Chapter Two: Prospective Customers and the Lead Generation Process

My theory of trade has three principles.

By observing these three principles, you can always achieve results. In this regard, make sure you are wherever your prospective customers are, so they get to know you.

If nobody knows a company or factory or is aware that it exists, it could produce the world’s best and cheapest goods—even offer them free—and nobody would know enough to buy.

A strong, prominent presence is very effective. Such a comprehensive presence builds trust, and trust makes customers willing to pay more for your goods and increases your organization’s value.

Not every organization can be visible everywhere and pay advertising costs like the world’s large companies. Domestic advertising and a presence in Iran’s market may not be very expensive, but when you define your market as the whole planet, the cost exceeds even the capacity of the world’s largest companies.

Here, however, we have listed the best and least expensive methods in order of priority, namely the internet. Internet and SEO principles are complex, and you should contact specialists for comprehensive guidance.

But one principle proven on the internet will always be effective: a large volume of high-quality content. This is a powerful attraction for every search engine and every person searching for your content.

Another background point is that trade works like a ball game: either you, as someone who wants to play, send the ball to others, or they throw it to you.

When they throw the ball to you, we say they have sent a signal: a valuable indication that they want to begin working together, or that they are ready to start with you if you are a strong player.

Alternatively, you must send signals to hundreds or thousands of people to find those who respond and are ready to begin a useful process.

The best signals are those first sent to you by prospective customers. When you send them signals, you are effectively prompting someone to consider buying from you.

A customer may intend to buy, but not now—at some future point. That means greater costs to maintain and prepare prospective customers for purchasing. This is harder than dealing with someone who has already sent you a purchase request: at that moment, you have someone ready to buy, a ready-made opportunity, so to speak.

Try to create conditions in which people who are ready to buy can find you.

Later, we will discuss how to find prospective customers and what processes are needed to discover new leads.

Customers, like everything in this world, come and go. If your losses exceed your gains, you are losing ground. If the reverse is true and your customer numbers are increasing, you are certainly growing. But this requires continually seeking new customers for your organization. It does not happen all at once; you must discover leads by constantly monitoring the market.

Leads are like mines that have not yet been worked. Until you start digging, you cannot know what results this lead list will yield.

In exporting, your customers are in foreign countries. A particular advantage is that you deal with professional traders there and do not need to sell directly. This book does not address direct selling; it focuses mainly on activity between two traders to establish a business relationship.

If you intend to export, you must therefore continually work in international markets to discover lists of people who may buy from you.

In the previous chapter, we described tools that can help examine these leads, turn them into opportunities and then into real customers: people who buy from you and begin a business relationship.

Elsewhere, we said you need a lead list. These leads are very valuable. Keep in mind that having a procedure to update the list continually is a factor in your organization’s survival.

Discovered leads are only a list that needs examination. When you find a list of prospective buyers in another country, check whether they still work in your field, are active buyers in the market, and have correct telephone numbers and addresses. A number may be wrong or an address may have changed. In general, you must assess whether they are worth working with and spending resources on.

The best way to qualify leads is by telephone conversation. Email or an in-person visit can also work, but they involve higher costs and longer response times.

When you send an email for the first time, it may get lost among the many messages they receive from unknown sources and never be read. But if you send it after a telephone conversation, the lead can easily follow it up and give it attention.

With in-person approaches, you are something of an uninvited guest. That is why I recommend the telephone for initial contact and for examining and qualifying a lead.

When qualifying leads, try to discover and examine the following.

Prospective customers

Customers who have seen your advertisements and contacted you or visited your premises themselves are much more valuable than leads.

Here, the direction is reversed. When you examine a lead, you are the one trying to establish contact and gain trust. In this case, however, the customer has tried to contact you. Some trust has already been gained, and you are several steps ahead.

These customers are very well prepared to become opportunities and are very close to making a purchase.

Most prospective customers can be attracted through the internet. They usually find your content website through a search and email you, or better still call you, or may message you through communication apps such as WhatsApp. In any case, check your emails daily and answer prospective customers quickly: slow replies discourage them and can cause you to lose the prospect.