Pro Business Insights has great the pleasure of interviewing Lead Generation Expert, Eric Haaranen of Elite Sales Leads, a company that builds websites designed to do two things for its’ customers.
One, to rank well in the search engines for valuable search terms, and two, to convert visitors to qualified sales leads that contact his customers directly.
If you’re one of those business owners who don’t have the time, money or inclination to learn all that’s needed to learn about Internet marketing to make it profitable for you, then listening to Eric insights might be just what you need.
With that said, let’s listen in to what he had to say.
PBI: What’s your official business name and when did you get started?
ERIC: Elite Sales Leads – 2011
PBI: Why did you decide to go down the road of self-employment?
ERIC: I have always been fascinated with marketing but couldn’t stand working for other people. I’ve held various positions with different companies before finally going out on my own so I could have the freedom to travel and to do what I want with my life.
PBI: How did you actually get started? Did you start full-time, part-time or build up to it while working a full-time job to tide you over?
ERIC: I worked for various companies, allowing them to fund my marketing education while I honed my skills. I began accepting clients on the side in 2006 and haven’t had a “job” since 2011.
PBI: How have things developed since business day one? Have you diversified, or have your services remained the same?
ERIC: The area of online lead generation changes very quickly so I’ve had to diversify my services a great deal over the years. While I used to be able to charge most clients a monthly retainer for services now everything I do is performance-based. There is more pressure on me to produce results but my customers seem to really appreciate this approach.
PBI: What area of your business would you like to see improve within the next 6 months and why?
ERIC: I am looking at better ways of acquiring customers. Much of my time is spent explaining concepts to prospective clients but I am in the process of automating the client acquisition and education stages of the sales cycle. This will allow me to focus more time on qualified prospects and fulfilling services.
PBI: How are you improving on that area?
ERIC: I’m completely revamping my sales funnel to include an automated webinar and detailed email follow-up. Traffic will be generated through partnerships and ads rather than individual contacts.
PBI: What’s your best tip for someone considering starting a business in your industry?
ERIC: The lead generation business is a challenging one. Stick to verticals where there is no doubt about what constitutes a lead. Emergency services is a good area whereas something like replacement windows is more challenging as a caller may want window repair or just one window replaced. Most clients will not want to pay for those types of leads.
PBI: What’s the most popular misconception that prospective clients have about your industry and what’s the correct answer?
ERIC: Many clients have been burned by lead generation providers in the past and they’re jaded about the industry. The easiest way to bring them on-board is to assume all the risk yourself. Build the site and start sending them leads for free so they will know exactly what they will be paying for.
PBI: Who is your ideal client?
ERIC: Professionals providing services of high value to consumers. Examples include realtors, dentists, home improvement contractors, locksmiths, veterinarians, etc.
PBI: If you had a chance to say one thing to a brand new client, before they met you in person, what would it be?
ERIC: Work with a lead generation supplier that is willing to work on a performance-only basis.
PBI: Thank you for a very informative interview Eric.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Phone: 1-604-800-1796
email: eric@ehaaranen.com
