Improving the quality of the sales process should improve the overall health of the company. In general, whether a product or a service, the process is based on three distinct but related, forming the sales pipeline.
The sales pipeline can be compared to a linear sequential flow system containing a feedback loop ranging from marketing to sales and support to customers before returning to marketing.
2. Things to consider (Reach &
Exposure)
ï” Business sell channels
ï§ Indirect channels (Where does our customer go to buy the products)
ïŒ Technology partner
ïŒ Service partner
ïŒ Channel partner
ïŒ Marketing partner
ïŒ Business partner
4. Social media is saleâs BFF
âą Social Media is the new cold call.
âą Thought leadership over social media channels
creates a pull effect.
âą Network effect to our sales funnel
5. Marketing
ï” Understand our Product (Unique selling proposition)
ï¶ Single, clear and compelling message that states why the business is
different and worth working with.
ï” Understand our Market (Where are we selling?)
ï” Understand our Target (Who are we selling to?)
ï” Understand our Timing (Who do we sell?)
ï” Understand our Tactics (how de we reach them?)
Those needs to be validated with our customer and users
6. Tactics (Events and PR)
ï” Low-cost & high impact
ï” Can be highly targeted and effective
ï” Allows us to build relationships with media
ï” Can be tracked via metrics
ï” Creates awareness and provides credibility
Build a PR and events database of key events, bloggers and media.
7. Tactics (automation & lead
management)
ï” Custom mail per market segment to prospect and customers
ï” Email for Demo request to prospect
ï” Reminder emails
ï” Use Links and CTAs within offers
8. Mechanics of Lead Generation
ï” Creating Irresistible Offers
ï” The offers must be exclusive, scarce or in high demand. Whether they are free
trials, memberships, sales promotions, or download to overcome a leadâs typical
friction, doubt, or concern. Create a physiological reaction that makes an offer
more valuable.
ï” Call-to-Action
ï” CTAs can be used on product pages (non-landing pages), in display ads, email,
social media, direct mail and pretty much anywhere we can market our offer.
ï” Landing Pages that Convert
ï” According to MarketingSherpaâs research, landing pages are effective for 94%
of B2B and B2C. Enables capturing leads at a much higher rate.
ï” Optimized Forms
9. Multi-Channel Lead Generation
ï” our website isnât a silo. We must utilize many other channels in order to
maximize their lead generation efforts. In this sense, a channel might be
a retail store, a website, a social media platform, an email, or a text
message. The objective is to make it easy for buyers to research,
evaluate and purchase products in any way that is most appropriate for
them. Itâs all about having the right marketing mix.
10. Blogging Brings in the Leads
ï±Companies that blog 6-8 times per month double their lead volume. This proves
that blogging is a highly effective channel for lead generation.
ï±In every blog post, we should include hyperlinks to landing pages within the
copy of the post, as well as a prominent call-to- action.
ï±Include buttons to enable our prospects to share content and offers. include
multiple social media channels as well as email, since people have different
sharing preferences. when our offer is shared more, more people land on the
page, and therefore more people fill out our form and become leads!
11. Email Marketing and Automation
ï” Email can be a great channel for new lead generation
ï” Focus on an opt-in strategy.
If weâre buying email lists and spamming our prospects, no one will want to share our email
with others. They will only want to unsubscribe! The first step to email lead generation is to make
sure we have happy subscribers that enjoy receiving emails from us.
ï” Send people valuable offers.
If we send really interesting or valued offers - whether itâs downloads, discounts or educational
content - people will more likely share our emails with their friends or colleagues. (referral)
ï” Give people the tools to share.
Donât forget to add a âforward to a Friendâ link or social media sharing buttons within each
email so people are encouraged to pass it on.
12. Speed âYou snooze, you loseâ
ï” Our response to new leads can overwhelm the
competition.
ï± Leads are 22 times more likely to convert when we make
contact within 5 minutes of lead generation.
ï± Nearly 78% of prospect convert with the company that
contacted them first.
13. Solutions
ï” Prioritize : Make new lead a top priority
ï” Automate: Use auto responder (see links) to immediately send a
welcome email to new leads that enter our system.
ï” Use email templates
14. Persistence Pays
ï” Many quality lead just arenât ready to close right away, They want to buy, but theyâre
just not read to pull the trigger.
ï” Maybe theyâre still looking for more information or exploring all their options.
ï” Maybe theyâre still building their comfort and trust level â with us.
ï” These long-term prospect are often forgotten
ï” Studies have shown that âŠ
ï§ It takes an average of 5 attempts to contact a lead
ï§ 40% of quality leads will close with long-term follow up
ï§ Up to 70% of leads are long term in nature
15. Solutions
ï” Our first goal is first contact. How many times should we try to connect with a new
lead? Again, the average is five; but we should continue trying at least a dozen
times. Until we confirm that the lead data is invalid or the prospect is not interested,
we still have a potential client. So donât be so quick to give up on them.
ï” A lead nurturing program. If our prospect just isnât ready yet, weâll need a lead
nurturing program that will guide them to a buying decision â and ensure that we're
nearby when theyâre ready to buy. A drip marketing system, combined with a lead
management program, is the ideal tool for lead nurturing.
ï” Schedule future âtouches.â Use our lead management tool to schedule future
contact, whether itâs a postcard, phone call or email. It helps to build trust, while
keeping we connected with genuine prospect.
16. Automate So You Can Close More
ï” Lead management. By automating your lead management, you can handle
hundreds of new leads each month without having to hire an admin â while you
reduce the chances of leads falling through the cracks.
ï” Quote engine. Slash your quoting time by up to 96% by generating up-to-date
quotes and detailed proposals in seconds.
ï” Website. With an imbedded quote engine, your website can be a one-stop 24-
hour resource for online health insurance shoppers.
ï” Drip marketing. Make your persistence marketing nearly effortless with an email
autoresponder that keeps you connected with thousands of unclosed leads â
without pulling your focus away from the hot âready to closeâ leads that need
your attention now.