Telemarketing Software Featured Article

There is no one single “sales” process. The steps from a marketing campaign to an early lead to a closed sale will vary from industry to industry, and product or service line. Business-to-consumer sales are very different from business-to-business sales, and the processes engaged in by outside sales teams vary from those followed by inside sales teams. At their core, however, all sales processes have one very important element: leads.

According to VanillaSoft’s Christina Mylnski, while the sales cycle is an extended process, lead nurturing is one of its most critical functions. Without good leads acted upon in the right way in the right time, the later stages of the sales cycle will never happen, and sales will never be closed. When leads are tracked, shared and analyzed by means of some internal solution, usually telemarkting software, they can be well and truly “nurtured.”

“Lead nurturing must remain consistent and produce meaningful communication with viable prospects,” wrote Mylnski. “It’s not about simply following up every month or so, true nurturing involves a long and circuitous path – but along the way, you’ll be build trust-filled relationships. Setting up appointments and following through on deals is not a ‘one-fits-all box’ of completion. It’s extremely important to remember that not all prospects are created equal.”

Mylnski notes that there are four critical steps to properly handling leads. They are:

Build credibility. Before an inside sales rep speaks to a prospect or a lead, he or she should have the knowledge required to sound intelligent, educated, and cognizant of the lead’s challenges.

Focus on progression. Getting so far and no further won’t result in a sale. Inside sales reps need a “journey map” to a sale for each customer, customized for his or her (or an organization’s) needs. Here, sales professionals can use telemarketing software to create different lead nurturing tracks for different customers.

Guide the buyer. Buyers will often need a little help moving from one stage of the buying process to the next. (This does not include unwanted badgering, however.) Make sure content is targeted and relevant, and communications aren’t too annoyingly frequent. Telemarketing software can help with getting both the content and the timing right.

Demonstrate why you’re the best choice. Particularly in business-to-business sales, buyers may be evaluating a dozen potential vendors. If you’re not giving buyers a compelling reason to choose you, they won’t.

“You must stand above the pack buy piquing their interest to put you near the top of the market,” wrote Mylnski. “Give potential buyers the competitor comparison they’re looking for upfront.”

All of these processes can be time-consuming and complex, but telemarketing software can help inside or outside sales teams ensure they’re remembering when to do which tasks to help nurture sales from leads to closed sales as quickly and effectively as possible.