. I happen to have a lot of friends who are involved to varying degrees of success with this business model and this podcast was fascinating. The show is very one sided, but still I found it fascinating!

Then I read about Unerased which is a short podcast series (4 eps) about Conversion Therapy. It’s a topic I knew a little about but have been fascinated by how terrible it is. The final episode tells an incredible story…

Somehow I discovered Standoff, another short podcast series about Ruby Ridge. Earlier this year I watched a limited series about David Koresh and the Waco standoff. They start by referencing what happened at Ruby Ridge. I went to college in Spokane so was familiar with the white supremacy community but didn’t really know the details. This series told a story I knew bits and pieces of but finally learned a whole lot more, and what it means for us in 2018 and beyond.

Watching

Thanks to a sick day I watched the entire 2nd season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. And I loved it. I liked the first season but didn’t binge it. I think this is a binge series. You don’t need to watch them all in a day, but the more consistent you are I think it may lead to additional enjoyment.

I loved the mid-season finale of The Good Place and D’Arcy Carden deserves EVERY award for “Janet.” WOW.

The new Ellen Degeneres Netflix special is AWESOME. Perfect for the whole family (yes, grandma will laugh at Back that Ass Up) and very very funny. I hope she continues to tour and do more specials. The John Mulaney Kid Gorgeous special was also GREAT if you’re looking for another good comedy special.

Holiday Watching

Every year I watch White Christmas which I can almost completely recite. Friends may have not been aware of that on a recent viewing.

I always make sure to watch A Muppet Family Christmas – which you can only find on You Tube and A Muppet Christmas Carol. Both make my annual holiday must list.

This year while watching Love Actually I discovered that I actually don’t like the movie. I like the Pointer Sisters dance scene and that’s about it. These are the hot takes you come for, I know.

I also really enjoyed the Schitts Creek Christmas Special. The Paul Schaffer cameo was just what every holiday party needs!

Finally, I kept the John Legend & Chrissy Tiegen Christmas Special on repeat this year. It was so great. It had every 90’s TV trope and I LOVED IT!

What pop culture is keeping you sane this holiday season?

It’s Not Luck

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The other day I had a longer term client email that in the new year it’s time for a break. That’s OK, it happens and it’s always good to see what’s working and what’s not in any business. Then at the end of the day I received an email from a potential referral partner saying they needed help with the EXACT same service of the client who’s leaving. I know what you’re thinking “wow, that’s amazing luck!”

No. It’s Not.

It’s a lot of hard work. Every time I wrap up with a project or finish with a client, even if I am thinking “crap that was a good chunk of money each month,” inevitably within a week or so someone pops up in my pipeline to replace them.

Every. Time.

After 7+ years in business I have discovered that by being consistent in my newsletters and following up regularly, the right people show up when they are ready and when the timing is right. For both of us. I’ve talked about scarcity before – it’s not a thing. If you’re consistent – networking, following up, engaging, good at what you do – in time the right clients will just start showing up and the wrong clients will take their exit.

It sounds just like magic. But it’s not. Its years of hard work, consistency, amazing referral sources and DOING THE WORK. I know that’s not a fun answer. I’m not lucky on a regular basis, I have built up systems and schedules that keep my sales pipeline healthy and active. And we all know the first thing I do…

Follow Up.

As usual when something like this happens I text my business coach, because we all need a cheerleader. Her response?

“THAT is what happens when you are consistent.”

Not Lucky.