Written by Ok, so let’s start with what Lead Nurturing actually is… It’s when you have a contact that’s not quite ready to convert into a lead just yet. And then you maintain contact, nurture them, and give them a reason to become a lead. Simple, right?
How can you nurture leads?
There are a few different ways to go about lead nurturing – the trick is to find the right one for you and your leads. And that won’t always be the same approach for everyone.
Email lead nurturing is one of the most common approaches – using a series of emails designed to keep in touch with your prospects and stay in their minds, ready for when they’re poised to convert. Often you’ll share content or advice in these emails to add value.
But email isn’t the only path – and it’s not necessarily the right path for every contact. Sometimes, telemarketing is your best option.
Using Telemarketing to nurture leads.
It’s said often enough to be a bit of a cliche these days, but people buy from people. So, building a connection with your contacts is a great way to nurture them.
Depending on your industry, it can take between 4 and 11 touchpoints to convert a lead, and if your industry is on the higher end of that scale, just imagine how much less engagement your 11th email is going to get. People get so many emails that you might just be throwing away your nurturing opportunity.
Telemarketing can give you the opportunity to put a friendly voice to the contact, rather than sending emails that may or may not ever get read. You can get more of a feel for the prospect, understand their individual needs, and build a sense of rapport with them. All of which makes the call a strong touchpoint in the nurturing process.
Tips for Telemarketing Lead Nurturing.
- Be friendly – if you’re nurturing the lead, you need to keep your hard sales pitch out of it. This is a softer approach. You need to build trust and rapport.
- Add value – the whole point is to give the prospect a sense that you can help them. If you can give tips and knowledge during a call, you’ll give them more reason to be interested in you.
- Get agreement – you know you’re going to be calling back, so get agreement for a day and a time. That way, you’ve got the contact to commit to something small, you won’t interrupt them, and they’ll be expecting to hear from you.
- Listen – if you want to add value, you need to listen closely. Talk less than they do, and you’ll learn a lot about what matters to them, what they need, and how you might be able to tailor your approach. This is where telemarketing really shows its value.
- Keep it short – no one wants to be on the receiving end of multiple lengthy calls. If you’re nurturing, keep it concise and just check in.
- Keep it relevant – have a reason to call that isn’t always “are you ready to buy yet?” – maybe you’ve seen an article that’s relevant to their industry, or you spotted an article on their website that you thought was interesting. You could link back to a previous conversation, or share some new information.
- Don’t harass – sure, you want to hit your touchpoints and convert the lead, but you need to be polite and respectful, especially of their time.
If you think your leads would benefit from phone-based nurturing, give us a whistle.