By Danielle Whetstone
When it comes to sales, lead generation is only part of the equation. How and when you reach out to your leads can make all the difference in closing a sale. And let’s be honest, digital leads are a different beast to nurture.
In this series we’ve been diving into some best practices for how to work your leads. Tip #2: Be Friendly.
Think of where you’re reaching your leads
While some door-to-door sales live on, for the most part, as a salesperson, you’re not typically knocking on doors to peddle your product or service. Advanced technology means that the modern customer is finding you online through digital platforms and paid advertising and increasingly from their mobile devices.
Aside from Google paid advertising, where you’re displaying your ad to people who are actively searching for your product or service, most marketing is passive. You’re reaching people while they’re scrolling updates from friends and family and watching funny videos. They’re looking for connection and entertainment, not necessarily shopping for what you have to offer.
With that in mind, it’s important to match your tone to your audience. Americans, as a general rule, are a decidedly casual culture. Ditch the formalities, keep the tone light, and talk to your leads like a friend of a friend.
Be time sensitive
Don’t equate casualness for laziness. Being unprepared or providing irrelevant information should never be accepted and is a waste of time for everyone. Be courteous, professional, and considerate of their time and busy lifestyle.
Sales calls should be made during business hours (unless otherwise agreed) and more than likely while your lead is at work themselves. Make sure you keep in mind their time zone when you call and don’t sound irritated if they don’t answer… again. If you’ve tried calling a few times with no success, ask via text if there’s a better time or means to reach them. Or try calling late afternoon, mid-week for a more promising answer rate. Remember, while your goal is ultimately to get them to buy, your job isn’t to convince them. If you take the time to foster trust, they’ll know who to turn to when the time is right.
Not sure what time to make follow-up calls? Implement call tracking software and analyze the data for answered calls by time, days of the week, or even by salesperson. Test to determine what factors work in your brand’s favor. Not sure where to start? C Squared Social is a full-service marketing agency with all the tools you need to start seeing results.
