Lead Nurturing: Are You Doing it Wrong?
You may feel like your company has a solid grasp on lead nurturing. But if you aren’t converting as efficiently as you’d like or getting the types of deals you want, you could be doing it wrong.
Today, I want to cover some of the signs that your lead nurturing program may need modification and tips for getting it back on course.
Your Reps are Aggressive with Prospects
If you leverage quality data for lead generation, you should attract prospects that have a strong and natural interest in your solutions. If your team spends a lot of time and energy calling on prospects and aggressively pushing solutions, you likely aren’t getting to the right people.
Despite relatively limited use to this point, intent data strengthens your understanding of prospects by helping you know the behaviours that specific decision makers engage in during a buying journey.
Therefore, by offering useful & relevant information during nurturing, you progress towards a close in a gentle way rather than having to force the issue.
You Can Measure Performance
One of the surest signs that your lead nurturing is missing the mark is when you can’t even measure critical data points. For instance, top lead generating firms can tell you their close rates as well as the types of marketing and sales activities that produce the most conversion efficiency. They do this by consistently inputting and using data within their CRM systems.
You can’t compare your company’s lead nurturing against others within the industry unless you know where you stand.
Aberdeen Essentials reported that, in 59 percent of “best-in-class” sales organisations, the business can tell you how many prospects it must attract to drive desired pipeline and sales results.
Your Content Isn’t Matched to Buying Cycle Stages
Your content should not only appeal to the interests of a targeted buyer, but it should also be delivered in line with their stage of the buying journey.
For example, a newly aware prospect might need a basic introduction to the facts of their business problem and potential remedies, whereas someone further along in the process needs something more in-depth, like a whitepaper or an eBook.
You Are More Product-Focused than Customer-Focused
Customer focus is built right into the moniker “lead generation.” The prospect you desire to do business with is the lead.
The goal isn’t to learn a script for a product and recite it for as many random people as possible.
Your lead-generation activities should always centre on the needs, interests and journey of target buyers. The more precise you get in your targeting, the better able you are to personalise marketing communication in a way that attracts interest and engagement.
Your email campaigns, for instance, should offer useful and relevant content that speaks to a particular decision maker based on his or her function, needs and preferences.
Wrap Up
Just because you understand lead nurturing and talk about it doesn’t mean your company is doing it right.
So, if any of these signs of trouble sound familiar, it is time to review your strategies so you can fine-tune your operation.
And some simple changes to your process may result in impressive returns.
