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Want to QUADRUPLE (or more) the value of each lead you get? That's what this video is all about.

(I shot this with my good friend Dean Jackson after we wrapped up a three-day mastermind at my Secret Headquarters… it was an AWESOME event, and this was one of the things we talked about.)

Don’t forget to scroll down and leave us a comment after watching!

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65 Replies to “How to Quadruple the Value of Your Leads”

  1. Awesome stuff Jeff, irecently i had an eureka moment really close to this one, i was redesigning my the systems for my business and i realized that most of my systems were designed for NEW visitors, but most of the value came from the RETURNING ONES.

    I rememberd a book my gf gave as a gift a few years back “THE PUMPKIN PLAN” that says that you should focus on your top clients in order to grow, the book is awesome as business advice.

    Our list is our top client and we should only focus on them, if we do it will atract people similar to our top clients, so for example if you write a blog post, write the blog post for your list, instead of writing to anyone just to generate traffic.

    Now I belive that the SHOT ACROSS THE BOW can help you grow your engament with your list even if you are not in launch mode.

    Yhanks Jeff, awesome stuff.

    • FANTASTIC worthwhile information and tips yet again Jeff!!!!! I am one of your long term clients to be. We all have our own reasons as to when the time is right, for me family. I really appreciate all of your postings and advice and will continue to pass your name on to others

  2. Sales boomed this year… But none of them were from the FB ads (100 a day) this year… Go figure…

  3. Well it shows you never give up on nurturing your base . Situations change and peoples lives are always on the move .

  4. Hi Jeff, thank you very much for all the great content you constantly deliver to us.
    I have to be honest, I have purchase last year your PLF on credit and until now I haven´t even started yet to watch the first Modul.
    Don´t ask me why…it is a shame I know!!! But always when I watch one of your videos I am convinced that I will start soon because I feel it is the only way (for me) to start my online business.
    Just to let you know, I am very proud that I am a part of PLF and keep going on!!!
    best regards from Spain Andre

    • Thanks Jeff and Dean for this insightful information !
      When you mentioned that some marketers level their list as ” non responsive or dead leads” after they don’t purchase after a period of 90 days or so , it reminded me when I told a friend that there is no such thing as dead lead , what I found out is that those people are ill nourished because we as marketers has failed to provide the right information or the solution for their problem and by far the best way to do it is by “inquiring ” weather by means of a simple questions or surveys. All marketing should be Dynamic and not static as many assume they know all about their leads and assume that they will buy all sort of crap they push to the market .this video really push me closer to complete our new product ” Marketing Arbitrage , to master the Game to Win”
      Thank you !
      I’ve following you for years , always good stuff!!

  5. Hi,

    Excellent video. My business is fitness and weight loss. It takes between 3 and 6 months for people to subscribe to my plans. So, as you mentioned, you must get people to know you. Without that kind of mindset I would be out of business.

    Thanks for that video!

    Dr Denis Boucher

  6. Great video. Also Jeff you know what would be great, taking all of these great principles you have
    been teaching that cover such a wide range of topics and putting it all into a new book! I’d love that 🙂 Tom & Darcy

  7. Great info! It’s easy to think short term but it seems success is thinking long term. Thanks Jeff and Dean!

  8. Thumbs up for Dean. Thanks Jeff and Dean for the great advice. It comes at a good time for me as I am ready to Launch and have just started collecting leads from from my shot over the bow.

  9. Great insight into the percentage of customers who buy later on in the process and I loved the gauntlet example.
    Thanks for sharing this info Jeff and Dean!

  10. My two favorite marketers on the planet in one video!

    I plan to add this metric into my research for my customers. I find that many business owners lose hope for their list and stop sending emails. When people are just getting interested. But I’ve never thought about quantifying it for them before. Thanks Dean!

  11. This is so true, especially if you are selling higher ticket items or ones that require more time coordination – like travel

    For over 24 years I have helped global adventure travel, eco-tourism and nature travel operators and destinations improve their leads, sales and profits. Often at price points well over US$5K and to very obscure places on the planet.

    I constantly get reminders that the sales conversion cycle can be years… And the payout is Large.

    So building the relationship over time does really pay.

    What’s you next adventure Jeff?

    To your success, Tourism Tim

  12. It is great to be reminded of how important e-mail is! Would love for you to show a tour of your new “secret” headquarters:) I bet you are having so much fun with it. You could do it on Periscope:) I just followed you there. Thanks!

  13. Jeff – I can completely agree with this post! I’m the perfect example. I just started my list a few months ago, and was introduced to you through Chalene Johnson. I’m not at a point where I can purchase PLF yet — but because of your consistent contact and allowing me to feel like I’m “getting to know you,” I will purchase it in the future when I do have the resources!

  14. thanks Jeff / Dean for the remainder ! I totally hate the “buy my stuff now” approach to my customers and appreciate your video as a reminder about how important it is to treat people with respect and nurture them so they trust you to buy eventually.

    We can make short term money – but all we’re doing is constantly chasing the sale with short term results – personally I’d rather have long term results without spending all my time capturing new leads because I’ve turned someone off by using the gauntlet .

  15. That was great. Thanks Guys. Interesting. I read a book from someone who I thought specialize in list building and lead generation. He said that people in his list last about 5 months. Guess he can learn a few things from this video. It is great to know that I can keep people on my list for years if I treat them right. Awesomeness.

  16. A wonderful video.So it’s long term engagement with the list which works.
    Guess now will have to write morw often to the list

    Thanks a ton

    Cheers

    Ajay

  17. Wow, thanks, Jeff and Dean! This really shifts my perspective on the value of my list and potential sales! Thank you!

  18. Jeff,

    Thanks for introducing me to Dean Jackson. Dean, great presence. I’m checking out your website. Let’s look at my numbers for you Jeff. I found you through Mary Jacksh a year ago in June. A couple more months and I’ll finally get Product Launch. I hope I’m not on the four year plan:)

    Interesting stuff, though. I just deleted a bunch of dead emails from two months ago. Live and learn.

  19. Thanks Dean & Jeff…excellent points. One key implication is you need to always be sending authentic, genuinely useful Content (not just sales/pitch) to your list so that trust is earned. Long-term value message (like this blog) lets potential buyers see how helpful you are before converting to a sale.

    I’ve found many of my first-time buyers have been on my lists 2-3 years prior to first purchase. Over 82% of my company’s sales are to repeat buyers, which is a key metric. Many of my competitors (who are low-value huckster IM marketeers) get an initial sale, then that’s it. A KEY metric is, what % of each month’s sales are from repeat buyers? This ties in well to long-term lead findings Dean mentioned.

    The higher the % of repeat sales, from longtime leads, the better you’ve done at earning trust. Like going back to your favorite restaurant…. Excellent video; Earning trust over the long haul is what makes for a winning business.

  20. David Yeomans

    Reply

    I am new to email marketing I am looking to sell affiliate products and programs. I have purchased opt-in list for the product I am selling what is the best first email to send out? I want to sideways sell and build my list by providing value but I don’t want to blow up my email campaign before I get started… so any matrix out there that I can use? Great Vid!
    Ciao,

    • @David: I’m sorry to have some news that you might not want to hear – it’s nearly impossible to buy a legitimate email list. Unless the people on that list specifically agreed that there email addresses could be sold to third parties, then if you email them you will be spamming them. And I’m not a lawyer, but it’s very possible that you could be breaking the law.

  21. Hey Jeff/Dean,

    Another great video and some eye opening stats! I too have been led to believe if they don’t buy relatively early they’re probably not going to OR at least the number that will did not comprise anywhere near the size of the group you’re talking about!

    Thanks for the insights again!

    Jeff

  22. Seth Godin talked about this in 1999 when he wrote Permission Marketing. Turn strangers into friends and friends into customers. The only difference is the samples discussed are from direct sales customers and we all (should be) are in the permission marketing business (give something free to get an email). So, when someone is giving content and value based on your reputation, and then go through an evergreen sequence that is designed to let them move through the marketing funnel by their own choosing (and opting out of that sales funnel, but not your list, if they choose to), what’s the conversion rate on that? I would venture to say that conversions are around 15%+ (using your whole list as a sample and needing a serious amount of opt-ins to hit sales goals). The people looking at a trade show for a faucet are looking for faucets and want to buy them. A photographer looking to learning lighting online that gets my lighting eBook is looking for knowledge and does not yet know they need to spend money to get it. They also don’t trust me yet depending on how they found me. Once they do trust me, opt-in to a serious sideways sales process that works (based on promises delivered and copy), then 2% of my entire list (or 15-20% of opt-ins) will buy. 7,000 opt-ins like that with 30,000 on my whole list with a $500 product is around a 300k sale on the high end.

    • @Zach: you’re right… it’s not a purely apples to apples comparison for someone building an email list on their web site. But my experience with email (way over 10,000 email broadcasts, starting in 1996) is that many people don’t spend enough energy nurturing their list, and they tend to give up on their list too soon.

  23. Great content, showing the importance of long term relationship along with revenue. I hate the slam em type marketing funnels. Those people are only short term minds.

    Nice to hear the stats from 0-90 days and then over an 18 month period.

    Richard

    • I agree. The LTV is in the long-term anyway (duh)… anyone focused on a short term sale is selling themselves short… and probably a lot of people are seeing right through it.

  24. Great video. I coach contractors to reclaim their lives and make more money.

    A friend sent this to me with the following message….

    “this is why you get so many buyers that say “hey I’ve been reading your stuff and I want to talk to you”

    Most of my coaching clients hire me after they’ve known me for a year or more….

    Thanks!

  25. Mike Gowans

    Reply

    Jeff what type of lens do you guys use on your camera to create that almost like spot like clarity and fuzzy background? I am familiar with using a zoom lens and getting it focused so the background is blurry. But what type of setup do you use to create that clarity on you and then fuzzy in the background?

    Would love your help, thanks!

    Great Video by the way and the lesson from the video was awesome!

    • @Mike: too tell the truth, I’m not sure what lens we used for this shot. My son Daniel is my videographer/photographer, and he’s the one that gets all these epic shots. One day soon we’ll do a video about how we do video. But I can tell you this – it’s as much about how you use the lens as it is the type of lens you use.

  26. Love, love, love this! And when I think of it…quite often I’m in that 18 months instead of the 90 days. I may come across something I want but it’s just not what I need at the moment. And I appreciate being reminded. Although, it’s a fine line as too many out there remind way too often and it can get annoying (some even decide to remind about their product daily!). I’ve sent tons of people to the unsubscribe that way. Not sure what a good frequency is as each person has a different idea but if done correctly that email or other communication will arrive right when the person is in the mood of ‘I need this!’

    • @Camilla I agree with you, we all get that kind of annoying “buy my stuff now!” approach “reminders”… sales pitch day after day.
      The right approach is to treat the people the way you want to be treated. It is not right way to send many emails, sometimes even more than once a day.
      My personal opinion is to respect the subscribers by providing some value, help, information, asking for opinion, animate the people…
      It is actually about getting to the core values, honesty and integrity, building relationships… I think more than 2-3 emails a week is usually too much, rising the red flag.

  27. The idea of the “Seed Launch” is profound and I think really ties into this message very well. When you plant a seed for an apple tree you can not walk out the next day and pick some apples. It takes time for the tree to grow and eventually start producing fruit. You must nurture and care for this tree, especially in the beginning, all the time receiving no benefits for your efforts. Eventually the tree grows and need less and less care from you. Ironically, it is during this time that the fruits of your labor begin to grow and get harvested.

    It seems like everyone wants immediate gratification for their efforts. The internet marketing niche has jumped all over that and sold people what they want to hear, but that just is not how the world works. Plant the seeds, grow your list, nurture it, and when the time is right you can harvest the fruit. If you try to eat the tree before it has matured enough to produce fruit then you are left with nothing, It makes perfect sense. 🙂

  28. It is really refreshing to hear someone focussing on the audience rather than the process. Focussing on building community and genuine relationships and giving them tremendous value is so simple, yet ppowerful and effective.

  29. GREAT topic. I know this and it is good to be reminded…I have a feeling my new people may be getting hammered. I’ll go back and look now. ~Thanks!

  30. Hi Jeff
    Thank you very much for this video. And thumbs up for Dean!

    I can say only _ Thank you soooo…. much for nurturing me long enough. When I started following your launches and other videos I had no ideal that you would eve dream to go the way am moving now with my business. It was over a two years ago.

    And only about 6 months (that makes 18 months after) I both fist ever product of yours – your book “Launch” together with list building program. This is my starting point for now.

    So thank you again for your patience and consistency
    Olga xx

  31. A Thumbs Up to Jeff Walker and Dean Jackson for succinct solid, and useful advice. This advice keeps one from getting discouraged and helps to keep the big picture as the focus.

  32. Vittorio La Mantia

    Reply

    Great content Jeff. You just reminded that business goes through seasons: some kind of fruits get mature earlier, others later but for these ones you won’t waste the seeds already put in place.
    Nurture, nurture , nurture!

  33. Great Insight Dean…and thanks for filming this Jeff…

    You taught us the value of leads back in PLM training Jeff and I’ve never forgotten it.
    It’s one of the key things I aim to get across to my clients. So important…

    Great work… JK 🙂

  34. Dean and Jeff…
    Great insight, again. This long term way of thinking is #1 Strategic Secret in business. The value of our list increase with every high impact meaningful communication. It’s been so productive that we’ve taken on the responsibility of emailing to our 5,000 members client base for them 5 times a month with fun, insightful and though provoking content. Because we can create quality content and consistently deliver it for them they are experiencing the return you’re talking about with leads who moved towards them 12 to 24 months ago. The future so bright we all need an extra pair of sunglasses.
    Big Love
    Joe Stumpf
    By Referral Only

  35. Jeff! This video blows my mind. I love it for these reasons: 1) I have found this to be true. I get a call from someone who I had met a year ago almost every week that now wants to work with me on creating their company or product name. I had been feeling doubts about the speed of conversion. Asking questions like, “Is there a way I can motivate these people to act now rather than postpone getting a great name for a whole year? ” My doubts have evaporated. I’m right on target with the percentages you and Dean shared. 2) For those of use who are more focused on service than sales this empowers us to be ourselves and not try to “up our game” by pushing anyone. I can never do that nor do I want to, so Phew! 3) I finally have some stats to back up my over-giving to anyone who says hold back. “Abundance juice” as you like to call it just get legit! Thank you for always giving entrepreneurs the perspective of abundance that’s the world we truly live in. You’re the best!

  36. #Awesome Thanks for the shift.. it’s not an event.. its a journey. I see that now.

  37. Great to see you Jeff with Dean.
    The energy, humor, and perspective you guys bring when together is awesome!
    Would be really cool if Dean shows up at this years PLF Live 😉

  38. I am just starting out in email campaign and my marketing people have only done a 14 day mailing system. Thanks for this video as now I can refocus the email campaign system with a two year plan.
    love your work

  39. What fantastic insights, Jeff and Dean. Thanks so much for sharing!

    I have looked at my own list and it holds so true. A few of my very best customers in terms of lifetime value took over a year to close the first sale on! It is so obvious now that I looked at it through the lens you gave on the video – but I was unconscious about it until Dean expressed the idea so clearly.

    Does Dean have a source reference to the study done by the company he mentions? If so, it would be great if he could share it!

  40. Gray Hammond

    Reply

    The old norms of marketing & sales still apply. Most customers buy after the 5th contact. Advertisers spend 80% of their budgets reminding, not introducing. People still need & take time to make decisions. Beating them doesn’t encourage them to think faster! We need to be a consistent & valuable contact to sell our value.

  41. Jeff,

    Your next book . . .

    Ethical Online Marketing

    Great interview. The gauntlet really resonates with me. It’s what I’ve been trained by another leading online marketer to do. It’s odd.

    You’d never ask for a girls number, and then pummel her with come-ons and a quick close. Will you adjust your opt-in sequence as a result?

    Should we look at a longer sequence when someone joins?

    Keep up the great work. Bring that authenticity.

    Love to you and your team,

    James

  42. Hi!

    So, in the end everything comes down to trust, doesn’t it? Assuming that the leads are cold in the very beginning, it’s just natural that people will not buy directly (at least not most). That. of course, also depends on the product or service you are selling, and the cost for it. So it may vary how long the sales cycle will be. That’s why it’s so important e.g. during a seed launch to mail your leads regularly and to ‘wow’ them with at least a small email series before you come with the shot across the bow and/or open cart. At least that’s my take away from PLF and Seed Launch Deep Dive, and my 10 years of selling services B2B… 🙂

    Best regards from Greece
    David

  43. Thank you for your insights Jeff and Dean. I totally agree that it can take time to nurture a lead. What are your thoughts though on people on your list who have never opened an email (beyond the initial lead magnet). I recently culled a stack of people from my list for this reason – not a single open. I figure I’m not nurturing someone who doesn’t read my content – and I guess some people really only want the opt-in offer and that’s it! Any thoughts? Chris, Australia 🙂

  44. Jonas Hallmann

    Reply

    Crazy, most of the comments already 7 years ago. And just as Jeff is saying in his book, the content is still a major point.
    Still most people forget about really carrying for their customers for long time. Thanks for the VIdeo!

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