In B2B marketing today, generating that “first conversion” is often regarded as the biggest challenge. But once we’ve achieved that first engagement (but before a final close), it’s not unusual to let our preoccupation with finding new prospects take our eyes off those we’ve already placed in our sales funnel. Here is where marketing automation—with the right balance of the human touch—can really make a difference.
As marketers (especially those focusing on the B2B space), one of our biggest challenges and concerns is that of “getting that first foot in the door,” or what I refer to nowadays as generating that First Conversion. As I talk to sales executives around the country in addition to central Ohio, invariably many (but certainly not all) will tell me that their closure rate is so good that all they need to do is get that first conversation going, and the rest will take care of itself.
Or will it?
Consider the reality that in effective marketing, you need to get four things RIGHT:
- You need the right message,
- To the right audience,
- At the right time,
- Through the right channel.
Now, the case could be made that if you don’t have the first two elements down (the right message to the right audience), it doesn’t matter how you perform on numbers 3 and 4. But even when you do have the right targeted message to the right targeted audience, if your timing and delivery channels are off, you will still likely not get the results you desire.
For example, most people make purchase decisions based upon their own personal sense of urgency and time table—not ours (I know this is hard news to accept!). And yes, there is a case to be made in many sales environments that the best customers are those who are willing to make decisions quickly, when presented with the options in a straightforward manner (with perhaps an incentive to act now rather than later).
On the other hand, the prospect who chooses to drag the decision-making timetable out indefinitely, you typically can bet money on that prospect ultimately deciding to do nothing.
In Sales, the Answer “No” Often Means “Not Today”
There are different schools of thought in the marketplace in how to regard prospects who, despite being otherwise qualified, are not ready to make a purchase today.
- Some sales reps will choose to cut them loose, with the belief that they are no longer worth the time or effort.
- Others will say, “Okay, let me circle back in two months and we will see then” (this can lead to a seemingly endless cycle–but then again, there is something to be said about “gentle persistence”).
The second approach has merit–however if you have a lead list full of dozens or even hundreds of these “not today” prospects, managing this backlog can prove cumbersome or even impossible without a strong CRM in place. With limited time and resources, in this case, you have to make decisions as to which prospects are worth your time and effort–and which are not.
But what if you could personally stay in touch with those “not today prospects” with almost NO time or effort on your part?
Even better, let’s say you connect with a prospect, pre-qualify and engage them, and extend an offer to do business. That prospect declines, citing other priorities of the day, but welcomes the chance to “…keep in touch and revisit the matter in three months.”
Yeah…I’ve heard that before, you’re thinking. So you file the prospect away and set yourself a reminder to follow up in three months. You also add him to your email distribution list.
By having a comprehensive system in place that fully integrates your website, outbound email, and a powerful CRM that tracks the history and behavior (i.e. the “journey”) of EVERY SINGLE PROSPECT in real time, you are able to get the RIGHT MESSAGE to the RIGHT PERSON at the RIGHT TIME through the RIGHT CHANNEL.
But what if, just three weeks (not three months) later, something with that prospect changes? What if, during the course of that day, he quietly returns to your website, and begins to scan over the web page for the specific product or solution you offered? Then, on that same day, he also (quietly) digs through his email history, and opens the message from you with your proposal?
What would it be worth if you could be ALERTED to this activity?
This alert could come to you in real time—enough time to give the prospect a call. Even more so, your prospect could even receive a personalized email message from you offering immediate assistance!
By having a comprehensive system in place that fully integrates your website, outbound email, and a powerful CRM that tracks the history and behavior (i.e. the “journey”) of EVERY SINGLE PROSPECT in real time, you are able to get the RIGHT MESSAGE to the RIGHT PERSON at the RIGHT TIME through the RIGHT CHANNEL.
All without lifting a finger. This is just one example of the POWER of Marketing Automation.
Indeed, there are lots of marketing automation alternatives out there in the marketplace. At SYP Media, we have chosen to partner with SharpSpring, because of the power and affordability it offers to our clients–in addition to increasing the value of the high-level, outbound services we offer.
We can help you get that “first conversion” that delivers that new prospect into your sales funnel. But it’s still up to you to nurture that prospect into a customer—and SharpSpring marketing automation connects the dots between marketing and sales. This prevents those valuable prospects from falling through the cracks.