Our previous two posts have argued the great illogic of spending major bucks to develop Prospects (visualize solid gold people) and allowing them to drift away if we fail to close during our normal selling process.
Note an important truth. to achieve systematic follow-up, we must have actionable marketing data: name, address, email. For some businesses, this information arrives routinely as part of the getting acquainted process; insurance, real estate, etc. Businesses that make estimates and sales calls at the Prospect’s home have no problem. For many B2B companies, the information can flow naturally as part of an information-request process (perhaps a web-form) or is accessible on the Internet. But if this contact information is not easily available, and if we realize that these Prospects are solid gold, we’ve got to find a way to capture it.
There are a variety of possibilities, some easier than others:
- Just assumptively ask for the information at the start of the selling process, as if it’s simply part of the way you do business. Some browsers may balk, and you need to decide how hard to press; but many will provide the information, and some browsers will pre-qualify themselves as not really very interested if they won’t make themselves known to you. The “just ask” approach is particularly valid if the early selling process involves some investment of work (say sketches by a designer). In that case, a valid Prospect should provide information as a reasonable quid quo pro, and refusal is likely a valid reason to declare this Prospect as less than solid gold.
-Ask for the information at the end of the selling process, if it’s clear a sale on’t be made. There can be a variety of plausible reasons: “Can I stay in touch with you in case some new products (features/whatever) become available?” “Can I stay in touch with you in case there’s any kind of change in price (terms/whatever?” Or simply “Can I put you on our mailing list, just to stay in touch?”
-Also effective can be a financial incentive: “Can I put you on our mailing list?” We have a monthly drawing for a free ________; and you’ll know about all our special offerings.”
Some business people — even some sales people — are uncomfortable in this process, but it’s best to find ways to overcome the reluctance. There is solid gold invested; and there is a real chance for improved marketing efficiency and revenue. If you have a sales team, an incentive for “most mailing list signups” can help overcome shyness!
