Have you heard of Market Nurturing or Lead Nurturing? Well, just as you tend to a seed with plenty of water, fertilizer, and sunshine, so also should you tend to your sales prospects.
So often we treat all of our sales prospects the same and put them into the same box. But, they all aren’t the same. And heaven forbid that we treat all our customers the same. They each have unique characteristics and needs.
Did you know that many of the sales leads generated by marketing get ignored by sales reps because they are not sales-ready leads. So, don’t listen to your sales reps who say that these leads aren’t “hot”. Help move those prospects further along the continuum towards a sale. Cultivate the relationships by being a good resource or a trusted advisor to your prospects. Here are a few suggestions to convert those leads to sales:
- Target the right people in the right company.
- Find out their buying process.
- Study your ideal customer.
- What are their priorities and challenges?
- Set a goal, for example, to have one relevant touch every month.
- Categorize your leads by their place on the continuum, such as in the beginning stage, intermediate stage, or sales-ready.
So, nurture those leads. Engage your prospects and nurture them to become sales-ready.
I fully agree with the above. Knowing the Client’s Purchasing Cycle is so important to make a sales move. In the rest of the time, you need to nurture the lead carefully by keeping them posted on your company happenings, new client wins, etc., That will generate some interest. Especially post something in a customized newsletter more appropriate to their needs. I saw today a free article on this from pro-resource. I think you can download it from http://www.proresource.com/freetemplate.html
Thanks for your comments. I think Nurture Marketing is a really "hot" topic right now. It's a great way, as you say, to have a win-win situation and generate interest in your company's solutions.