Research shows that 69% of buyers accepted a call from new salespeople in the past 12 months, and 27% of sellers admit that making phone calls to a new contact is extremely effective.
Did you know that asking between 11–14 questions during a lead call will translate to 74% greater success?
Lead response time is quickly becoming the most powerful determiner of successful contact, conversions, and even bookings and closes for agencies operating in the B2B space. The longer you take to contact a lead after they request information or a demo, the less likely you are to close that deal.
This seems nearly impossible because it is for many organizations using their current processes, but the consequences are actually grave. And according to a study conducted only 7% of the surveyed companies are currently achieving an average lead response time of five minutes or less.
According to a recent study, 78% of customers buy from the company that responds to their inquiry first. That’s how severe the organizational consequences can be of taking a few extra minutes to make a cup of Joe before getting to those leads.
According to another research, there is an increase of 391% sales conversions when inbound leads are contacted within the same minute that they submit a demo. This isn’t an increase in presentation bookings or anything like that, this is conversions. If your organization is able to make this a reality, you would join the top 1% of companies selling B2B, and enjoy the awesome results.
Eighty is the percentage decrease in the odds of qualifying your lead between 5 minute and 10 minute response times.
As per a study, only 55% of companies do not contact their inbound leads within 1 full business week. This is really very bad for the business.
It’s no secret that engaged customers are better customers. Improving customer engagement can strengthen customer loyalty, increase a customer’s lifetime value, and improve and solidify brand perception.
Every customer is willing to engage because:
Acknowledge the fact you know people get busy with other projects and offer a flexible schedule for them to get back to you. Be friendly and open, and they’ll recognize that.
Sometimes leads become stuck because the decision-maker at the company is not on board – yet. If your marketing team sends a regular newsletter and they’re not on the list, ask if they want to subscribe. Your leads will stay on top of your company’s communication and your brand will keep resurfacing. Then, hopefully, when the time is right, they’ll be excited to begin working with you again.
If you’re looking for a way to reconnect with a lead, sending them a piece of content that addresses their exact pain points is a good idea. Send something they haven’t seen before with a note explaining why you’re doing so. This demonstrates that you haven’t forgotten about them or their situation and hopefully opens the door for conversations.
If your company is hosting a webinar, Twitter chat, or in-person event, send a personalized invite to your prospect. The invite will remind them about your company to them, and if they accept, they’ll have another opportunity to learn about your offerings and why they should work with you.
Author Profile Varuna Raghav As a CX and marketing specialist, Varuna Raghav has more than 15+ years of experience in […]
Read moreis the apt framework developed for deploying the right mix of People, Process & Technology in a business with a clear eye on increasing lead conversion, reducing customer acquisition & management cost, and winning customers for life.