A lot of effort is being made to generate B2B leads and telemarketing sales leads. However, what does the activity following lead generation efforts, such as lead nurturing, qualification and follow-up times, look like? These are some points in marketing and sales we may have lost sight of in the game of the chase that should be addressed.
According to a study most recently done for Harvard Business Review, 71 percent of qualified leads never get a follow-up. Even worse, the ones that did get a follow-up were only contacted on an average of 1.3 times.
By designing an effective protocol for B2B lead nurturing and response, you can lay out exactly how to classify your leads, and then determine when they should be followed up with, how often and so on.
Lead Classifications:
1) Type of Product/Service
Are you selling something to fill a current need with an existing product or service? If so, your response times should be faster-paced.
2) Source
Inbound leads usually need a faster response than outbound leads. However, look deeper into the individual leads to make specific judgments.
3) Company Quality
One thing to keep in mind about leads is you’re really qualifying the company, not the contact. Pay attention to the company when determining the strength of a lead.
4) About the Buyer
Think about where the lead is in their purchasing journey. If you call them five minutes after downloading a PDF from your website, you’ll likely turn them off.
Other Things to Consider:
What is their buyer persona?
How did you get the lead?
What other interactions have they had with your company and your website?
Response Time
Use the resources you have to respond as quickly as possible. One statistic: For a lead generated online, waiting only five minutes will reduce the likelihood of making contact by 10 times. That may not always be necessary and few companies have those types of resources, but it’s important to understand the importance of time.
Response Frequency
Increase your frequency of response from the 1.3 average to around 6 times and your success rates could increase by 70 percent.
To learn more about lead generation and nurturing, contact us. Our team specializes in lead generation, follow up and other marketing services.