There is an old saying - ‘The fortune is in the follow-up.” Sales statistics from the National Sales Executive Association showed that: 48% of sales reps never follow up with a prospect, 25% make a second contact and stop, 12% only make three contacts and stop and only 10% of sales reps make more than three contacts. But, 80% of won business happens on the 5th – 12th conversation. For Best-in-Class performers, registering their name into the subconscious of customers means never underestimating the power of the follow-up.
Multi-channel engagement has opened up avenues for sales reps like never before. In an effort to increase the engagement process, world class sales reps have found that effective campaigns, emails, social media and Web portals have enabled sales reps to increase win rates in the follow-up stages. In an effort to target customers using the right messages, world class sales and marketing teams are creating the kind of content marketing strategies that work to enable sales reps post-sales call.
Follow-up is a critical component of the sales enablement process. It is the missing piece that’s often rushed and overlooked even by the best performing teams. An effective follow-up strategy works to nurture relationships, build trust, support the sales process and multiply marketing results. This paper will look at the various follow-up avenues that exist for companies that want to make the most out of their sales and marketing campaigns.
What Happens Post-Sales Call
An initial sales call is in some ways the beginning of the sales cycle, and it is up to the sales rep to further the customer down the pipeline. In many cases, sales reps experience that the follow-up after the initial sales call is more challenging than the sales call itself – and this challenge is often presented across all industries.
When on sales call, the job of the sales rep is to increase customer engagement. Through the power of mobile sales enablement, a sales rep is able to convey the benefits of a product by turning a presentation into a conversation and demonstrating the value of the brand. However, post –sales call, the goal changes. Sales and marketing have to go into analysis mode. They have to understand what the sales call accomplished and what’s still left to be done. Did the sales rep obtain key information such as a clear view of the prospect’s most important needs? Was the rep able to cover all content? Is something missing to classify a prospect as ready for the close? What are the next steps to take with the customer?
These questions and more determine the post-sales call strategy. An important aspect of mobile sales enablement is its ability to come back to marketing with concrete metrics and insights. Which elements of the presentation were most interesting to the customer and which content pieces drew out the biggest response? When marketing and Sales work together to really zero in on customer preferences and behaviors, they are better able to determine which avenue of engagement to use.
Multi-Channel Engagement Post-Sales Call
The following is a list of 3 different avenues Best-in-Class performers take post-sales call to enable sales reps to sell more. Through the process of sales enablement, marketing and Sales can work together to increase customer engagement through the following channels.
1. Email MarketingEmail is where many sales reps make conversions. The key to crafting effective emails post-sales call is by listening to customers during sales call. The better sales reps can understand customer needs, their preferences, behaviors and where they are in the sales cycle, the better they are able to create customized campaigns to target each customer, personally. The email process post-sales call is a vital component of sales enablement. The personalization and customization of an email makes it a powerful follow-up tool.
Email is also highly relationship-focused. It is an important element in building the relationship post-sales call. It is also very action-oriented. The ability to ask for a call-to-action works in an effort to continue the engagement process. Sales reps could use additional content assets to inform the buyer about key elements that were of interest to them during the face-to-face interaction.
2. Social MediaThe first thing to do before engaging with customers via social media is to find them. Many customers already have profiles on several major sites, and the odds are that they are spending time searching for more product information during their buying stages. This is where the sales process comes in. Knowing which sites your customers frequent makes it easy to engage with them in the follow-up stages.
Closed Loop Marketing (CLM) is a key part of this. It’s important to probe customers during sales-call to gather as much information as possible to help sales in the future. Capturing leads through channels like LinkedIn and Twitter works to continue the conversation. Best-in-Class performers ensure that wherever the customer is on social media, they are there moving the conversation forward and pushing the customer to Won business.
3. Web portals
A Web portal is a site that works as a point of access to information on the Web. Popular portals include MSN, Yahoo!, and AOL. Aside from search engines, Web portals also offer services such as news, stock prices, entertainment and more features. However, they are also a pathway for organizations to further educate customers through thought leadership publications.
Driving traffic to these intranets is a key part of sharing more information with customers post-sales call. Customers are able to log in to company portals to access key documents and other materials. They are configured to allow customers to browse, search and purchase a product or a brand directly from the company. Providing access to customers through this channel after the face-to-face interaction is an effective avenue to moving prospects further down the pipeline.
Mobile Sales Enablement
Continuing conversations post-sales on email, portal and social media channels is like creating another avenue that works to impact the sales process while delivering a great sales experience for customers. The valuable information that is gathered in the face-to-face interaction via mobile sales enablement means that marketing and sales teams can use analytics to gain further insight into how they are behaving, what their preferences are, and which triggers to use to convert them into paying customers. Mobile sales enablement closes the loop between marketing and Sales, streamlining their business processes, improving marketing campaigns, and targeting customers with the right message through the right channel at the right time.
