How to Launch an Effective Lead Nurturing Program
An effective lead nurturing program can be designed by taking stock of the current lead management process. Information plays a key role in defining significant issues of workflow, and by asking the right questions additional opportunities for information can be uncovered. It is essential for sales representatives to be a part of the initial discovery process. Giving sales a voice in the process will help ensure that, as an organization, they feel they have a stake in the new lead management software. and won’t feel that it is being foisted upon them by the marketing automation unit.
A sales representative can decide the real world perspective on quality leads, cycles, common objections, audience segmentation and content strategy. This is something that marketers usually lack when they work from the sales process.
How to launch an effective Lead Nurturing program
Lead Nurturing has the utmost significance in B2B marketing. A Lead Nurturing program can ensure maximum sales success when marketers categorize the leads based on their sales readiness. The sales team can make tremendous progress when they have a hot lead to follow up on. The marketing team can nurture a lead that is not easily convertible. Here are some pointers on how to launch an effective Lead Nurturing program.
- Ascertain the number and sources of leads that are generated each month
To determine the scale of your Lead Nurturing program, it is important to understand the scale and source of the leads and the extent to which it is necessary to tailor the approach to different sources.
- Determine the range of products in which a potential customer could convey interest
While certain companies market similar product lines, there are others that cover a wide range of business needs and functionality. The diversity of your product line plays a significant role in determining the number of tracks in the program.
- Determine the fundamental audience groups that comprise inbound leads
It is important to understand just how different leads are from one another in terms of functional role, industry and company size and to what extent those groups have different needs or need to be directed to different products. The higher the number of distinct groups, the more likely it is that you should have separate email tracks for campaigns to be relevant and effective.
- Express how leads are distributed, responded to and managed
Getting the perspective of the sales force is significantly important in this area. To help steer your lead nurturing program in a direction where there is a large impact with a high ROI, it is necessary to gain a first hand account of how quickly leads are responded to, how lead follow-up is prioritized and what criteria it is based upon. It is also necessary to take stock of ongoing communication and determine the frequency of the sales reach to prospective customers via phone or email.
- Understand how the lead nurturing initiative can change the perception of your company
Comprehending the objections that hamper sales helps you design a successful lead nurturing program that
addresses all concerns first-hand, as the road to a successful sale is paved with different obstacles depending on who you sell to.
The goal of a lead-nurturing program is to deliver high quality leads to the sales organization that result in a strong sales pipeline with high close ratios and shorter average sales cycles. Ideally, nurtured prospects bring in more initial revenue and have a higher positive impression of your company. An effective and successful lead nurturing program provides a predictable and sustainable flow of qualified sales leads over the long term.
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