Boosting Engagement with Your Prospect

The ability to engage prospects more effectively through the selling process is a primary benefit of digital technology and communication systems.

However, not all firms utilise the tools and processes available to get the lead generation results they desire. The following is an overview of several top tips to help you boost engagement with your prospects through more effective sales outreach.

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Understand Your Audience and Behaviors

A great message is not engaging if it is of little relevance and value to the audience reached.

The first step toward better engagement is a broader and deeper understanding of the buyer personas with whom you want to engage. In addition to the typical demographic, geographic and firmographic traits that offer insights into the nature of your marketplace, use behavioural and intent data to discover how people operate during the buyer journey.

Collectively, profile and behavioural data help you figure out message content, timing and delivery channel.

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Communicate Differently

One of the reasons prospects don’t engage with company representatives is because they feel like they’ve heard it all before. The communication approach, delivery style and messages used by a lot of providers sound the same.

To get prospects to engage in a real conversation, take an approach that is different. Whether your outreach is in person, in print or on the phone, you have a limited amount of time to capture a person’s attention.

Use powerful storytelling to break through the clutter, quickly sell value and motivate prospects to continue consuming information in the buyer journey. Here is a video from renowned marketing author Seth Godin talking about marketing, storytelling, attention and the future of work.

Next, I have a useful infographic about the science of storytelling.

Now you may look at this infographic wondering why I am using it, as it relates to the B2C world.

However, more and more brands in the B2B space are recognising that the B2C and B2B space is merging. Particularly when it comes to communicating with your audience.

Business decision makers are just like you and me. We are consumers who work in the B2B world. But we all love storytelling when it comes to selling.

Forrester’s Vice President, Principal Analyst, Dipanjan Chatterjee said it best when he wrote: “companies … bet that consumers, business decision makers, and football fans are oftentimes the same people.”

Use Engaging Media and Platforms

Some media channels and communication platforms offer more opportunities for engagement than others.

Digital strategies, in general, are much more engaging than passive, traditional media outlets.

Online advertising, content marketing and social media are among the most interactive channels. You can strike up a friendly, non-pushy conversation with prospects that demonstrates your credibility, authority and willingness to help.

Use these conversations to establish your brand as a resource before shifting the discussion toward a remedy.

Video content continues to increase in importance because of its engaging qualities, with 48% of marketers plan to add YouTube to their content strategy in the next year.

People find that videos are more personable and useful to acquiring information and evaluating solutions than text-based content.

ABV – Always Build Value

The old adage “ABC” or “Always be Closing” doesn’t hold the same weight in modern sales organisations.

Instead, companies should focus on “ABV” or “Always Build Value.”

The former attitude causes businesses to push solutions onto prospects before they are at the purchase stage of the buying cycle.

The latter allows you to concentrate on the types of messages and information desired from awareness to discovery, and through the purchase to post-purchase evaluation.

Value comes in the form of information, assistance, helpfulness and convenience long before you get to the closing.

Wrap Up

To improve sales outreach engagement with prospects, you must first gain deep insight into your audience.

Then, communicate with messages that standout and engage people through platforms designed to optimise interaction.

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