Lead Nurturing is about Relationships, not e-mails

Carrying on the theme of my recent post on lead nurturing as trusted advisors with the  human touch, I came across Mike Volpe's post over the HubSpot Marketing Blog. I thought he did a nice job of showing the human touch in action as part of the lead nurturing process.

The goal of lead nurturing is to maintain a relevant and consistent dialog with viable future customers - regardless of their timing to buy. It’s about relationships. As you read Mike’s story, you'll notice how he helped “Kristen” move through her buying process not by selling but by seeking first to be a relevant resource to her.

Lead nurturing requires a shift away from the traditional marketing mind-set to a new way of thinking centered on the following tenets:

• Companies don't buy - people do. Don't ever forget the human touch. 
• Build relationships with the right people and companies regardless of their timing to buy.  Engage these people early in their buying process (preferably before) and you can co-create and influence their vision.
• Trusted advisers win more sales than slick brands.
• More ROI is reaped from the patient tending of future customers (relationships) over time. Think: customers for life.
• Lead nurturing is a conversation, not a series of disjointed campaigns. 
• A multi-tactic and multi-touch lead generation portfolio will always outperform marketing tactics that stand alone.
• Generate relevant content that engages the right decision makers/influencers.
• The first impression matters.  So does the second.  So does every single touch after that.  Consistency and relevancy is key.

If you keep these ideas top of mind, the way you nurture leads will naturally go beyond just e-mail. You’ll start thinking about how you and your sales people can be a relevant resource. When you do that, you don’t have to sell to people. They will come to you first when they are ready. Again, it’s about relationships.