How 'Hustle-Mode' Is Trapping Thousands of Entrepreneurs Entrepreneurs are either not making money or moving forward because of these issues.

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Check out the article below to see what lead generation expert Scott Oldford has to say about finding the right customer for the right time. To hear more of his advice check out the above video.

Most entrepreneurs can't spend a second on social media without being hit in the face by a "hustle-mode" type post, tweet, Instagram picture, quote or livestream.

Don't get me wrong, you have to work hard, but "hustle-mode" can be a quicksand if you're not careful.

What I mean is with "hustle" you're basing your business on luck, instead of proven systems for success. And yes, you will get "more lucky" by working harder, but you can only work so hard before getting burnt out.

Richard Branson and Warren Buffett don't out-hustle the competition – and you shouldn't be either.

The six-figure "hamster wheel'

In my 15 years as an entrepreneur I've seen one key failure block business owners from scaling their business to seven figures and beyond: not having enough qualified leads.

Related: One of These 3 Things Is Holding Your Business Back From Tremendous Growth

This keeps entrepreneurs trapped in what I call the "Six-Figure Hamster Wheel." Stressed out and worn down, no amount of extra hustle will help them reach seven-figures in revenue.
They're mentally and physically unable to scale their business.

Years ago, this single failure plummeted me into over $700,000 in debt. Using online marketing and lead generation, I was able to dig myself out.

In the process I learned everything online lead generation requires, and I used that information to help thousands of entrepreneurs scale past six figures.

Again, not having enough qualified leads is the reason most can't grow.

Hustle is blocking these entrepreneurs from seeing that they need a system for automatic lead generation built into their business.

I've taught tens of thousands how I do lead generation, simultaneously changing lives and businesses. I'd like to share these same core concepts with you (which generated us over $4 million in revenue).

Breaking the hustle-mode trap starts with understanding what a lead actually is.

The key to breaking the hustle-mode trap

A website visitor is great, but passive visitor isn't a lead. They become a lead when they express interest and provide you with information to keep in touch.

The easiest and fastest way to turn visitors into leads is by offering valuable pieces of content that they're willing to subscribe to. Notice how I said valuable. This content should illuminate a problem someone is facing. Once they realize you may have the solution, get them to opt-in to an email.

Related: Watch: How Side Hustlers Can Get the Biggest Results in the Least Amount of Time

Subscribers are then entered into an email sequence designed to introduce who you are, your method, your competency and your solution.

As this happens they'll be nurtured into knowing, liking and trusting you, ending with your offer as their preferred solution for fixing their problem.

Not all leads are created equal

We've all been at a networking event where someone is doing a little too much selling. You don't know what they're offering, but you're darn sure you want none of it.

This same story plays out in online marketing, where business owners assume that everyone is ready to buy. (Imagine "buy now" buttons everywhere on a site or page.) This is one of the fastest ways to lose most of your potential customers.

Online lead generation in today's world requires that you meet your lead at the right place, at the right time – and with the right message. It has to be completely relevant to where they are.

You don't serve meaty burgers to vegans, so why should your marketing act the same way? One-size-fits-all marketing is dying (as it should), and I'm inviting you to start doing things the new way.

Are they sidewalkers, slow-laners or fast-laners?

The first S represents Sidewalkers. These are people who are your perfect, ideal customer. Despite being a perfect fit, they haven't recognized a pain as being relevant to them. You must ensure they see this unrecognized pain as a real problem in their life or business.

These people are short on time and basically don't care who you are. They might listen to you for a moment, but only if you can make a pain relevant to them.

Sidewalkers respond well to bite-sized value (like a cheat-sheet) in exchange for their email address. Just don't make the mistake of sending them a three-hour training video. (They won't watch it since they don't know, like or trust you).

The second S represents Slow-Laners. These are leads who understand they have a specific pain, but they're in "research mode." They want an authority to look up to and a mechanism to fix their pain.

These leads know they have a problem but still haven't found their fix for it. Because they're aware of their pain, they're more invested in finding the answer. They're willing to spend much more time to understand your offer.

Slow-Laners want to logically understand a solution. It's like a doctor explaining a procedure to a patient in easy-to-understand steps. An in-depth e-book, guide or training video is appropriate for a Slow-Laner.

The last letter F, represents Fast-Laners. These are leads who want to solve their pain immediately. They know, like and trust you, and are ready to take action and purchase from you.

They understand your methods, inside and out. They also realize that your solution is the next step that makes sense. From here, making the buying decision is emotional not logical.

Related: Entrepreneur.com Launches Facebook Live Series to Take Your Side Hustle to the Next Level

Fast-Laners are satisfied that you can fix their issue, now it's just about creating the environment where they can easily purchase.

Whether you're selling books, coaching, physical products or anything in-between, these levels of awareness are always at play. By targeting leads based on the "lane" they're in, your ability to be relevant to that lead (and have their full attention) is unprecedented.