Following up leads like a pro is also up to you. After all, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to follow up on leads the right way. If you’re reading this article then you’ve probably already found a way to generate leads. You are now looking for a way to follow up on leads that increases the likelihood of a high conversion rate. In this article, we will tell you all about following up leads like a pro with the help of 5 valuable tips.
This is a lead in a nutshell
If you work as a marketer or sales professional you will have to deal with leads. Leads are potential customers who are interested in your product or service. In lead generation, you deal with different leads that you need to approach differently during lead follow-up.
First, you will deal with cold and warm leads. A cold lead is someone who comes in contact with your company for the first time. The website visitor shows interest by filling out a contact form after which the cold lead turns into a warm lead. It is then up to you to hold the lead’s interest so that the lead converts to a paying customer.
In addition to cold and warm leads, you will also have to deal with marketing qualified leads and sales qualified leads. A marketing qualified lead needs extra persuasion to convert. It is up to the marketing department to figure out what this lead needs to proceed to a purchase. When the lead gets to the point where a purchase can be made, the lead turns into a sales qualified lead. To convert a sales-qualified lead to a paying customer, effective communication is essential. Following up on leads is more effective with these 5 tips.
Follow up leads like a pro: follow up with the lead immediately
Rule No. 1 in following up leads like a pro is to follow up on leads immediately. Responsiveness is hugely important. When you follow up with a sales qualified lead, the potential customer has already indicated interest in your product or service. They did this by leaving contact information. It is now up to you to persuade the lead to proceed with a purchase. The longer you wait to follow up with sales qualified leads, the lower the likelihood that these people will convert to paying customers.
This is because website visitors now know there are multiple options available. If you don’t respond quickly enough, the lead will look for competitors who do respond quickly. You want to avoid this, which is why it is important to respond quickly to leads. Do this by contacting the lead by phone. In addition to this, always provide an automated welcome email so the lead knows that his/her information has been received in good order. By automating this mail, you’ve already tackled the problem of late responses. In fact, the mail is sent automatically immediately after registration.
Are you working within a large company with multiple departments? Then it’s smart to agree on a response rate. For example, choose a specific time frame in which to make phone contact with the lead. Communicate the time frame to the sales or marketing department for effective follow-up on sales qualified leads.
Ask the right questions when following up on leads
The second tip is to ask the right questions during lead follow-up. This sounds logical, but if you don’t dwell on the right questions then you can’t ask them. Prior to lead tracking, look at the potential customer’s website. Here you may find valuable information about the client. Also look at the notes in the CRM system. In fact, chances are there is a colleague who has already been in contact with the lead. By paying attention to the lead’s needs before contact, you can compose questions. This also ensures that you can ask questions well during a phone call, allowing you to effectively advise the lead.
After initial personal contact, schedule follow-up steps
A successful lead follow-up does not stop at the first personal contact. In most cases, it is necessary to plan a follow-up step. For example, end the first phone call with an invitation to the office or a second call appointment at a specified time. During a second interview, for example, you can explain ambiguities in the offer or answer questions.
After the conversation, give the potential client time to decide if your service or product is a good fit for his/her needs. By scheduling a follow-up appointment, you give the customer time but also put slight pressure on the lead. As a result, people tend to take an offer more seriously. In addition to this, you don’t just state that you want to sell a product or service. You also show the potential customer that you value a good customer relationship and are attentive to the customer’s needs. When making a follow-up appointment, always provide a confirmation email to the lead so they cannot forget the appointment.
Provide an effective way to track leads
The lead is in, the first contact moment has occurred, and now you are left with loose notes that need to be linked to the lead. This registration ensures that everyone in your company can see the status of a lead, allowing specific action points to be determined. For secure and effective lead tracking, we recommend a CRM system. Most CRM systems ensure that new leads are registered automatically.
A CRM system doesn’t just help with lead registration. You can assign leads to tags or categories, allowing employees to see at a glance what stage of the customer journey a lead is in. A complete overview of customer data is created, so to speak. In it, in addition to contact information, you will also find how many contact moments have occurred, when and which emails were sent, by whom these emails were sent and what notes were taken. With a CRM system, all employees have a complete overview of customer data in one central environment.
Finally, it is possible to assign action items to employees. For example, you make sure that customers can always have contact with the same employee. By having the employee take notes during lead follow-up, it is easier for a colleague to take over work if needed.
Ensure good communication between the sales and marketing departments
Sales and marketing go hand in hand in terms of lead generation and lead follow-up. The marketing department is responsible for lead generation but once the leads are in, it is up to the sales department to follow up on leads appropriately. For this reason, it is important for both departments to work well together. By using a CRM system for internal communication, you ensure that both departments are on the same page when it comes to lead follow-up.
For the marketing department, there is also a need to communicate about new marketing campaigns. Based on the lead generation of a specific campaign, the sales department can provide feedback. With good communication between the marketing and sales departments, marketing campaigns can be optimized in response to data. With good communication, you will find out which campaigns are working and which are not, allowing you to optimize future campaigns.
Here’s how to follow up on leads like a pro
By keeping these 5 tips in mind, you can follow up on leads like a pro. It all starts with making contact and then it is important to provide the potential customer with relevant and valuable information. If you spend time building a good customer relationship then it is easier to find out exactly what the potential customer needs.
When lead following up, make sure you are well prepared, take notes of the conversation during follow up, and based on these notes, create a plan to convince the potential customer of your services and/or products. Finally, it is important to pay attention to lead registration. Using a CRM system makes lead registration, lead follow-up and internal communication easier and more efficient.
Is the right way of lead follow-up not quite clear to you yet or do you need help with lead follow-up in a specific niche? At GigaLeads, we are happy to serve you and your business. Our strength lies in developing a consistent flow of leads through proven online advertising strategies. For example, we help SMBs and independent business owners with lead generation and advise on how best to follow up on leads. At GigaLeads, you can count on leads that are interested in your organization.
Want to learn more about lead generation or get a free consultation on partnering with GigaLeads?
Contact us now
to find out how we can help your business follow up with leads like a pro.