Prospect engagement is the thing, and in 2016 it’s more relevant than ever.
A quick bit about Prospect Engagement
This is the part your sales team do before they make a sale. It has to be pitched right! If you’re talking about one thing and your potential customer is talking about something different, conversion is going to be incredibly difficult.
Why do I need better Prospect Engagement?
The rules of sales have changed because of how people now find information. Google, released way, way back in the 90s, puts a world of information at consumer’s fingertips.
Admittedly some of this information is largely irrelevant (Cats of Instagram, I’m looking at you!) But in most sales transactions, by the time a consumer is ready to talk to your sales team, they’ve already done a wealth of research around the product you’re selling (and your competitors too!). Your sales team must be equipped to engage with them with timely and meaningful conversations.
So, how do you improve your Prospect Engagement? And how do you clamour for the attention of your prospects in an increasingly saturated and competitive market?
#1 – Understand your customers
This is the time to start delving into the details of your target market. Really dig deep into the mind of your average consumer. What are their challenges? Pain points? What obstacles do they encounter? What do they value? What motivates your prospects to make a sale? What solutions do you offer to their issues?
Consider building a buyer persona for your ideal target individual so you can address the questions above. Once you have an understanding of answers to the questions raised, you’ll be able to formulate an appropriate strategy to tackle conversion.
#2 – Create useful and meaningful content
Your prospects already have the information they need about the product you’re trying to sell them. Therefore, the objective of any content you create should be to educate and provide value to what they already know. Things like top tips, or articles related to the product/service you’re trying to sell are all useful things for you to create. Don’t shamelessly plug your company/business or products that you’re selling. It turns prospects off!
#3 – Personalise all of your interactions
Your prospects are fatigued from years of bombardment from tedious sales and marketing campaigns. Leaflets through the door, soulless emails without any form of targeting are your prospect’s worst nightmare. Personalisation is the key to converting these prospects to quick sales. So segment your sales emails, personalise every single interaction with your prospects. Show them that you care and that they’re special and unique to you!
#4 – Give something to your prospects
Everybody likes gifts – and your prospects are no different. Add value to your proposition by offering complimentary items. Things like informational webinars are a good start, but also things like how to guides, tutorials or things that’ll make your prospect feel valued. And the most important thing? Make sure it’s all of the highest quality. Low quality gifts smack of desperation.
#5 – Use your data and learn
You’ll have built up a wealth of data on your prospects. Things like your buyer persona and competitor analysis and keeping your eye on Macroeconomic and Microeconomic factors. Use these resources to build insight and understanding of your customers.
You’ll be able to use these insights to adjust your strategies geared towards converting your prospects into sales. This is an ongoing process and your strategy will evolve over time.
Your prospects are more savvy than ever with their knowledge of your products and services. But this doesn’t mean you can’t still close a sale. You just need to adjust your thinking appropriately and reposition your sales team to be helpful. These suggestions are the start of realising that change in your sales strategy.
The list we’ve compiled is by no means exhaustive, so go on – pop your suggestions and ideas into the comments section below.
