For most businesses, regardless of the industry or the
products and services being offered, Lead Generation is a critical
component of a successful sales and marketing strategy. But not every
business understands the difference between Lead Generation and Lead
Nurturing, and the importance of implementing both tactics into their
overall sales process.
Did you know that “79% of marketing leads never convert into sales? Lack of lead nurturing is the common cause of this poor performance?”
Know the Importance of Lead Generation:
Lead generation is undoubtedly an integral part of the
overall sales process, but what is it, exactly, and why is it so important?
Lead Generation is the process of generating excitement around specific
products and services in order to bring potential new customers into the sales
pipeline. This can be done by way of inbound or outbound marketing, each of
which has its advantages and disadvantages, and so should be used in
combination for the highest success rate.
Inbound marketing is a less aggressive form of lead generation, which
allows potential customers to find their way to information about your products
and services, and encourages them to request additional information via a lead
form or other method of capturing contact information for follow-up. Examples
of inbound marketing include content marketing by way of blogging, e-books,
whitepapers, email-marketing, social media marketing etc...
One advantage of using inbound marketing strategies is the
ability to track performance as it occurs, which allows for tweaking campaigns
in real-time. Inbound marketing also allows for developing a two-way
relationship with your leads, which brings us to the next essential step in
your marketing and sales strategy.
Outbound marketing is a somewhat invasive form of lead generation, and may
not appeal to certain types of buyers, so it’s important to research your
specific market before diving too heavily into this type of campaign. Examples
of outbound marketing include cold-calling, face-to-face direct marketing,
television, radio and print advertising. The disadvantages of outbound
marketing are that it is difficult to measure, can be off-putting to certain
buyer types, and can be quite costly with the potential for little return on
investment.
Lead Nurturing: Forming a Relationship with your Leads
Now that you have some leads, all of which are at various
stages of the buying process, what can you do to increase the likelihood of
turning these leads into sales? The answer is: lead nurturing. It
is not enough to simply gather leads and hand them over to sales. It’s
important to understand that each lead is different, and must be handled as
such.
Because not all leads are ready to purchase this instant,
it’s important to interact with your leads and to determine which stage they
are at. Are they just hearing of your products and services? Or, have they been
searching for the right products and services for some time and are comparing
your offerings to those of your competitors? Just because a lead isn’t ready to
buy this very instant, it doesn’t mean they aren’t almost ready to buy. The only way to find out where
they’re at is to ask, but first, you must establish trust.
If you’re trying to talk about pricing with someone who still
doesn’t fully understand the benefits and features of your product, you could
scare them away or turn them off to the product all together by seeming too
pushy. It’s all about listening to your leads and letting them take you through
the sales process, versus pushing them when they’re not ready. Be sure to check
in regularly, but not so often that you drive your leads crazy. By sharing
relevant and appropriate content at the right stages of the sales process, your
message is more likely to reach the right people at the right time.
Source:www.commonplaces.com
