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.

You Have 5 Minutes to Contact Leads

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.

78% of Customers Buy From the First Responder

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.

Sales Conversions are 391% Higher in the First Minute

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.

If you take Longer Than 5 Minutes, it will result in an 80% Decrease in Lead Qualification

Eighty is the percentage decrease in the odds of qualifying your lead between 5 minute and 10 minute response times.

Right Now, 55% of Companies Take 5+ Days to Respond

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.

Limited engagement in place for nurturing – “If Your Sellers Aren’t Engaged, Your Customers Won’t Be Either”

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:

1. They have a business pain that needs to be taken care of.
2. They are actively looking for information to help them solve their pain.
3. They are willing to trust people who can help them in overcoming this pain.

Please Let Them Know You’re Available

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.

Enroll them in your Marketing Newsletter

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.

Send Them Relevant Content which suits/interests them

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.

Invite them to company events – It gives a personalized touch.

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.