Hey there, [memb_contact fields="FirstName"]! 

Welcome to Module 5 of the program, Breakthrough Revenue for Resume Businesses. 

IN THE LAST MODULE, we walked you through a process for getting leads to become prospects (aka one step closer to being clients).

We introduced you to leveraging automation and provided you with some awesome done-for-you email templates to develop more relationships and start more sales conversations.

We also provided you with the downloadable Lead Success Journey (via Canva) to visualize the journey that leads take on their pre-buying journey. You were provided with recommendations and best practices along the way.

Last, but not least, you learned when leads are most likely buy from you.

IN THIS MODULE, we're shifting from leads to prospects. Prospects are fantastic because they've expressed SOME LEVEL OF INTEREST (e.g., asking questions) in your products, programs, and/or services. Prospects most often come from a mix of awareness channels, such as:

• Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram)
• Online/Offline Networking (Personal & Professional)
• Company Website
• LinkedIn Profile
• Public Speaking
• Community Participation
• Referral/JV Partnerships

And if you're only attracting prospects from one or two of these, you've uncovered a significant gap in your overall business growth plan. And by filling that gap, you're well on your way to improving your sales results.

THE "WHO" DICTATES THE "WHERE"

Use the WHO contents in your client avatar to identify WHERE you can best reach your ideal prospects so you're not focusing on all awareness channels, only those used and valued by your ideal clients.

Thankfully, your marketing communications can help you find your ideal prospects almost anywhere - online or offline. Though, some awareness channels produce better ROI for your time spent. Leverage your firm understanding of WHO YOUR IDEAL CLIENT IS (refer to your completed client avatar, again and again and again) and ensure the every piece of your marketing ALWAYS aligns and resonates with who you've outlined as your ideal client (avatar).

As a refresher, your avatar identifies the characteristics of your ideal prospects and where they congregate, such as:

• Where they socialize
• Who they follow
• What they value
• Books they read
• Professional interests
• Education and certifications held

UNDERSTAND THAT PROSPECTS HAVE A TEMP

Once you start attracting prospects, you'll quickly recognize that prospects come to you with different "temperature" levels based on where they originate, their immediate needs, and what they know about you. Not all prospects are equal. To better understand the differences in prospect temperature, take these two scenarios into consideration:

PROSPECT#1 This prospect happened across your website after a Google search (term unknown). And on a whim, signed up for your monthly newsletter. During the past few weeks, this prospect read one of your blog articles and watched 3 of your videos before contacting you about your writing services.

PROSPECT#2 This prospect also happened across your website after conducting a Google search for "free resume review services." Having been in his/her purview for a short time, this prospect also decides to inquire about your writing services.

Which prospect is more likely to become your client? Chances are, prospect #1 for 3 main reasons: first, this prospect has been part of your professional reach longer; second, this prospect consumed some nurturing/marketing content; and third, this prospect has learned a bit about you/your skills. Prospect #1 is likely to have more feelings for you (e.g., happiness) combined with a belief that you can help.

So, what do you do with this information? Going forward, start thinking about the temperature of every prospect in your sphere of influence as Cold, Warm, and Hot. The main reason for doing this is that the "temperature" of your prospects has a direct impact on your close rates. So, if you've been wondering why you're struggling and your sales close rates SUCK, the temperature of your prospects - and gaps in your nurturing sequences - are likely to blame.

Your goal with prospects (and leads too!) is to continue nurturing those relationships using different warming methods, including:

• Emails Promoting High-Value Content (Broadcasts & Campaigns)
• Social Media (Microblogging, Video, Photo Sharing, Visual Bookmarks, Professional Networking)
• Phone Calls
• Video Conferencing
• Webinars/Live Events

Curious about which is best? The truth is you almost can't go wrong with any warming strategy. It's just essential that you be doing something! Each has its merits when utilized properly.

MONITORING QUEUES TO FIND WARM + HOT PROSPECTS

So, how do you identify the temp of your prospects? Thankfully, there are several ways to achieve such vital information.

Whether you talk to your prospects by phone, email, instant messaging, or video chat, get into the habit of asking certain questions to help you identify the warmth of the prospect, such as:

Example Question #1: Who can I thank for referring you to me?

"Barb McKinley referred me! She said that you rewrote her resume last fall. She and I worked together for 5 years before she transitioned to Johnny Julip just a few months ago. She loved the resume you wrote for her - and after taking a look for myself, I'm impressed with your work too." WARM/HOT PROSPECT

"I'm not sure how I heard about you originally. I attended your webinar last month and one thing you said about "molding resumes" into the right shape resonated with me. I've also taken a peek at your website, looked at a few of your resume examples, and read several of your client testimonials. Seems you have a lot of great success with your client. I was wondering if..." WARM PROSPECT

"Oh, no one referred me. I found you after doing a quick Google search this morning. I need help with my resume ..." COLD PROSPECT

Curiously, have you and I chatted before because I'm feeling a bit of déjà vu?

"Actually, we have talked before! I reached out to you last year after my employer announced a possible restructuring that was expected to affect my job. At that time, you recommended that I negotiate outplacement services as part of my separation package - and once I had that situated, to circle back to you for services. Well, the company put off its intended layoffs until this year. I successfully negotiated outplacement as part of my severance package. Thank you for that, btw! Now, I want to hire you to..." HOT PROSPECT

"This is the first time we've spoken. I've been in contact with another resume writer, but I didn't get a good vibe from him. He was too quick to answer my questions, and I felt like he was a bit annoyed by the number of questions I asked." COLD PROSPECT

Do you notice the temp difference between each of the above prospects?

PRO TIP: Ask at least one question to determine if the prospect is cold, warm, or hot.

In addition to asking questions, leverage your tech stack. For example, CRM software is perfect for managing, tracking, and following up with prospects, in addition to leads, and yes, existing customers. Software can provide you with informative prospect details, such as the date a prospect record was created and what your prospects have watched, read, and clicked.

Use CRM tags to their fullest extent! Many CRMs enable you to apply tags based on certain behaviors. And when labeled correctly, tags provide a visual story that can help you further identify their temp. When you see a build-up of tags like those below in a prospect's record, it's a perfect time to make contact because this is a warm prospect:

• Viewed Social -> Website Home Page
• Viewed Content -> Resume Examples
• Viewed Download -> 5 Benefits of Working With a Resume Writer

Beyond a CRM, there are other ways of identifying warm/hot prospects "in the making." Sometimes leads are hesitant to become prospects for one reason or another. We often think that prospects are those who boldly express their interest by sending us an email, calling us, or instant messaging us through the many social channels we're involved with. Yet, prospects can identify themselves in less subtle ways by opening or clicking on your email link, reposting a social update or commenting, sending you a connection request, or showing up in your "who's viewed your profile" LinkedIn account.

The "not so warm/hot" prospects are those that HAVE NOT reached out to inquire about your service, BUT they're somewhat sniffing around and contemplating their next move. They know they need help, but maybe something is holding them back. They may have never worked with a resume writer before or maybe they're uneasy about the possible investment. Regardless of the reason, this is a perfect time for you to reach out and ask a simple question: "How can I help?"

MORE PROSPECT DATA TO BOOST YOUR SALES

In addition to tracking action data (e.g., viewed content) for warm/hot prospects, collect psychographic and demographic data too. Of course, this works for everyone in your CRM, from leads and prospects to clients, affiliates, and JV partnerships.

Psychographic data can also include specifics to you as a resume writer, such as the reason for changing career fields or what's driving their sudden push to pursue a more demanding job. Beyond that, there are other types of psychographic data to collect, including:

• What the prospect values (e.g., social causes, wealth)
• What interests the prospect (e.g., sports, music)
• The prospect lifestyle (e.g., income, spending habits)
• Personality type (e.g., driver, expressive, analytical, amiable)

Demographic data includes the most obvious but also extends into details that are more stationery for the prospect, such as:

• Location
• Age
• Occupation
• Education
• Salary
• Location
• Marital Status
• Religion

At first glance, you might be wondering why you'd want to collect certain demographic data from prospects. The reality is that most data won't benefit you unless you plan on leveraging it to benefit the prospect and you. For example, knowing prospects' current salary can benefit your sales efforts when you know they're seeking a higher-paid job. Or, knowing prospects' marital status can help you run a promotion later that's geared towards spouses.

Collecting key data points lets you identify whether you're attracting the ideal client with your marketing efforts. Without this data, you're in the dark about what's working/not working in your business.

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR VIEW BY PLAYING THE "WHAT IF" GAME

Realigning your viewpoint can go a long way to optimizing each of the promotional channels you use. To do this, we recommend playing the "WHAT IF" game. This game segments your viewpoint for each awareness channel. Begin by asking yourself questions like these for your awareness channels:

• If I was ONLY using LinkedIn to provide my business with prospects, how would I be doing?
• What could I put in place right now to get more prospects from LinkedIn?
• There are at least 3 ways to generate prospects from LinkedIn. Am I using them effectively?

Of course, you would play the same game with other channels, such as:

• If I was ONLY using Facebook to provide my business with prospects, how would I be doing?
• What could I put in place right now to get more prospects from Facebook?
• There are at least 3 ways to generate prospects from Facebook. Am I using them effectively?

Or, this:

• If I was ONLY using my website to provide my business with prospects, how would I be doing?
• What could I put in place right now to get more prospects from my website?
• There are at least 3 ways to generate prospects from my website. Am I using them effectively?

Without knowing the EXACT channels you picked, the below provides a breakdown of the most popular strategies and a list of tasks for each. We recommend revisiting Module 2 of this program to get the extensive list of awareness channels available. If you've already picked your ideal 3-5 channels, it's now time to work on each channel to get the most traction.