Inbound marketing (content marketing, social media marketing, search engine optimization, and branding)1 is everywhere. Multiple organizations (whether B2B or B2C) generate thousands of leads through inbound tactics. A common misconception among salespeople is that inbound leads easily convert into paying clients. Certainly, if your marketing channels are integrated and optimized, your leads should be very interested in your product or services and have a good idea of what you do. However, every lead needs to be converted. While this may sound obvious, lead conversion is a nuanced science. When approached with a strategic and nurtured work flow, you can increase the percentage of leads that become long-term and paying clients.
Increase Sales Team Quality
A poor or undertrained sales team is the principal cause of poor conversions. While many salespeople may be good at converting cold calls into leads, they may not be trained to handle inbound leads. One easy strategy a salesperson can do is to listen. Ensuring all sales team members listen to the prospect evokes trust (and other positive feelings). The lead will feel as though the company is there to sympathize with their roadblocks, issues, and concerns. Your team needs to provide honest solutions and suggestions. Make the prospective client know that your company is there to solve problems or direct the lead to someone who can solve their problems. Build trust.
Poor Content
Although “Content is King”, it is generally most critical in the early stages of the sales cycle. Prospects need to know, indeed feel, that your content is based on expertise, is validated and novel. The purpose of your content is to allay your leads’ doubts and make them understand that not only will you solve their problems, but they can rely on you as a trusted business partner. Build confidence through content.
Immediate Response
Acknowledge all your leads. If your company responds too late, you’ve lost a hard-earned lead, and you’ve probably helped your competitor because your former lead is still interested in your offering. However, they are searching for a reliable service or product provider that will respond to them. An immediate response makes the lead feel valuable and special because of the following reasons:
- By giving them immediate attention, you can answer any questions directly, and you can alleviate any concerns that your lead may have.
- Impress your lead with market-beating service. Your lead will know that you are there to help them whenever they need something.
Nurture your leads
The “secret sauce” to lead conversion is in the follow-up. Contact your lead often, let them know you are available for any questions. Inform them of the best practices and any updates you may have. If prospects weren’t interested in hearing from you, they wouldn’t be your prospects!
Underrepresented Benefits
Sell the benefits of your products and services, not their features. Let the potential client know why your features are important, not that you have them. Your competitors probably have similar features, and you need to let your prospect know why yours are better.
Misunderstood Price Points
Maybe your prospects think that your price is too high. But more often than not, they don’t understand why your price is set at a certain number. Let them know that you provide world-beating service. Help the prospect understand that your product has the highest quality and that discounting your price would only mean discounting your service. If your client is not convinced, help them understand with a free trial or a money back guarantee.
Inbound leads can be a fantastic start to a strong and profitable sales cycle. However, the real conversion happens in the follow-up. If you follow the steps outlined above, commit them to memory, and train your sales staff to live and breathe them, you will increase your conversion rate.
If you would like to have a more in-depth discussion about increasing lead conversion, optimizing inbound lead generations, or want to chat about marketing and advertising in general, please drop us a line or say hi on social media. Ad Science Lab always put our clients’ needs first.
