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500 people attended your webinar, and only 3 signed up for more information. Why the gap?

This is what happens when companies push prospects into purchasing too soon. According to Forrester, 73% of B2B buyers need time to research and compare options before making a decision. Yet, many businesses rush the process, thinking a quick purchase is the ultimate goal. We used to call this, “Asking for marriage before going on a date.” 😉

Imagine going on a date, and the person spends the entire time talking about how great they are—their global achievements, how popular they are, and all the amazing things they’ve done. Would you want a second date? This is what I experienced reviewing a client’s training last week. The company spent the entire time talking about themselves and their platform’s functionality, leaving little room for meaningful connection. The same happens with prospects—they don’t want to be bombarded with self-promotion, they want to know what’s in it for them. (BTW: to be fair my client was presenting what the marketing team gave him, and they didn’t realize the issue they were creating.)

The Problem with Rushing Prospects
One of the biggest issues I see is companies treating all prospects as if they’re ready to buy. Like a date, relationships with prospects take time. Pushing for a sale before building any trust or connection results in a disconnect. Prospects are often in the early stages of exploration, and rushing them not only leads to low conversions but also leaves them feeling like your educational programs are irrelevant to their problems at hand.

Instead of focusing on making the sale right away, companies need to focus on creating conversations that address the prospect’s needs, guiding them slowly toward a deeper connection and next steps.

Moving from Education to a Warm Lead
I worked with a client who was struggling with low conversion rates from their webinars. After reviewing their content, we realized that the webinars were focused entirely on selling the product, and trying to shove all of the features into one 60 minute session. You may think, I need to take advantage of this one time meeting and tell them ALL the things. But what you are unknowingly doing is overwhelming the audience into inaction. If you focused on solving one of their largest problems and showed them just that workflow, imagine how much more they would get out of the time together?

When we shifted their approach, offering content that spoke to the customer’s pain points and real-life applications. This led to better engagement and turned cold prospects into warm leads who wanted to know more. It was a win-win!

According to DemandGen, prospects who engage with educational content are 131% more likely to convert, if that educational content connects. Just like a good conversation on a date, educational content should be about listening to and addressing the needs of your audience.

Data-Driven Education for Lasting Impact
Just as a relationship grows stronger when you pay attention to your partner’s needs, tailoring your educational programs based on data ensures you’re addressing real user challenges. McKinsey found that companies using customer data to shape their education programs see a 30% increase in engagement. When you understand what your prospects want—whether through feedback, usage reports, or customer surveys—you can create content that meets them where they are in their journey.

By aligning your educational content with your users’ pain points, you create a relationship that’s built on trust, empowerment, and ultimately, conversion for both of you.

Much Love,