Traditional qualification approaches focus on finding customers that are ready to buy now and less on prospects further away from buying. Many potential customers are lost because of this practice.
This post will show you how Sales 2.0 technology and process fix this problem by enabling better qualification, a stickier sales funnel and shorter sales cycles. The result is increased conversion ratios and profit.
Better Qualification
Many believe the field sales rep should qualify a prospect. This is wrong. A sales rep should be helping an already qualified prospect to buy. Big difference.
Marketing and sales development reps (SDR’s) should be focusing on bringing in new leads and doing the basic qualification. Not sales reps. This Sales 2.0 process allows your sales reps to focus on revenue generating activities and not on keeping their pipelines full. With this Sales 2.0 approach you will see greater and more consistent revenue.
Once a lead is qualified it should be turned over to the sales rep through your CRM software. The sales rep can view customer pain points, interests and know what the prospect has viewed on the website. Then a meaningful conversation with the prospect can occur that will have much more value.
Stickier Sales Funnel
All qualified prospects are important to a business regardless of their buying horizon. Most people get this conceptually, but it is rarely followed through and it’s a mistake that can mean the difference between making or not making your numbers.
With Sales 2.0 technology you’re able to provide more value and arouse buying desire with hooks throughout the sales funnel. Hooks are the delivery platforms that you serve your content through. Hooks keep your customers and prospects engaged with you or your brand and prevent them from exiting the sales funnel.
Some examples of hooks:
- Company blog
- Ebooks
- Podcasts
- E-mail marketing
- Free trial offers
- Twitter
- Video blog
- Facebook
- Flickr
- Youtube
Your hooks will vary depending on your business, but you need to have them. Check out how Zack Miller, of the New Rules of Investing blog is driving more revenue with Sales 2.0 hooks.
Shorter Sales Cycle
By creating valuable content prospects can experience your product/service before buying and they become part of your community. They will stay engaged with you and won’t feel as if they are being pushed into a sale. If you create great content and use Sales 2.0 technology to help convert leads through out the sales funnel your sales cycle times will decrease and you will make more money.
Do you use Sales 2.0 and social media to generate more business? Do you have any examples of great hooks that are working for you? Please share them by leaving a comment below.
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