They throw it around wayyyy too much. 

But it means something different to everyone you talk to. 

The roofer thinks of it differently than the Realtor. 

The web guy thinks of it differently than the digital marketing nerd.

It’s not that any of them are wrong, just that when one says it, they’re making a big assumption by thinking that you have the same definition.

The “L” word is: Leads

We’ve started working it out of our vernacular because too many marketing people are cavalier about what it means. 

Does it mean a website visitor?
Does it mean a call?
Does it mean a website form fill?
Does it mean an appointment?

When it comes to measuring your marketing effectiveness, there’s a better label than “leads.”

Because the only thing that ultimately matters is that you get a chance to do business with a potential customer. 

We call these: Selling Opportunities.

Next time you hear the “L”...

So you hire a digital marketing company to grow your business. You pay them a retainer fee to run ads with high hopes. Then at your first 30-day meeting you hear something like:

"You got over 10,000 impressions!
And 437 hits on your website this month.
AND 213 clicks."

They say it all with a smile like it's great news.

You nod along as they spew layer upon layer of digital bull spit on you.

But let's be honest... they have ZERO idea how this helped your business, and neither do you.

Hard truth: it probably didn't.

But you remain optimistic because you want it all to work. You want the gurus to magically make things better, so you keep paying them hoping things will change.

More hard truth: It's not gonna.

After witnessing thousands of failed agency relationships over the last 10 years, I can confidently tell you that you're not alone.

I can also confidently tell you that there is ONE question you can ask that will very quickly separate the men from the boys when it comes to marketing...

It’s happened to all of us.

Checking your email in the morning. Junk, more junk. What’s that? A new review on my Google Biz page.

1 STAR???!!!

You can feel the blood start to rush into your cheeks. “I can’t believe he said that! After how much we went out of our way to make him happy.” You’re pissed and you might have a good reason to be. 

STOP HERE.

Take a big breath because what you do next can affect your business for years to come. 

We wanted to give some quick tips on how to handle a bad review. Whether you deserved it or have never heard their name before, this is the path you should take moving forward. 

Start with a public response to their review:

1. Empathize & Apologize
   Here’s the truth: it doesn’t matter who’s right and who’s wrong, this customer feels they weren’t given good service. Meet them where they are.
   
   Ex. “I’m so sorry about your experience with __! I would feel the...