Photo by Keith Lazarus on Unsplash
There’s a quote that we repeat often in our blogs and emails. It’s from Wanda Allen:
“80% of sales are made between the 5th and 12th contact, yet 90% of salespeople make 3 contacts or less.”
This contrast between sales effort and client expectations underscores a reality: too many salespeople abandon their efforts prematurely, costing them orders and their businesses growth.
Several factors might contribute to salespeople abandoning leads prematurely:
- Fear of rejection: Nobody enjoys hearing “no,” and repeated rejections can chip away at confidence.
- Impatience: The desire for quick results can lead to frustration when sales don’t materialise instantly.
- Misplaced focus: Some salespeople prioritise chasing new leads over cultivating existing ones.
- Lack of a system: Without a structured follow-up plan, it’s easy to lose track of leads and let opportunities slip through the cracks.
While the first three points are important, it’s the lack of a clear system driving the follow up process that allows the element of uncertainty about when and how leads need to be tracked to creep in.
What are the key benefits of having a clear follow up plan in place?
Consistency and efficiency: A structured process ensures that every lead receives timely and appropriate follow-up, preventing potential customers from slipping through the net from inaction on the sales team’s part. This consistency helps build trust and keeps your brand top-of-mind.
Personalised communication: A structured process can be more personalised, allowing you to tailor your follow-up messages and calls to the specific needs and interests of each prospect. This increases engagement and demonstrates that you’ve taken the time to understand their unique situation.
Improved lead nurturing: A well-defined process allows for strategic lead nurturing, guiding potential customers through the sales funnel with relevant content and offers. This helps build relationships and positions your product or service as the solution to their problems.
Data-driven optimisation: By tracking the effectiveness of your follow-up process, you can gather data on email open and click-through rates, and conversion rates from your calling. This allows you to identify areas for improvement and optimise your strategy over time.
Clearer forecasting: A structured process eliminates guesswork and streamlines the sales pipeline. By having well qualified and nurtured leads to bank on cash flow forecasting and sales targets can be more accurate.
Overall, a structured sales follow-up process provides a framework for consistent and effective communication with prospects, which increases the likelihood of converting them into paying customers.
So why don’t more businesses do it?
The big issue as always is time and resources. Your sales team have numerous, often conflicting, demands on them. The one that is often let slip is follow up which is where YBDT come in. Our proven lead nurturing service will see us take over the initial follow up of new leads taking the pressure off your team, until it’s time to convert. We can help you increase your sales conversion through applying the appropriate follow up based on each enquiry. Because it is what we do for our clients every day we never give up too soon.
That Wanda Allen quote serves as a powerful reminder that persistence is not just a buzzword, but a proven path to sales success. The sales journey as we have suggested in previous blogs is often a winding road, filled with twists, turns, and unexpected challenges. By developing a persistence mindset and following a clear strategy, you can navigate this journey with confidence and achieve the results you desire.
YBDT have been supporting business’s pipeline development for many years. By investing in well-defined lead nurturing support, you can ensure a consistent flow of new business opportunities, improve customer relationships, and achieve greater predictability in your sales and revenue. Learn more about our processes by booking a discovery call with YBDT today.