BDRs and SDRs: congrats on making it through Q4. Hopefully, you hit your quota and have since wiped the hypothetical (or literal) sweat from your brow.
You’re hankering to start 2020 off on the right foot. A new year brings the perfect opportunity for new business. You’re feeling as positive as your prospect.
However, not everyone may be feeling that same New Year’s spirit. Your new leads are returning back from the holiday festivities with bigger budgets and increased pressure to spend them wisely, making them more skeptical than susceptible to immediately purchasing your product or service.
Sure, you’re a pro at handling rejection. But there’s nothing more irksome than getting ghosted after conducting several conversations with key stakeholders.
Wondering how to ensure your targets stay talkative? Here’s how you can keep the conversations flowing faster than your New Year’s Eve champagne to guarantee that they move through your pipeline.
What To Do When Hot Leads Go Cold
You’ve been here before: it’s been six weeks since you gave your prospect his or her first demo. You’ve sent your fourth follow-up email, naming your lead in the subject line for that personalized, attention-grabbing touch. You cringe as you enter your weekly pipeline meeting knowing that you’ll have to tell your team, yet again, that this deal’s “still in the works.”
As you refresh Gmail or Outlook, watching proverbial tumbleweeds roll across your inbox, you realize your prospects ghosted you faster than your last Hinge date.
What was once a warm lead has now gone cold. And unlike your last Hinge date, you’d love to put a label on it. But you know this prospect is stuck in your pipeline, and you don’t want to mark them “Closed/Lost” quite yet.
If you think you’re alone, you’re not. As it turns out, getting ghosted by leads is quite common. Veelo claims, on average, 58% of the deals in a sales rep’s pipeline will stall.
Why? Because it’s a struggle to provide your prospects with valuable content that’s curated for each stage of the sales funnel. Plus, it’s difficult to stand out amongst the myriad of emails and voicemails that they receive.
Luckily, we have a few ideas that will help you keep your prospects warm as Q1 heats up.
How to Expedite the Sales Cycle
You know that the primary objective for any business is to be top of mind for a client or potential customer when they’re in need of a specific service.
A simple solution to ensure your company’s considered first? Try altering how you communicate with your prospects to expedite your sales cycle.
You’ve mastered the art of following up, and you recognize the importance of consistent communication. But are you practicing the right type of prospect outreach?
Connect Leader states that 67% of B2B buyers list relevant communication as a major influence for choosing one provider over another.
So, how do you make sure that your prospects perceive your messages as pertinent?
Learn to Leverage Emotional Intelligence
If you want to remain relevant in the eyes of your potential clients, one method is to leverage emotional intelligence (EQ) through including expressions of gratitude in your messaging. Even employing EQ with your prospects by thanking them for their time after a phone call, meeting, or lengthy email exchange will help you catch your targets’ attention, and shift their impressions of you in a positive direction.
Additionally, when a prospect’s stuck in your pipeline, saying a quick “Thank You” will afford you with another entry point for conversation while allowing you to avoid coming across as irritating.
Test how EQ can help you generate more revenue by regularly acknowledging the people who are already giving you business. You’ll find that their appetite for a sincere thank you is unlimited.
According to a study discussed by The New York Times, recipients of an emailed expression of gratitude felt much more “ecstatic” than writers expected.
Regardless of whether or not your outreach is automated, it’s important to remember that your targets are people too. A brief “thank you” can help you build stronger relationships with your prospects, and can inherently lead them further through the funnel.
In fact, research conducted by Inc. confirms that showing appreciation to your customers and potential buyers can help you build brand loyalty. So by leveraging EQ before deals become closed, you’ll be ahead of the game if and when your prospects become your clients.
Since sales reps that implement social selling are 50% more likely to meet or exceed their quota, there’s no doubt that sending a customized thank you note or gift curated to your targets’ personal interests will help you stand out from the SDR pack and stay memorable in your leads’ minds.
Setting aside some time in your schedule to send brief expressions of gratitude in the short-term will help you build long-term relationships that lead to greater ROI.
Relationship Building Leads to Warm Leads
When it comes to attracting new customers, taking a relationship-first approach will keep your prospects warm all winter long.
Not only do individuals naturally want to continue doing business with people they like, but they also look to create additional business opportunities with those that they enjoy partnering with.
And in the rare case saying Thnks doesn’t work with your prospects, it might just score you a second Hinge date.
Tired of getting ghosted? Thnks makes it easier to ensure that your prospects won’t stay stuck in your pipeline. In a matter of seconds, you can search for the perfect gift, personalize a note, and send it off via SMS or email. Interested in learning more? Sign up for a demo!
