Whatever industry you’re in and product or service you provide it is important that when leads are generated you are careful how you approach them. It is rare when you first meet a lead that they press money in your hand and immediately begin buying from you. Very rare. Instead the idea of Lead Nurturing is one that looks for you to take the hand of our lead and gently encourage them towards an eventual sale.
Statistics show that 65% of Business to Business (B2B) companies have yet to establish Lead Nurturing within their business, meaning more often than not, potential customers are being scared away by direct and intimidating sales drives. Knowing how to be patient is a key factor in nurturing any lead, allowing the relationship to develop at its own pace as opposed to forcing the issue and causing disharmony.
The way you market your business will follow this trend so it is crucial that you instil an ethos of patience across all marketing platforms. When you communicate with a lead through marketing it must be to build a relationship, rather than to push sales. But when they are ready to buy you must be ready too.
Ultimately finding prospects is easy. Online you are able to attract via your website, blog content and social media presence. Offline is where you develop the brand personality reflected through your online marketing, with network events and exhibitions. However the initial contact is made, carefully plan the follow up. Too soon can be fatal, too late and you’re forgotten.
You will transfer leads into customers in one of two ways. Firstly by presenting your lead with a service or product they don’t already have, or didn’t realise they’d need. The second is to be there when things go wrong with their current supplier. If you have been reliably patient you will be rewarded when your competitor proves unreliable. Building your brand within their mind is the key, so that when the unfortunate happens you are the immediate thought.
Content Marketing has been recorded as 3 times more effective than traditional outbound marketing and has the bonus of being 62% less expensive. It is through targeted email campaigns, regular, engaging blog content and a reliable social media presence that your relationships will develop. Stats show that a tweet is your most reliable source of website views, directing traffic easily and effectively. Offer interesting and useful info on industry, location and trends when you write, and make sure you track where leads generate from and why they chose to find you.
25% of leads are considered legitimate and should be pushed through to sales. Lead Nurturing is a great way of determining which if your leads make up that ¼. The ones happy to develop a relationship will become frequent buyers. Those who tail away will never be sold to and must be cut. Lead Nurturing creates efficiency within your business. By being restrained in your initial contact quality leads will follow and ultimately your profit will rise. Offer a pushy sales strategy and the opposite will prove true.