When SPEED KILLS Sales!
By Perry Rearick, Chief Editor, Follow Your Buyer
I speak with quite a few B2B solution providers who operate on the premise that the faster they contact a “lead” increases their chances of closing a sale. This isn’t true!
This mindset is often based on a great desire for efficiency but sacrifices effectiveness, or outcomes. It is built on a couple of assumptions. One, that every contact they receive is ready-to-buy until proven otherwise. And two, that the contact has simultaneously reached out to a group of solution providers and plan to work with the first one to reply.
This encourages B2B sellers to create standard automated responses to anyone who shares their contact information no matter where they are in their buyer’s journey. This includes auto-generated meeting requests for standard demos or presentations. Sometimes just a slide deck is sent or even a survey requiring the contact to offer the details around their project.
When the prospect is in the early to middle stages of their buyer’s journey, where they spend more than 80% of their time, this form of speed kills any chance for a business relationship.
Rather than building sales follow-up on speed, sellers should structure their prospect follow-up engagement on quality. Here are some tips!
- After receiving a prospect’s contact information, pause!
- Learn what you can about the person using their contact information only as a starting point.
- Review their LinkedIn profile to include the things they post about, engage with, and comment on to get a better understanding of who they are.
- Where did the contact information come from, accessing marketing content, filling out a contact form, or a list that was purchased?
- Reach out to the contact by email, phone, or LinkedIn message with an intent to help, not sell.
- Can’t reach them? Send them helpful information on a topic in which they are interested, don’t pitch them.
Speed often kills the sale! Instead, learn, understand & help!