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Local Lead Gen Service

A detailed account of a Fastlane process...

College Dropout

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Nov 22, 2017
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Hello All,

I've been playing around with the idea of starting a lead generation business since stumbling across this forum a year and a half ago. Long story short, I have about a year and a half of experience selling and engineering sales processes/strategy under my belt.... and zero experience with lead generation outside of prospecting/email marketing.

I've been reading and listening to @Andy Black's material quite a bit. Super helpful!

Anyways... as of a few weeks ago, I left a job that wasn't paying me and decided to partner with a small semi-failing digital marketing/media production agency.

We managed to secure a luxury office space for next to nothing and I'm now spearheading lead gen/sales for them. I feel confident in my ability to close deals for/ with them and will be awarded a recurring commission for any deals I'm involved in... as a consultant or selling directly. I also have access to their network and client base.. which has already proven valuable.

I have full access to their services for my own business... professional photography, videography, social media management, FB Ads, etc.

Just about anything they can't do (SEO, Web Design, Copywriting, etc.) I'm now connected with someone through them who can.

I have access to tons of resources from people who have no clue how to sell any of it. If worse comes to worst I could literally just re-package their services... build a site with a "meet the team" page and focus all of my efforts on generating leads/getting contracts signed. We're all in the same office anyways. I take a cut off the top and help scale outsource projects as needed.

Originally I was going to do a sales training/consulting business but lead generation sounds much more scalable. I could always do sales training 1 on 1 on the side... right?

With lead gen.. I could focus on orchestrating and scaling sales for a business as opposed to cold calling/training salespeople myself. I could also lean heavily into the team I'm working with to build and manage facebook ad campaigns with at least a bit of proficiency while I learn (Google Ads, FB Ads) and scale the business.

This thread will hopefully hold me accountable.

So... here goes nothing...


Day 1: Landing Page + Design
  • Finalize landing page design
  • Outsource landing page sales copy
  • Outsource FB Ad design
  • Collect and organize forum threads/resources on Google PPC + FB Ads

Honest thoughts?
 
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Andy Black

Help people. Get paid. Help more people.
Staff member
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
370%
May 20, 2014
18,563
68,692
Ireland
Hello All,

I've been playing around with the idea of starting a lead generation business since stumbling across this forum a year and a half ago. Long story short, I have about a year and a half of experience selling and engineering sales processes/strategy under my belt.... and zero experience with lead generation outside of prospecting/email marketing.

I've been reading and listening to @Andy Black's material quite a bit. Super helpful!

Anyways... as of a few weeks ago, I left a job that wasn't paying me and decided to partner with a small semi-failing digital marketing/media production agency.

We managed to secure a luxury office space for next to nothing and I'm now spearheading lead gen/sales for them. I feel confident in my ability to close deals for/ with them and will be awarded a recurring commission for any deals I'm involved in... as a consultant or selling directly. I also have access to their network and client base.. which has already proven valuable.

I have full access to their services for my own business... professional photography, videography, social media management, FB Ads, etc.

Just about anything they can't do (SEO, Web Design, Copywriting, etc.) I'm now connected with someone through them who can.

I have access to tons of resources from people who have no clue how to sell any of it. If worse comes to worst I could literally just re-package their services... build a site with a "meet the team" page and focus all of my efforts on generating leads/getting contracts signed. We're all in the same office anyways. I take a cut off the top and help scale outsource projects as needed.

Originally I was going to do a sales training/consulting business but lead generation sounds much more scalable. I could always do sales training 1 on 1 on the side... right?

With lead gen.. I could focus on orchestrating and scaling sales for a business as opposed to cold calling/training salespeople myself. I could also lean heavily into the team I'm working with to build and manage facebook ad campaigns with at least a bit of proficiency while I learn (Google Ads, FB Ads) and scale the business.

This thread will hopefully hold me accountable.

So... here goes nothing...


Day 1: Landing Page + Design
  • Finalize landing page design
  • Outsource landing page sales copy
  • Outsource FB Ad design
  • Collect and organize forum threads/resources on Google PPC + FB Ads

Honest thoughts?
Sounds good. I have quite a few agencies whitelabel me, and some even have me listed on their About page.

If you can get people to do the fulfillment then it makes sense to focus on the biz dev. You can see how hey do the work, but you don’t need to do it or know how it’s all done technically.


@Davidla has an INSIDERS progress thread that’s a bit similar.
 

Dianne Cohen

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Sep 7, 2018
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In real estate, when agents/brokers get leads, they often follow up one time or not at all. If I were you, I would add in some kind of training or possibly add on to your new business, a division that does follow up for the client also. Maybe hire out a cold calling room to do that part. Make sense?
 

College Dropout

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Nov 22, 2017
38
57
25
Winston-Salem, NC
In real estate, when agents/brokers get leads, they often follow up one time or not at all. If I were you, I would add in some kind of training or possibly add on to your new business, a division that does follow up for the client also. Maybe hire out a cold calling room to do that part. Make sense?

Makes perfect sense, yes. I've actually worked with a local real estate agency in the past building out sales processes... automated followup... CRM setup.. scripting... training... packages... etc.

I left with $1000 for putting $30k in deals in the table for them but I was making calls myself and driving around to homes all day for basically free.
 
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JordanS

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Aug 8, 2014
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Following! I am also just starting my local lead gen business. I'm focusing on just the FB Ads + Funnel not going to be open to a whole array of services.
 

College Dropout

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Nov 22, 2017
38
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Winston-Salem, NC
The good thing about having partnered with a social media marketing agency with a relatively decent network and very little ability to sell/convey value is that I'm constantly meeting motivated prospects who are being pitched the wrong thing.

Today for example... I had a prospect ask if we could run google ads. She was looking for a quicker ROI than what the social media marketing/content related 6-12 month campaigns we usually do could provide. Without missing a beat I said that our agency doesn't but that I handled PPC lead generation for local businesses. That's an easy close. I would have gone for it then and there but I didn't want to take attention away from my primary objective... which was to sell for the social media agency. Any deals I ended up closing regarding lead generation will result in a substantial portion of the profits going back to the social media team regardless but I wanted to be respectful.

I'm still toying around with the idea of sales training.... selling really gets me amped up and I feel like everyone I've worked with has been overjoyed with the value provided.

Anyone who's ever closed a deal can probably relate to the rush you get I'm sure.

Maybe this company becomes the whole thing... we drum up new potential business and work hands-on with businesses to help those leads close. I think a family-owned service company, for example, could benefit from some basic training on how to actually talk to and convert the leads I give them... even if it's just a quick skype call once every other week.

Not sure if I need to just pick one and move on or if combining the two would be useful. Thoughts?
 
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College Dropout

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Nov 22, 2017
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Winston-Salem, NC
Following! I am also just starting my local lead gen business. I'm focusing on just the FB Ads + Funnel not going to be open to a whole array of services.

Awesome! Best of luck! Have you considered posting a progress thread?
 
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College Dropout

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Nov 22, 2017
38
57
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Winston-Salem, NC
Sounds good. I have quite a few agencies whitelabel me, and some even have me listed on their About page.

If you can get people to do the fulfillment then it makes sense to focus on the biz dev. You can see how hey do the work, but you don’t need to do it or know how it’s all done technically.


@Davidla has an INSIDERS progress thread that’s a bit similar.

This is great. I know basically nothing about Google Ads but I can sell packages and manage the sales processes all day. Would it be alright to DM you about this?
 

Andy Black

Help people. Get paid. Help more people.
Staff member
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
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370%
May 20, 2014
18,563
68,692
Ireland
The good thing about having partnered with a social media marketing agency with a relatively decent network and very little ability to sell/convey value is that I'm constantly meeting motivated prospects who are being pitched the wrong thing.

Today for example... I had a prospect ask if we could run google ads. She was looking for a quicker ROI than what the social media marketing/content related 6-12 month campaigns we usually do could provide. Without missing a beat I said that our agency doesn't but that I handled PPC lead generation for local businesses. That's an easy close. I would have gone for it then and there but I didn't want to take attention away from my primary objective... which was to sell for the social media agency. Any deals I ended up closing regarding lead generation will result in a substantial portion of the profits going back to the social media team regardless but I wanted to be respectful.

I'm still toying around with the idea of sales training.... selling really gets me amped up and I feel like everyone I've worked with has been overjoyed with the value provided.

Anyone who's ever closed a deal can probably relate to the rush you get I'm sure.

Maybe this company becomes the whole thing... we drum up new potential business and work hands-on with businesses to help those leads close. I think a family-owned service company, for example, could benefit from some basic training on how to actually talk to and convert the leads I give them... even if it's just a quick skype call once every other week.

Not sure if I need to just pick one and move on or if combining the two would be useful. Thoughts?
Where did you refer the Google Ads lead on? Can the agency do it, or can you get paid for passing the lead on? OR... just pass it onto someone else and build a relationship with a local Google Ads person who can then subcontract into the team?
 

Andy Black

Help people. Get paid. Help more people.
Staff member
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
370%
May 20, 2014
18,563
68,692
Ireland
This is great. I know basically nothing about Google Ads but I can sell packages and manage the sales processes all day. Would it be alright to DM you about this?
Yeah... sounds like we could do with chatting.
 
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College Dropout

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Nov 22, 2017
38
57
25
Winston-Salem, NC
Where did you refer the Google Ads lead on? Can the agency do it, or can you get paid for passing the lead on? OR... just pass it onto someone else and build a relationship with a local Google Ads person who can then subcontract into the team?

The agency is focused more on video production, web design, brand strategy, social media, and FB Ads.

They're creatives. They don't run Google Ads and they don't sell.
 

College Dropout

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Nov 22, 2017
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Winston-Salem, NC
Update: Days 2-5 - Progress Slowed... Still Going.

The landing page is mostly done... although we've got a bit more copywriting a design work left to do. I've been pulled away from working directly on my lead gen service due to having to help the social media marketing agency close sales and build automated prospecting processes (cold email, etc.) I'm working with to fill their pipeline and close some deals. This month is crunch time.

I'm using a tool... prospect.io to scrape email addresses from local business sites I find on Yelp & Google and then launching cold email campaigns to reach out to these businesses. My VA can do this as well so as soon as I can figure out how best to make this as efficient as possible... I'll be training someone else to do this. There are also probably actual B2B databases that might be worth looking at as well. Frankly... I think for social media marketing agencies, in particular, I could literally just sell these email lists I'm generating for like 50 cents-1 dollar per lead if they're customized for each agency I work with.

Not sure if anyone here has tried this but I've seen a few youtube videos on it.

Anyways... the good news is... working with the social media agency given me plenty of opportunities to:
1. network with, meet, and pitch potential customers
2. the chance to test and see how I can deliver the most value to businesses I'm working with.

I've got one gentleman in particular who I think will result in a close for both FB and Google Ads services at $1000 each plus adspend. Still trying to decide how much I want to focus on lead gen and how much I want to focus on straight-up sales training. The best solution seems to be somewhere in the middle... I help design everything (sales automation, scripting, cold email, etc.) and outsource anything I can't directly do myself (landing page design, google Ads, photo/video, FB Ads.) I'm also thinking of outsourcing cold callers to help with lead development later on. Thanks for the suggestion @Andy Black! This is a HUGE pain point for business owners. They don't like cold calling or worrying about how to approach talking to new people about business opportunities. For them prospecting is a headache. Anything someone can do to make that process more painless/automated seems to grab attention quickly.

Heck.. even mentioning "sales consulting" in a conversation with business owners I've met seems to draw attention.

I think I'm basically going to end up being a liaison for businesses who need more leads and need help turning those leads into profitable customers. I get businesses under contract... design a strategy to drive more revenue... and outsource anything I don't want to deal with directly. We focus on answering the question "How can we bring in more qualified prospects for the least amount of time and effort."

This seems to be the most efficient way to deliver value to businesses and it will allow me to focus on selling as I familiarize myself with the Google Ads and Facebook Ads platforms as well as other means of generating leads and automating sales processes.

Thoughts?
 
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College Dropout

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Nov 22, 2017
38
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25
Winston-Salem, NC
Update: Days 6-10 - Ummmmm....

I've parted ways with the social media marketing company after their CEO saw I wasn't dealing with the stress well and tried to aggressively indoctrinate me into his religious organization. One more office lease payment and I'm out. I was the heaviest hitter in that office anyway.

I'm going to get another sales job... work 9-5... clean house for 6 months... and cut my expenses down as low as I can get them while I work 5-12 on lead gen. It seems like the only path forward.

Thoughts?
 
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