How to Prioritize and Engage
Your Best Prospects
The Editors
20th August 2019
Engage Your Prospects with the Right Message at the Right Time
In the information age, whoever has the most information has the most power. With today’s data and technology capabilities, sales teams have more power than ever to connect with their prospects on a deeper level. However, more information doesn’t necessarily mean they have the right information. The most competitive sales teams are the most effective at knowing:
- Whom to target (both companies and people)
- When best to contact them (need and readiness to purchase)
- What’s most meaningful to them (to connect your offer to their need)
Whom to Target
Have you ever gotten a hold of someone at a prospect company and spent valuable time engaging with them only to find out that they don’t have the power to make a purchasing decision for that company, or worse, that the company doesn’t have a real need in the first place? Knowing whom to target is essential for an efficient sales process that focuses efforts on viable prospects instead of false leads.
With all the information available on the internet and social media, it’s easy to gather data from disparate sources all over the web and assume that the information you are getting is correct. However, without a unified and trusted source to access prospect data and make lead prioritization decisions from, many sales teams are leaving big opportunities on the table to go chase smaller, slower deals. Furthermore, they don’t realize how much time they are wasting gathering that unreliable information. Inaccurate or incomplete prospect information can be a huge roadblock that you may not even know you have – but definitely one worth the effort of overcoming.
When to Contact
One of the most complex and challenging aspects of B2B selling is targeting the right prospects at the right time. Inboxes are flooded daily with numerous requests from unidentified sellers, all trying to grab the attention of someone who can make a purchasing decision. According to research by Forrester, 74% of deals are awarded to the seller who is first to provide value and insight. However, being the first to email doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have sent the first email they open. Knowing more about where they are in their buying cycle – to be the first to reach out when they’re paying attention – is the key to actually being “first.”
A company event such as a new product launch, a change in management, or a merger can alert sales teams that it could be a good time to approach and engage a prospect company. However, by the time this information has been made public, it is often too late. Sales teams should keep close tabs on potential customers and remain aware of any major shifts within the organization.
What’s Most Meaningful to Your Prospect?
What is most meaningful to your prospect? What are their pain points? What are their goals? A talented salesperson armed with the right data can transform a sales pitch into a meaningful problem-solving conversation with a prospect. Cold calls and emails from sellers without the right information are often seen as annoying at best and may even damage your company’s reputation. In order for a prospect to see value in your offering, they need to feel that you understand and care about their needs.
Anyone can look up information about a company online and attempt to use it to make a sale. Making an authentic connection to your prospects is the only real way to break through the noise and set yourself apart from the competition. To do this, you need to contact the right person at the right time with meaningful insights that add value to their work.
This may sound challenging, but with the right tools, it can be a highly effective approach to selling.
Next Steps
Traditional methods of cold calling and hard selling will no longer work in a world where information is abound online.
Start looking at quality data, understanding consumer behaviour and build connections with your clients.