This article looks at the art of how to manage your lead nurture process within your business.
What is classified as a lead?
A lead is defined as a person or business who may eventually become a client. Leads can come into the business through a vast array of tactics. This could be through advertising, trade shows, word of mouth, outbound sales approaches and even through referrals.
What is a lead nurture process?
This is the process the business uses for talking to these potential customers. Many may not have any firmal process in place but this is an important aspect of bringing new clients on board. We, at Link Creator, believe that managing this process is fundamental to success in winning in new clients. So where do you start? Below we have highlighted some of the specifics to consider when planning your efforts.
Gathering Intelligence for your lead nurture process
Possibly the most important aspect of the whole process is understanding who your ideal clients actually are. Have you got a target list of the top 200 businesses that you want to work with? Once you have this in place you can understand relevant intelligence to these organisations. Such as, current turnover levels, mergers and acquisitions, significant annual profits and also large scale employee growth. Understanding this is key to know how best to pitch your business to them.
The Importance of CRM
Having a CRM system in place for the management of your leads is important. Having all the details of your lead in one place is a powerful tool. Understanding how many times they have been contacted and how will enable you to make business decisions on what works best for your business. If you run email and advertising campaigns you can track what was sent and viewed. All important to understand to focus on what works for your organisation.
How often should I be in touch with my prospects?
Gone are the days of bombarding businesses with flyers and emails on a daily or weekly basis in the hope that someone will buy from you. A more scientific approach is required. Understanding where your prospects are in the sales cycle is crucial to be ahead of your competitors. Having touchpoints such as landing pages, telephone meetings, webinars and also website clicks will give you the detail required to understand where prospects are in the sales cycle.
In Conclusion
No one size fits all will be appropriate for every business. However, having a process which understands the lifecycle of your prospects will enable your business to be ahead of the curve winning new clients.
Interested to learn more about lifecycle marketing – see more here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdVLHhSeAog&t=75s