Today’s prospects are a whole different breed of cat. In the past, maybe you could hand your sales team a list of potential leads and send the team out to make sales. Times they are a changing, and along with it your selling environment has radically changed as well.

More so today than ever, you are selling to an educated business buyer. Your prospects are the recipients of a steady, year-round stream of messages that drive them toward their purchasing decision.  In fact, studies show that 57% of purchase decisions are made before a contact even hears from a sales rep.

If you’re not getting your message in front of potential customers on a consistent basis, your company and products may not even be on your prospect’s radar! Without the prospect having prior knowledge of your company, there’s no way you are even in the running for their business.

Prime the Pump

Your marketing strategy needs to prioritize getting your name, your products, services, and reputation deeply embedded in your prospects’ minds before a sales rep even reaches for the phone. Different sources say that it takes anywhere between six and 13 touches before a prospect is ready to buy from you. According to Forrester Research, companies that nurture leads make 50% more sales at a cost 33% less than non-nurtured leads. Plus, nurtured leads make 47% larger purchases. More sales and bigger sales – that’s a pretty good reason to have your marketing team prime the pump for your sales team.

Your team can make prospects aware of your company and services through lead-generating emails, printed pieces that tell your story, white papers, and testimonials to name a few of your many options. The key is to develop effective marketing communications and continually keep them before your prospects. Don’t let the first time your prospect hears about your company be when you or your sales rep phones requesting an appointment. Percentages vary, but studies show that buyers are 50% – 80% certain of what they will purchase before a sales rep makes contact.

Your Website, Your Marketing, and Your Success

The Internet has put a plethora of information at every businessperson’s fingertips. To give yourself the best chance of getting your fair share of sales you need to:

  1. Take a close look at what your web exposure is saying about your company. Is your web page professional and polished or does it look like it was put together by a group of high school students?  Since the Internet plays such a vital part in sharing information about your company, it pays to make the investment to look your best online. 
  2. Plan out your prospect touches for an entire year. What mail series will you send? Do you have lead-generating email streams in your plan? Does everything flow together to deliver a consistent, powerful message about your organization, your products and the benefits they provide?

When your marketing and sales strategies are working hand in hand, good things happen. When marketing gets the word out about your company throughout the year and the sales team follows up with a well-informed prospect, you will succeed on a whole new level.

Need help with your marketing? Download our 19 Ways To Increase Your Sales book then call Plumb Marketing for help with your marketing communications planning, or execution of your strategy. We have the expertise to help you generate interest and close sales.

Resources

Gerard, Michael. “The Buyer’s Journey Demystified by Forester”.  https://www.curata.com/blog/the-buyers-journey-demystified-by-forester/

107 Mind-Blowing Sales Statistics that Will Help You Sell Smarter. https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/sales-statistics.

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