Sales & Customer Growth
Where did your last ten enquiries actually come from?
Most small businesses try a bit of everything: a social media post, a banner, a few messages, a referral request. Nobody records what worked, so the next month repeats the same guesses. This session lists the real sources of leads for a small business, sets up a way to note where each enquiry came from, and chooses two sources to do properly.
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Activity is not the same as leads.
Posting every day, printing visiting cards and joining several groups feels productive. Whether it brings customers is a separate question, and many owners cannot answer it because they have never written down how each customer found them.
Lead generation for a small business does not need software or a large budget. It needs a short list of sources, a habit of noting where each enquiry came from, and the discipline to do a few things consistently rather than many things briefly.
What the session covers
32 topics across 6 areas. Six parts, in the order a small business can act on them.
What Counts as a LeadAgree the word first.5
- An enquiry, a walk-in, a call, a referral, a message
- A lead versus a customer
- A lead versus someone who simply liked a post
- What you need to note: name, number, need, source, date
- Where to keep it so it is not lost
A page in a notebook or a basic spreadsheet is enough to begin.
Where Leads Come FromThe realistic sources.7
Which sources suit which business differs a great deal. A repair shop, a tutor, a caterer and a machine parts supplier will not rely on the same ones.
- Existing customers and repeat business
- Referrals from customers and friendly businesses
- Walk-ins and visibility in the neighbourhood
- Search listings and maps, with accurate details
- WhatsApp, social media and community groups
- Associations, events and local networks
- Paid advertising, and when it is worth testing
Tracking the SourceOne extra question.5
- Asking "how did you hear about us?" every time
- Recording the answer straight away
- A weekly count by source
- Counting enquiries and counting sales separately
- Reading the pattern after four weeks, not after four days
A source that brings many enquiries and few sales is not the same as one that brings fewer and better.
Referrals and Repeat BusinessUsually the cheapest source.5
- When to ask: after a good result, not after a sale
- How to ask without making it awkward
- Making it easy to pass your details on
- Thanking people who refer you
- Staying in touch with past customers
Being Findable Where People LookThe basics, done properly.5
- Accurate name, address, hours and phone number in online maps and listings
- A clear one-line description of what you do
- Photos and prices where they help people decide
- A reply habit: how quickly enquiries are answered
- Reviews: asking honestly, replying politely
Choosing Two SourcesDepth over spread.5
- Scoring each source on cost, effort and fit
- Choosing two and pausing the rest, for now
- A small weekly routine for each
- A target you control, such as messages sent or referrals asked
- A date to review what the tracking shows
What participants leave with
- A lead sheet they can start using the same day
- A list of their own possible lead sources, scored
- Two chosen sources and a weekly routine for each
- A referral message drafted in their own words
- A date and a question for reviewing the results
What this session is not
- A guaranteed way to get more customers
- A course in running paid advertising
- Training on any one software tool
- A way around the effort that consistent follow-up needs
Who teaches it
- Sales practitioners from small and mid-sized businesses
- Business owners who rely on referrals and local visibility
- Marketing practitioners with experience in local businesses
- Business-development staff from service firms
How the session runs
Two to three hours, in a small group. The practitioner starts by asking participants to write down where their last ten customers came from, and the group discusses what that shows. They then build the lead sheet together, score possible sources for their own business and choose two. Each participant drafts a referral message and a weekly routine before the session ends.
What your students leave with
- A clear list of where their enquiries come from today
- A simple way to record the source of every enquiry from now on
- An honest view of which sources cost money, time or both
- Two lead sources chosen to work on for the next month
- A weekly routine for each, small enough to keep up
- A first referral request they can send in their own words
Scheduled sessions
Nothing scheduled yet
Sessions are arranged with a college once a date is agreed. Ask us and we will find the right person for it.
A student rather than a college? See what is coming up, or ask your placement team to host this.
Know where your enquiries come from, then do fewer things better.
Tell us who your students are and what stage they are at. Sessions are free for participants.