B2B Lead Blog

I couldn’t agree more. The power of relevant, timely and prospect/client-focused conversations is undeniable. 10 of these will generate far more long-term, sustainable, revenue than 100 ‘buy something now’ type actions.

The problem seems to be that too many organisations seem to confuse activity with results. How many of us have head someone, usually from Sales, shouting “just do something NOW!”?

Marketers need to bridge the gap with Sales and convince them that they do far more than make things look pretty. We need to show them the science as well as the art. We’re on the same side after all.

(And just so you know, I’ve been both sides of the fence.)

“Treat “leads” like “future customers” because that’s what they are.”

Couldn’t agree more. However, I also like to treat “future customers” like “leads” because eventually, if treated the way you’d want to be treated, they will lead more “future customers” your way.

Or perhaps that was what you were saying in the last bullet.

Best,
Alex

Yep that’s what I meant : ) Treat “leads” like “future customers” because that’s what they are.

Nurture your existing customers too. Don’t just emphasize new account acquisition nurturing. From this point forward you should look to nurture your current customers with the same energy and optimism as you do with leads and you’ll be amazed with the results.

It can all be summed up with this: “TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED.”

Great points. I agree alignment is key. I wrote a post about getting sales and marketing aligned as one team here: Lead Generation Checklist – Part 2: Sales and Marketing – One Team.

Maybe others might find it relevant.

http://blog.startwithalead.com/weblog/2009/09/lead-generation-checklist-part-2-sales-and-marketing-one-team.html

Brian,

You definitely bring up some good points about lead nurturing. One thing I would like to add that our Marketing Specialists express to our customers at LeadLife is that they need to take a personalized approach with all outbound communication to their prospects by including name, company information, and more. It’s always smart to mention what they downloaded from your company and based on their particular interest; send them another piece of material that will help to educate them more on your product or service offering. Statistics show that personalization increases reception of information and action!

- Meredith

Brian, In reflecting on your post I was thinking that whenever I have a need, my first question is not, ”
where can I go to find what I need?” The first question is “WHO do I know that can …?” Of course, the “Who” is the person (or company) that has kept in touch.

Totally agree on personalization. It takes some effort but the results are worth it.

One thing that can also make a difference is WHO the communication is FROM. People buy from people. So nurturing communications should come from the person that they KNOW. I see companies do “nurturing” using their company name in the “From:” but they are missing that the “Who” matters as much as the what from a relevancy standpoint. It’s about building a relationship.

Great point. In this age of automation, depersonalization, scoring and measurement, we need to insert the “human touch” in B2B marketing. The “WHO” matters a lot. People by from people they know, trust and believe they can help them.

Alex, excellent point.

I really liked the idea that you impart through this post of yours. Indeed lead nurturing is very important.

This post is so true. People are so worried about clients they sometimes forget who COULD be clients. I like to include timeliness in my approach to leads as well. If someone wants to buy, they want to buy now! Executing their time frame is a great piece for me to remember.

Eric Saylor

Dear Brian,

I appreciate your site. Thank you for your detailed insights and guidance.

In the midst of the financial crisis, there’s a lot of bashing and cynicism towards performance measurement and recognition, and inspirational efforts in the workplace. Just check any bar in lower Manhattan! It’s a shame.

As a VP leading over 100 salespeople, I’ve found that the hard factis that QUALITY performance recognition works. Not just for morale, but in dollars. I have been using a couple of different tools for retaining
good people and bringing in the larger sales figures. A#1 is Design Your Inspiration
( http://www.dyi.successories.com ), intelligent, customizable with any words or great quotes you want to use. Framed art photography prints.

Again, the quality of these, and the MEANING emparted makes them highly effective for me. So while the cynics shed tears in their beers, we’re laughing all the way to the bank! Thanks again. Jim

Dear Brian

I’ve just found your website via the back roads of the internet, and I am enjoying what I’m seeing so far. Nurturing customers is an absolute must, because every satisfied old customer automatically becomes a new customer when the time comes around, not to mention the fact that every satisfied customer is just about as the best salesperson you can ever have.

This of course if they knew you had what they wanted, apart from their regular purchase. Communicating with your customers and figuring out exactly what line of business they’re in, what consumables and professional services they use, etc is a very important step towards identifying possible needs, and then presenting yourself as a possible service provider to take care of that need if it arises again. Networking is an all important part of any successful salesperson, as it is all about relationships at the end of the day.

Thank you for a most insightful post, I look forward to enjoying more from you.

All the best

Lizzie

Love the post. I talk to a lot of “seasoned” sales professionals who think that hunting is the way to go. I have even been asked how to turn farmers into hunters. However, farmers plant seeds in fertile soil, then the nurture the seed with water and fertilizer until the seed has grown into a plant that is ready to be harvested.

Just as farming replaced hunting in food production, so has it done in sales.