How many times do you meet a potential customer, or get a qualified lead referred to you, only to have the opportunity languish on the sidelines while you continue to prospect for new business and service the business already coming in the door?
Salespeople should do three things very well: Attract, Engage, and Service.
Some sales professionals attract new customers like magnets. They're great at connecting with people from every walk of life, and I've noticed that they share some common traits. They tend to be friendly and smile often. They like to help people and often give out free advice, demonstrating their mastery of the topic at hand. Should they not have an answer they're often the first ones to track down and supply the needed information to those who need it.
Attract leads by doing your homework. Do a google search, know how to pronounce their name, review their LinkedIn page, and check the company website. Finding things in common is an important step in forming a stronger connection with your leads.
This is where most sales reps fall down, and sales professionals excel. Regardless of how tech savvy they are, as sales professional has an engagement and follow-up process that moves the lead to a closed customer or a lost opportunity. There are a few things to do once you've decided the lead is qualified. Be sure to design a process that touches base with your prospect on a regular basis. The frequency will depend on your industry and prospects, but a good cadence typically sees a new prospect receiving 5-8 "touches" from a sales professional in the first month, then every 2-4 weeks thereafter.
The more you can automate the initial contacts the better, given most names scribbled on pieces of paper get lost of under a pile of other papers and notes. The reason why most sales reps fall down at engagement is because there is simply too many things vying for their attention. Using a tool that allows you to automate the process will ensure you're engaging prospects because it can be set to function on autopilot. Now ... all you need to do is get those people in your CRM!
Engagement can take many forms: email, blog, phone, social media platforms, and in-person. Think about your first month of engagement with a qualified lead as an opportunity to learn more about them, and to help them learn more about you/your company. Consider your cadence (frequenccy and type) of contact like you would if you're trying to get to know someone. Too little and they'll wonder if you think they're important, too much and you risk pushing them away. You'll need to land on what's right for you, however I've seen many successful people contact two times per week for the first 2 weeks, once by phone and once by email the 3rd week, and twice in the fourth week. By then you'll have a pretty good idea if the relationship is going anywhere, and you can out them in the appropriate monthly campaign thereafter.
Be sure to provide a simple means for your new customers to get up the curve with your service/product in the first three weeks of being a customer. There are some great tools out there to choose from. Find one that fits your budget and can grow with you over the long haul. We also recommend checking in with customers on a regular basis to learn what they like about your product/service, and if there are any opportunities for enhancements.
Great sales representatives often go the extra mile, and it goes without saying that delighting your customers is the easiest way to grow your business. Not only will those customers do more business with you, but they'll refer their friends, family, and colleagues to you too. Make a point to service your clients well because it's easier keeping one than it is to get a new one.
A classic challenge facing sales reps in that they stop prospecting when they get busy. When the administrative workload (related to getting business) goes up, the sales prospecting goes down. Sales pros make a point of prospecting every day, and hand off the administrative duties to a co-worker when possible. Be sure to set aside at least 1 hour a day for prospecting if you feel you are already busting at the seams. When your competitors slow down, you'll see your sales results will keep on trucking.