MANAGEMENT


have obviously improved, according to this survey. Significant progress can be made in as short a period as three months, but that is usually just the beginning of a solid nurturing strategy. “Put something in place, see if it works, and then do the rest in steps,” he ad- vises. Some firms choose less robust lead-management software at first, thinking they will not need advanced features, but then discover they want better functions later on. Apart from using the right software,


the best lead nurturers make impor- tant process changes, too. Sales and marketing departments collaborate in defining leads. “That is the key,” he says. “And it will not just happen; it takes the CEO to make these two departments work together.” Communication and accountability


Nurture Leads to Increased Sales HENRY CANADAY


Most sales leaders realize that leads are the lifeblood of sales. But many still think a lead is temporal and, once gotten, it doesn’t need to be nurtured. In other words: Set it and forget it. Well, according to a practice leader with a large consulting company, there’s much room for effective and profitable improvement. Of more than 200 firms surveyed by his company, the best-in-class nurturers were consistently better at increasing both qualified leads and annual revenue.


He attributes part of the improvement in the top companies from the survey to better lead-management tech- nologies. “But you cannot just flip on technology; you must build a process around it,” he warns. The other reason for improvement is that CEOs and chief marketing


officers saw so many leads going to waste and asked what they were get- ting out of marketing. Typically, only 16% of leads close quickly, so the key is nurturing the other 84%. The prac- tice leader says the ultimate wastage – which once stood at 60% – is now down to 28%, so follow-up practices


22 | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025 SELLING POWER © 2025 SELLING POWER. CALL 1-800-752-7355 FOR REPRINT PERMISSION.


are essential components of collabo- ration between sales and marketing. Often a special lead administrator will sit between the sales and marketing departments or report directly to mar- keting and indirectly to sales. To rein- force the collaboration, best-in-class companies allow salespeople to send qualified leads back to marketing. The top firms have a detailed strat- egy for lead nurturing, but less com- mon (yet very effective) strategies are event triggers for contacts. “These are different from sending something after a few weeks. An automated lead-scoring system is essential. This system uses the definition given by sales to marketing to both qualify leads and assign a priority score to each lead,” he says. To truly nurture leads, marketing materials should be tied to steps in the buying cycle, not to steps in the selling cycle. “Don’t shoot promotions out; touch prospects with value,” he urges. “Initially you want to be top of mind and a thought leader and help them with the knowledge they need to ask questions. Later will come the time to send promotions and calls to action.” Bottom line? A well-nurtured lead is far more likely to turn into a closed sale. 


LIGHTSPRING / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27