Why Your Leads Aren’t Converting: 4 Places Interested People Drop Off

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Why Your Leads Aren’t Converting: 4 Places Interested People Drop Off

When leads aren’t converting into clients, the problem is often not a lack of new people but holes in your client flow. Bringing more people into a business with holes is like pouring more water into a leaky bucket: you can pour and pour, and it never fills up. There are four places where interested people usually drop off before they book, and each one can be fixed without more posting and without chasing anyone.

Below I go through all four holes, from the first visit to your website to what happens after someone has worked with you, and what I do about each one in my own business.

Hole 1: Visitors have no way to stay in touch

Imagine someone lands on your website. They love what they see and find it interesting. Then their phone rings, the kids need something, or they close the tab, and they never find you again. It’s not because they didn’t like you, it’s because you had no way to keep them.

If the only options on your website are “buy now”, “contact me” or “send an inquiry”, everyone who isn’t ready today is lost.

The fix: a freebie, a small and useful first step that gives people a taste of what you offer, so they can stay in touch with you until they’re ready to buy. I show how I built mine in my article on how I get clients without posting every day.

Hole 2: Silence after someone signs up

Now someone signs up for your freebie. Great! And then nothing happens. Your next email arrives three weeks later and they don’t even remember who you are. They were interested at that exact moment, then life went on, the moment passed and they forgot. This is one of the most important holes in a business.

What I do: the first email arrives immediately after someone signs up. Then I send one email a day for about five or six days. That’s when people are most interested, so that’s when I show up, not to push but to help them get to know me and understand whether my offer is right for them.

Do you know which of these holes is the biggest in your business? That’s exactly why I made the Client Flow Check. It’s free, you don’t need to sign up, and a few quick questions show you where your client flow breaks.

Hole 3: No reminder after a conversation

This is the hole I know very well. A potential client sent me a message on Facebook. We talked, she was interested, and a month later she came back ready to buy. But during that month she had completely forgotten about the offer, and I hadn’t reminded her either, which was also my mistake. The program had a fixed start date, so she couldn’t join anymore, and we were both disappointed.

It was a great lesson for me, and I share it so you don’t have to repeat it. It’s completely normal that people forget you, because life happens. But if you have no system to remind them, that part is on you.

What I do differently now: every conversation ends with one clear next step that I decide on once the conversation is finished. And when someone writes to you and shows interest, a friendly reminder before the offer closes isn’t pushy. It’s good service.

Hole 4: Nothing happens after someone buys

This is the hole almost nobody thinks about. Someone becomes your client, they get served, and that’s the end. Yet your easiest next client is someone who already trusts you, and most solopreneurs never ask them again.

What I do: I have a system for different offers. For online courses and memberships, there are automatic emails. For my high-ticket clients, I check in personally after one month to ask if everything is okay, if they’re happy or if they need anything else. Usually I ask again after six months and once more after a year. In between those check-ins, I follow them on social media and stay in touch through emails.

What staying in touch brings

I’m often recommended in Facebook groups when someone is looking for help. Recently someone passed a potential client on to me because I work more with the topics she needed. She bought after a conversation of just a few minutes and went straight into action. She’s very happy, and before that she had probably never heard of me. That’s what happens when happy clients don’t forget you.

Close the holes before you add more water

When you close these four holes, you don’t really need more water in the bucket. The people who are already interested stay with you, your business can be booked for a month or even a year ahead, and the people who already work with you bring their friends and recommend you. It’s a win-win.

Closing these holes is part of a bigger system. In my article on how I get clients without posting every day, I show how I put it all together so clients come even on days I don’t post. If you want to build that system step by step, have a look at Client Machine.

FAQ

Why are my leads not converting into clients?

Often because interested people drop off at one of four points: they have no way to stay in touch, they hear nothing after signing up, nobody reminds them after a conversation, or past clients are never contacted again. Finding the biggest hole first saves you from adding more traffic to a leaky system.

How soon should I email new subscribers?

Right away. I send the first email immediately after someone signs up, then one email a day for about five or six days, because that’s when people are most interested.

Is it pushy to follow up with a potential client?

No. When someone has shown interest, a friendly reminder before your offer closes is good service. It helps them make a decision in time instead of missing out.

How do I get more clients from past clients?

Stay in touch after the work is done. I check in with high-ticket clients after one month, six months and a year, and use automatic emails for courses and memberships. Happy clients who remember you come back and recommend you to others.