There are many ways for our leads to be in touch with us. And between all of them (emails, phone call, text message…) my favorite is definitely the submission form on my website. Through this form, you have the control to ask all the details you need to know to adapt your reply and to decide by your side to move forward with this client or not. As our time is our biggest value, we definitely have to save it as much as possible.

Let’s be strategic on our way to ask questions, for the leads to don’t be bored by filling it, but for you to have enough indicators.

THE BASICS INFOS

Of course, we need some basics infos to know who we are talking to. But try to don’t over-ask, just because it’s so boring to fill in these informations for them! Don’t you agree? I personally already gave up to be in touch with someone just because the submission form was soooooo long to fill in! And we have to mention our details every day and every time we have to order something on internet for example (even if today, we can find more and more automatic system). Try to focus on the informations you really need, even if it’s just the name and the email.

WHAT CAN HELP TO FILTER THE LEADS

You can ask a few quick relevant questions that could help you to know if the lead is qualified. If you have correctly created your “persona” (the profile of your typical client), you should have a few clues, a few things you know about your usual clients that they all do, or place they all go etc…

As a wedding photographer, I ask them their venue and their planner. Depending of that, I already know a bit more about them and if it could work.

THE BUDGET

Well, let’s be honest. They can love your work more than everything else, if you are out of the budget, it won’t work. So let’s save time to everybody and ask directly.

A small tip, usually, when the lead doesn’t want to mention the price, it means the budget is really low, and they think you’ll adjust your price depending of the budget they will mention. And as they try to save as much money as possible, they don’t want to give you a budget too high, if they can have lower.

It’s totally ok, and usually, I directly give them our starting price and… it’s out of the budget. But at least we all saved our time.

GIVE THEM A FREE SPACE

Some clients are more than happy to share more informations with you. Give them a space without limit, to tell more about their projects, needs, desires… Behind the human aspect, it’s also a way for you to know is the lead is qualified, and if the budget they mentioned before makes sense with their expectations.

OPTIMIZE AND USE THESE INFORMATIONS

I fell in love with the new options of the platform I use (STUDIONINJA– code MADDY50 for you to enjoy 50% off)when they announced the possibility for me to link my website to the platform about the submission form. Now, ever times someone fill in the form, it’s automatically registrer on my platform. The lead is created, the infos dispatched in the different area, and if I go further away with the lead, I don’t need to fill in AGAIN all the infos! LOVE IT!