How to follow up with Inbound leads
Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2024 5:20 am
An inbound lead is a special type of lead. As we explained in the article on the difference between inbound leads and prospecting leads , the former has already raised their hand and said, “I need something.” So why do we let so many of these leads fade away in our CRM systems after a failed phone or email attempt? Why do salespeople often assume, “If they’re interested, they’ll call me back”?
The reality is that most leads are not ready to make a sale yet. They don’t want to talk to you, just like you don’t want to talk to a car salesman when you first start researching, for example. They are researching, looking for solutions to problems, learning, comparing, evaluating options, qualifying potential partners, etc. In short, they are too busy to be pitched, and they have no reason to trust you yet.
So if you want to get their attention, you'll need a plan with two important components:
1. Something of value to offer your lead
2. A follow-up schedule to deliver this value
Let's take a look at both.
1. Value to offer to the lead
When your competitors call a lead, they probably spend 90% of their time talking about how they are the best and making sales pitches. So when you call a lead, try to differentiate yourself and take the opposite approach. Your lead has a problem to solve, so start by gaining their trust. Bring elements that add value to the conversation.
If they downloaded a product catalog, did they find what they were looking for? Could you offer a free consultation to help them compare products or services and decide which ones best fit their needs?
If they downloaded a whitepaper, ask if they have any questions you can answer. Do the concepts relate to content on your company’s website and other media that you can direct them to?
Make it clear that you are here to help, not to sell. The sale will come naturally.
2. Follow-up schedule for value delivery
The assumption that “If they’re interested, they’ll get back to me” is a bit naïve for the business world. If you’re doing your research, your lead has probably already explored 5, 10, or 50 other companies just like yours. Why should they call you over the others? Persistence is key, but only when it delivers value. “Hey, remember me? I’m trying to sell you something” won’t work. Remember: add value. Every touchpoint with your lead offers the opportunity to add value to their buying journey. Most importantly, be honest. Be prepared to help. Understand that you’ll probably be giving away some free advice in this process, but if you’re completely honest from the start, you’ll start building trust from day one.
Check out an example of how to be persistent with value (and sincerity).
Let’s say a lead just downloaded a white paper from your website. You’ve received an email alert with their name, phone number, and email address. What do you do next?
1st day
Pick up the phone and reach out a few hours after the download. Your prospect is most receptive to conversation during this time. Why? Because they’ve just downloaded a white paper and the topic is still on their mind. This may not be the case tomorrow or the next day. They’ll be busy with other things, just like you and I.
If you can’t get in touch, leave a message and then immediately follow up with a follow-up email. Some people like to respond by phone, others by email. Create options. You could try something like this:
"Anna, I saw that you downloaded our ___ guide today and I hope it was helpful. I thought I'd check in to see if you had any questions. If you'd like, we can set up a conversation to talk about what you're looking for and whether we can help you. If not, I can give you some pointers to get you started in the right direction.
3rd day
Follow up with a new email. You can try using “Email undeliverable” in the subject line. Start your message by saying something like, “Anna, I just wanted to reach france business fax list out to you in case this email was rejected.” This will usually get a response like, “No, I’ve read it but haven’t gotten around to getting back to you yet.” That way, you’ll at least know that you’re still on their radar.
5th day
Does it seem too early for another follow-up? It’s not. You have nothing to lose (except the sale). Send another email. At this point, we usually include some helpful content in the email. For example, you can link to content from your blog that relates to your white paper. But make sure you’re sending links to educational content, not promotional content. Remember, this is the time to help, not sell.
10th day
Follow up in a similar way and include other content. This time you can direct them to a case study or something that is relevant to this particular lead.
15th day
At this point, I'm almost ready to suggest a more business-like approach. But before I do, try sending a "break up" email. Something like:
"Ana, I've reached out to you several times, but I haven't heard back from you yet. This may not be the best time. But I'm here if you have any questions or need help. I'll sign you up for our monthly newsletter, which has tips and content specifically about ___. I wish you luck and hope we can connect in the future!
You’ll be surprised at how well these types of emails generate responses. Remember, your prospect is just as busy as you are. They may have opened your emails, but they may not have had time to respond.
In the worst case scenario, you don’t make any sales. So you’ve wasted some time. But guess what? You’d also waste time calling prospecting lists, but with leads that are much less qualified than those from Inbound. Therefore, it’s important to have a consistent marketing strategy that takes into account several aspects, including Inbound Marketing.
The reality is that most leads are not ready to make a sale yet. They don’t want to talk to you, just like you don’t want to talk to a car salesman when you first start researching, for example. They are researching, looking for solutions to problems, learning, comparing, evaluating options, qualifying potential partners, etc. In short, they are too busy to be pitched, and they have no reason to trust you yet.
So if you want to get their attention, you'll need a plan with two important components:
1. Something of value to offer your lead
2. A follow-up schedule to deliver this value
Let's take a look at both.
1. Value to offer to the lead
When your competitors call a lead, they probably spend 90% of their time talking about how they are the best and making sales pitches. So when you call a lead, try to differentiate yourself and take the opposite approach. Your lead has a problem to solve, so start by gaining their trust. Bring elements that add value to the conversation.
If they downloaded a product catalog, did they find what they were looking for? Could you offer a free consultation to help them compare products or services and decide which ones best fit their needs?
If they downloaded a whitepaper, ask if they have any questions you can answer. Do the concepts relate to content on your company’s website and other media that you can direct them to?
Make it clear that you are here to help, not to sell. The sale will come naturally.
2. Follow-up schedule for value delivery
The assumption that “If they’re interested, they’ll get back to me” is a bit naïve for the business world. If you’re doing your research, your lead has probably already explored 5, 10, or 50 other companies just like yours. Why should they call you over the others? Persistence is key, but only when it delivers value. “Hey, remember me? I’m trying to sell you something” won’t work. Remember: add value. Every touchpoint with your lead offers the opportunity to add value to their buying journey. Most importantly, be honest. Be prepared to help. Understand that you’ll probably be giving away some free advice in this process, but if you’re completely honest from the start, you’ll start building trust from day one.
Check out an example of how to be persistent with value (and sincerity).
Let’s say a lead just downloaded a white paper from your website. You’ve received an email alert with their name, phone number, and email address. What do you do next?
1st day
Pick up the phone and reach out a few hours after the download. Your prospect is most receptive to conversation during this time. Why? Because they’ve just downloaded a white paper and the topic is still on their mind. This may not be the case tomorrow or the next day. They’ll be busy with other things, just like you and I.
If you can’t get in touch, leave a message and then immediately follow up with a follow-up email. Some people like to respond by phone, others by email. Create options. You could try something like this:
"Anna, I saw that you downloaded our ___ guide today and I hope it was helpful. I thought I'd check in to see if you had any questions. If you'd like, we can set up a conversation to talk about what you're looking for and whether we can help you. If not, I can give you some pointers to get you started in the right direction.
3rd day
Follow up with a new email. You can try using “Email undeliverable” in the subject line. Start your message by saying something like, “Anna, I just wanted to reach france business fax list out to you in case this email was rejected.” This will usually get a response like, “No, I’ve read it but haven’t gotten around to getting back to you yet.” That way, you’ll at least know that you’re still on their radar.
5th day
Does it seem too early for another follow-up? It’s not. You have nothing to lose (except the sale). Send another email. At this point, we usually include some helpful content in the email. For example, you can link to content from your blog that relates to your white paper. But make sure you’re sending links to educational content, not promotional content. Remember, this is the time to help, not sell.
10th day
Follow up in a similar way and include other content. This time you can direct them to a case study or something that is relevant to this particular lead.
15th day
At this point, I'm almost ready to suggest a more business-like approach. But before I do, try sending a "break up" email. Something like:
"Ana, I've reached out to you several times, but I haven't heard back from you yet. This may not be the best time. But I'm here if you have any questions or need help. I'll sign you up for our monthly newsletter, which has tips and content specifically about ___. I wish you luck and hope we can connect in the future!
You’ll be surprised at how well these types of emails generate responses. Remember, your prospect is just as busy as you are. They may have opened your emails, but they may not have had time to respond.
In the worst case scenario, you don’t make any sales. So you’ve wasted some time. But guess what? You’d also waste time calling prospecting lists, but with leads that are much less qualified than those from Inbound. Therefore, it’s important to have a consistent marketing strategy that takes into account several aspects, including Inbound Marketing.