Congratulations on the successful execution of your marketing efforts! You've generated some excellent results and are now packed with new leads. Great!
Now comes the crucial part – converting those leads into actual sales.
Strategic follow-ups are critical to your success here. You want to strike the right balance – not losing touch with potential customers while avoiding overwhelming them with too many follow-ups.
Here's a fascinating insight: Research shows that around 80% of sales leads require at least five follow-ups after the first contact before they make a decision.
Surprisingly, only 8% of salespeople actually follow through with that many attempts.
Yes, you read that right – it takes a minimum of five consistent follow-ups after the initial sales contact to get a customer on board!
Let's look at some intriguing statistics:
The table clearly shows that 92% of salespeople give up after four "no's," while only 8% of salespeople push through and ask for the order a fifth time.
Guess what? That 8% of persistent salespeople are the ones who end up with 80% of the sales. It turns out 80% of prospects say "no" four times before finally saying "yes."
We know five follow-up attempts might seem like a lot, but fear not! To give you a hand, here are our 12 best practices to effectively respond to sales leads – and gradually convert them into loyal customers.
Turning your prospects into sales starts with prompt follow-up! Quick response time is crucial in securing a lead's interest and building trust. So, here's the first best practice for you – be prompt!
How quickly should you respond to a lead? Well, send a fast revert via a thank-you or welcome email or a phone call within 12-24 hours after receiving a new lead.
It demonstrates that you are completely dedicated to customer service and that too, 24x7!
To respond quickly, check out these expert tips:
Remember, being the first to respond increases your chances of closing the sale. Thus, make it a priority to get back to your leads as soon as possible.
Not all leads are created equal, and their status in the sales funnel can vary. Hence, to tailor your approach accordingly, sort your leads into at least three categories: Hot, Warm, and Cold. Note that this segmentation is a part of the lead-scoring process.
Lead scoring ranks leads based on their level of interest, engagement, and potential to convert into customers. Here’s how:
Lead scoring helps you personalize your messaging and prioritize your follow-up efforts. Here’s how:
Imagine receiving a generic, impersonal email from a salesperson. Chances are, it would end up in the trash.
But now, imagine receiving a personalized message that addresses your specific needs and concerns. It would grab your attention, right? That's the power of personalization!
Adding a personal touch to your follow-up responses increases the chances of engaging your leads. Also, you increase your likelihood of building a lasting relationship with them.
Now, how do you write an email to a sales lead that’s customized as per their preferences? Here are our tactics:
These small details significantly impact you and set you apart from the rest.
You want to focus on the leads most likely to become customers, not waste time on those that won't.
One way to do this is by using lead scoring. It assigns point values to specific consumer behaviors. Therefore, it helps you identify the hottest leads.
But even before that, you can start qualifying leads by asking the right questions. Find out the following information:
When your answers are ready, you can determine whether they're a good fit for your product or service. Plus, you can gauge if they're ready to move forward with your solutions.
| Lead Scoring Criteria | Point Value |
| Website Visit | 5 |
| Email Open | 10 |
| Email Click | 15 |
| Downloaded Resource | 20 |
| Webinar Attendance | 25 |
| Requested Demo | 30 |
| Social Media Engagement | 5 |
| Job Title (Decision-Maker) | 20 |
| Company Size (Ideal Fit) | 15 |
| Budget Availability | 10 |
| Lead Score Range | Lead Qualification |
| 0-25 | Not Qualified (NQ) |
| 26-50 | Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) |
| 51-75 | Sales Qualified Lead (SQL) |
| 76-90 | Opportunity |
| 91 and above | Customer |
By assigning points to each lead scoring criteria, you can gauge the level of engagement and interest displayed by a lead. Based on the accumulated score, you can then classify leads as MQLs, SQLs, opportunities, or customers. It will enable your team to prioritize and tailor their approach accordingly.
Always make every interaction with your prospects count by giving them something valuable.
You can achieve this by:
Remember that your leads won't become customers overnight. So, the key is to nurture their interest and slowly "warm" them up.
Therefore, be persistent and consistent. For instance, rather than going headfirst for the big sale, focus on smaller milestones – like having them download a guide or visit a blog post.
You never know which method of communication your leads prefer. As such, make sure you're ready for all of them.
Don't reach out on every platform all at once. Instead, focus on one channel at a time. However, be proactive:
Here are a few ways you can connect:
Establishing a relationship based on trust and rapport can increase your chances of turning your leads into loyal patrons.
It helps build rapport and creates a sense of loyalty. Hence, it can lead to repeat purchases and referrals.
Here are some ways to build a connection:
When it comes to selling, you don't want to sound like a robot. You cannot simply recite a script and attempt to fit a square peg into a round hole.
Instead, take a more human approach and listen to the potential client's wants and needs.
By comprehending their requirements, you can:
Here are a few ways to get in tune with the lead's needs:
How do you handle sales leads – so that they convert fast? Well, offer them proper solutions.
Giving a solution per your lead's needs will help them move through the sales funnel and ultimately convert into buying customers.
Additionally, by providing a solution, you demonstrate the following to your prospects:
Here's a simple example to illustrate the same:
Let's say one of your leads expresses frustration with their current marketing strategy. So, you can offer a solution by proposing a comprehensive marketing plan. Ensure to include the following elements in your blueprint:
Now, a comprehensive solution like the one mentioned above showcases how you can quickly identify and address your lead's specific needs and provide value to their business.
A lead will not convert into a customer on the first touchpoint. That’s why it's crucial to keep your brand top of mind for them. Consistent follow-up ensures the same and demonstrates that you're invested in their requirements.
Here are some strategies you can use to follow up with your leads:
Keeping your CRM (Customer Relationship Management) up to date is crucial for the success of your business.
A CRM is like a digital Rolodex that keeps track of all your interactions with your customers and prospects. Therefore, the information must be accurate and current.
By doing so, you will achieve the following goals:
To keep your CRM up to date, you can follow the below-mentioned steps:
It's critical to conduct ongoing assessments and improvements to your process for responding to sales leads. Only then you can stay a step ahead of your competition and reach your sales goals.
To ensure the above, focus on following these steps:
You can additionally check out the below tips to continuously enhance your approach:
Maintaining a consistent presence in front of your potential customers is vital without being intrusive. Your objective should be to be there for them when they are ready to make a purchase rather than trying to force a sale.
This approach demonstrates reliability and shows your leads that they are valued and respected. So, do you want to gain more insights on how to revert to your sales leads effectively? You can consult our experts at Revnew!