It is a term that is often used but rarely understood. So, let’s put that into perspective, shall we?
Sales Prospecting is the process by which marketers search for potential customers to achieve new business. The goal may sound simple, but it usually becomes a task that many find difficult to achieve. Think of it like this, sales prospecting works in the same way mining does, the end goal is to dig and sift through the unnecessary, to get to your desired product. Be it coal, gold, diamonds, a sale; whatever.
Taking that random analogy into context, all marketers should aim to prospect and prospect well. Learn to grow your business and make those targets seem like a walk-in-the-park. Nurture the needs of your prospects well before you can get them to commit to buying your product. Before going any further, let us try and understand the factors of B2B Sales Prospecting.
Let us run through five primary questions you as a marketer in today’s day-and-age need to ask yourself
A great way to get a better understanding of your prospects is to run through the questions above. This will help you as a marketer to map-out a more appropriate strategy to target prospects. Repeat the process until your plan is airtight.
Social media can be a powerful tool when used correctly to reach out to your prospects. You can work on relationship building strategies via social media platforms. Connect with your target audience through free or low-cost social media advertisements. You have the power to increase brand visibility through social media platforms.Think about it. There are over 3 billion people on social media today.
Although social media plays a pivotal role in the lives of everyone, email remains the preferred mode of communication today. B2B marketers are prime targets for marketing and sales teams. Most successful businesses run two types of email marketing campaigns. One for their sales teams who use it to reach decision-makers of a company. And the other for marketing teams to carry out blanket marketing campaigns. To target your clients, opt to use a well-integrated, refined email database offered by vetted industry players. It is a proven way to start an effective marketing campaign.
Join networking groups, as many as possible. Be they in the online world or the physical one. Connect as much as you can. Warm leads, cold calls, partnerships, referrals, conferences, and events. Be a part of all networking events. This will undoubtedly raise your profile amongst the peers of your respective industry. A great place to start is the Content Marketing World Conference and Expo 2019. Get to Cleveland, OH this September to meet the who’s-who of our industry.
You may have a sound sales pitch or could have targeted the right set of people, but that does not mean you are free from rejection. Don’t let that hold you back; work on making your prospects say ‘yes.’ Develop a strategy to nurture the interests of your prospective clients. Make them choose your product. Invest time in understanding why an approach didn’t work in your favor and fix it.
No matter how much you may dislike cold calling, consider this fact –78% of decision-makers have attended events as a result of a cold call. (Click to tweet) Cold calling can get monotonous, at times, sure. Follow the pointers below to turn your cold calls into messages of warmth:
Do your homework – Know who you are going to be talking to. What buyer persona do they fall under? What are their pain points? How will your product/service meet their needs and benefit their lives? The more information you have, the easier it will be for you to connect with them.
First impressions matter – It would behoove you to create a great first impression. By being transparent, speaking in a calm manner, and solving problems of your prospects, you stand to make a long-lasting impression. And that goes a long way! Be professional and maintain your conversations with an added human touch. This is crucial in improving your success rate among prospects.
It is one thing to look busy when you are at your workplace. It’s another thing to actually put in the work needed to maintain fruitful relationships. A lot of us (for whatever reason) tend to side-step the opportunity to catch-up or keep in regular contact with a prospect. Establish a systematic process to make sure that your pipeline is full. When you have a rigid process in place, the daunting task of prospecting becomes second nature.
Get your basics right, develop a strategy, and then invest in tools that lend your vision sturdy legs it can run with. Buying and focusing on technology will help you excel in prospecting your leads. By doing this, you will help take the weight off your marketing team’s shoulders. You will empower them to achieve any task at hand.
Video marketing is the need of the hour. Videos can help facilitate contact with prospective clients.
Videos can be viewed on various platforms and devices. They increase engagement levels exponentially. Take complete advantage of this medium. Don’t get left behind.
Sales prospecting can be a boon when it’s planned to perfection to increase ROI. You may be a marketer or sales development executive, but if you have got your marketing strategy on-point, the world is yours. B2B prospecting is often considered to be the most difficult part of the sales funnel. According to data from hubspot.in, almost 40% sales reps report prospecting as the most challenging aspect of the sales funnel, with less that 50% of your prospects being ideal fits for your product. However, with proper planning and implementation, the above-mentioned tips can be used to gain ideal prospects for your business.
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