Are You Targeting the Right Prospects?
Lead generation is the first step towards getting more business. But many times, marketers and sales executives dive head-first into the lead generation process, only to emerge confused, disappointed and without results. This does not mean that your product is not good or that you cannot sell. Chances are, you are knocking on the wrong doors. You are not targeting the right prospects.
DEFINE
Defining who your audience is should be your first focus. You cannot pitch to someone who might use your product. You have to consider geography, budget, size of the company, nature of business, and specific events that may affect the sale. Does the company in question have a genuine need for your product? Are they facing a problem that your expertise can solve? Are you equipped to cater to their size and scale, and do your budgets match? Be realistic about these aspects, and you will be able to create a list of real prospects.
FIND THE RIGHT PERSON TO SELL TO
After defining your prospects, you need to start pitching to them. But you have to pitch to the right people. This can be tricky- should you start at the bottom and work your way up; or pitch directly to the top management and avoid wasting time? Understand how purchasing decisions are made. You may garner tremendous interest from someone who does not have the authority to spend. Imagine pitching IT system solutions to someone in Human Resources!
DO YOUR HOMEWORK, LOOK FOR TRIGGERS
We said it in 2011 and we will say it again in 2012: research is a critical part of the selling process. Learn about your prospect thoroughly before going in: their background, the problems they face and how they got there, their financial position. Why should they choose you? Get as much information as you can so that you can make a customized offer that they will find meaningful. When you do the right research, you will understand your customer’s hot buttons and find trigger points to make an entry with your pitch.
SEND IT OFF PRONTO!
Once you have ticked the above, you can prepare a great sales proposal with relevant info and send it to the right person. TinderBox helps you with this process. A content library to store information, custom branding and media to make your proposal stand out, as well as a tracking system which alerts you when your proposal is read…we have it all!
