Most companies focus all of their attention on getting noticed. Search ranking, site traffic, even the number of new leads they are adding to their pipeline. They are important and a starting point for success, but that’s it, they’re just a starting point.
An under utilized component of your online marketing is how effective your programs are at providing sales ready opportunities.
Nurturing your leads with an effective lead management system till they’re sales ready can be the difference between high close rates and simply playing the ‘dialing for dollars’ game.
Learning how to build a successful lead management system that nurtures your leads and delivers for your company’s bottom line starts by answering three simple questions.
Q: Who is the buyer?
Is the prospect you’re trying to connect with a decision maker? Can they connect you to the decision maker? Both are valuable contacts for your lead management system but each must be handled differently.
A: Ask what role your lead has in their organization in your landing page forms early in the process.
Q: What is their challenge?
Understanding what problem your prospect is trying to solve is critical to your success. Everyone is willing to talk about tactics but understanding the underlying challenge is more important.
A: Ask in your follow up forms questions about their challenges and needs. You can also monitor which pages on your site they’re visiting. What they find interesting will tell you a lot about what they’re looking to do.
Q: Where are they in their decision process or buyers cycle?
Understanding where the buyer is in their purchase decision is key to any successful lead management system. Whether you use BANT, GPCC, PPVVC or any other sales structure, it’s important to understand your prospect’s timing to be able to make a sale.
A: Buyers will likely visit your site multiple times before they’re ready to speak with your sales team. Use these visits to build trust with them over time by offering additional helpful content downloads. Pay attention to the kinds of content they access. This will tell you where they are in their decision process and when it makes sense to engage in a conversation.
Building Trust by helping answer their questions
