Manage Your Leads – PTC 520

When you grow your audience to build your business, you need to manage your leads. It isn't enough to get people to subscribe to your podcast. You need to get them to your email list. GROW YOUR SHOW BY GROWING YOUR LIST When I was first starting out, I hired Cindy as my coach. She was helping me build the infrastructure that would help me grow my business. Cindy is a visibility coach. She helps people get noticed. Just what I needed to grow my audience and business. One day on a call, Cindy suggested I participate in a giveaway to grow my email list. A giveaway is a marketing tactic where a group of experts join together to help each other grow. One expert is the host of the giveaway. This person builds the back end and manages the giveaway. A number of other experts each contribute a free gift. They all then promote the giveaway to their lists. The email recipients opt in for the giveaway, which grows the list of the giveaway host. Then the email recipients decide which gifts they would like, and they opt in for those gifts. This grows the list of the contributor. The better the gift, the better chance an expert has to grow their list. YOUR LIST OR YOUR PODCAST But I wanted to grow my podcast audience, not my list. On the call that day, I told Cindy the same thing. She told me growing the list would grow the audience. Each time you release a new episode, you can email your list and remind them to listen. That was the day I understood the power of the process. If you invite people to your podcast when you are on stage, they may come listen to your show. If they don't come back or subscribe, you have no way to contact them again. But if you invite them to your email list with your lead magnet when you are on stage, you have their name and email address until they unsubscribe. Now you can reach them each time you release a new episode. When I started building my email list, my podcast audience started to grow. Soon, I started to realize I needed to organize the contacts on my email list. That's where a powerful CRM tool comes into play. MANAGE YOUR LEADS ON YOUR LIST There are a variety of CRM tools, or customer relation management tools, available to manage your list. These tools help you manage your interactions with customers, build customer relationships, and grow your business. Many people are surprised when I suggest people on stage don't send people to the podcast. Instead, send them to your email list. When you get people on your email list, you need to keep them organized and manage your leads. This allows you to send relevant information to each segment of your audience while reminding the entire list to listen to the podcast. So, how do you choose a CRM to manage your leads? MANAGE YOUR LEADS WITH RAMESH DEWANGAN I've invited Ramesh Dewangan to join us and help us develop a plan. Ramesh is the Founder and CEO of Quantum Vision Consulting. He brings over 30 years of global experience in software development, product management, and marketing to help entrepreneurs and small businesses achieve rapid growth by implementing innovative business practices and systems. Ramesh specializes in business growth through automated marketing and sales using CRM and mobile applications. Download Ramesh's free eBook "Driving Business Growth: Discover how CRM accelerates business success" at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/quantum. Start building your email list to grow your podcast audience. As your list grows, be sure to manage your leads with a powerful CRM tool. Ramesh's book can help you do that. WHY YOU NEED A CRM TO MANAGE YOUR LEADS Throughout the interview, Ramesh and I get into the essential role of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tools in managing leads and enhancing business operations. Ramesh shares his journey from corporate product management to founding Quantum Vision Consulting, highlighting the importance of CRM in streamlining marketing and sales for entrepreneurs. Discover how CRM tools like HubSpot and simpler alternatives can significantly boost customer relationships, manage sales pipelines, and automate essential tasks that otherwise consume precious time. During our conversation, Ramesh explains how his extensive experience with bleeding-edge technology products prepared him to tackle the challenges of CRM consulting. He underscores the evolution of CRM functionalities, from simple contact management to complex operations like automated follow-ups and event automation. IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE COMPLICATED You will gain practical insights into the transformative potential of these tools. Addressing common misconceptions, Ramesh emphasizes that CRM does not have to be overwhelmingly complex or prohibitively expensive. He recommends assessing your business needs carefully before selecting a tool. Small businesses may find more value in user-friendly solutions rather than jumping into robust yet complicated systems like Salesforce. Choosing the right tool can prevent unnecessary frustration and ensure a better return on investment. Our conversation also touches upon the importance of professional implementation and best practices. Ramesh candidly shares his experiences of initially overspending on complex CRMs and the resultant learning curve. Ramesh recommends that entrepreneurs seek expert consultancy to harness the full potential of these systems effectively. The strategic use of CRM can significantly enhance marketing efforts through multichannel marketing and A/B testing, ultimately driving better customer engagement and conversions. Adopt the right CRM tools to not only manage business leads but also to expand podcast audiences.   If you don't have a mentor who can take your hand and walk you every step of the way, go to www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/apply, click the button and apply to have a chat with me. We will develop your plan and see how I can help and support you to achieve your podcast goals.