Sales blunders abound
So… you have all these leads and you’re breaking your neck trying to make a sale. You’ve got your top hat and tap dancing shoes on – but still don’t seem to be impressing anyone. Why are none of these leads converting?
It could be because you’re making one (or all!) of these three top sales blunders, says John Bara, President and CMO of Mintigo (the data brain for lead generation, marketing automation, and CRM), further outlining the blunders below:
1. You don’t really know your audience
You can give the best sales pitch ever about why your paper is better than your competitors. But if you’re talking to a company that just went paperless – you’re spinning your wheels.
“Most leads that come from marketing initiatives lack data,” says John Bara, Marketing Director of Mintigo – . “Many sales people only know a tiny sliver of information about the prospective customer, so they can’t effectively sell to them.”
To solve this problem, use an analytical tool to show a wider view of all their public information and activities across the Internet. Remember, the powerful sales conversation is about the customer and their business, not just your product.
2. You’re not following up fast enough.
Studies show that 71% of leads are lost by not following up quickly. You don’t have time to put the best prospects into slow nurture cycles. Move it or lose it!
Mintigo’s research shows that the Pareto principle indeed applies to sales and marketing. A mere 20% of “leads” generate 80% or more of all customers. By using advanced data, you can analyze and predict which are your customers (the 20%), rather than waste time on the dead ends and tire kickers.
3. You give the customer too many options.
You can’t just market everything to everybody. Studies show that if you give people too many options, they won’t choose anything at all!
“One major challenge in sales is to know which product or solution to push at the right time,” Bara notes. “People don’t want a raincoat on a sunny day right? Use data to identify the best buyers by product. This would enable you to make the right offer to the right person at the right time.”
Notice a pattern here?
Yep, data. It is the key to a successful marketing campaign, because it allows you to resonate with individual leads. So remember, when it comes to sales – make it personal!
