Are you finding that the lead generation services from your marketing and sales development (SDRs/BDRs) teams are not getting the results they used to, regardless of increases in budget? Working with enterprise and SMB B2B lead generation teams over the years, I have seen this becoming an increasing challenge. In this article, I will provide you with one of the most important strategies you can implement to get results in the short term.
To start, it is important to come to terms with the fact that target prospects generally don’t book a meeting or download a free trial without some familiarity and trust in the person and organization they are committing to. Building trust is an integral part of the cycle when building lead generation funnels. Over the years, the biggest mistake I see organizations make when building these funnels is that they are too quick to ask for a meeting. While a limited number of prospects actively looking for a solution might commit to a meeting or download a free trial, the majority will not until you have established some form of trust with them. You do not gain their trust by pushing them to meet on your first contact.
Target Prospect Market Segments
In an earlier article, “Essential Strategies for Securing Demos,” I provide some insight into the best way to understand and segment your potential prospects. It is important to recognize that only a small portion of your target market prospects are ready to make a purchase. The number varies, but it is safe to say 3%. Another segment of your prospects is actively researching potential solutions, but in most cases, this is only about 17%. Based on this, only 20% of potential buyers might be willing to book a meeting right away. The other 80% of the market is made up of the 60% who are not problem aware and the 20% who are problem aware but have not sought a solution.
So don’t rush to request a meeting. Your team’s first objective should be to establish trust. You do this by providing information that is timely and relevant. I lay this out in my article, “Essential Strategies for Securing Demos and Meetings in a Tough Market.” In that article, I break down the points in detail and provide step-by-step instructions on building a trust funnel with your target prospects.
Establishing Trust
Don’t blurt out a meeting request on first contact. Let them get to know you a bit and build some trust credentials. Building trust with your prospects involves a few key steps:
Marketing Awareness: Distribute commitment-free content that addresses the target’s problems. Use educational content, short-form videos, articles, and top 10 lists to engage the 60% who are not problem aware.
Lead Generation: Deliver value-driven content and free resources like whitepapers, e-books, or video tutorials. Use authority funnels to capture emails and retarget leads with more valuable content. This is where automated lead generation and personalized messaging for targeted B2B prospects come into play.
Lead Nurture: Enroll leads in automated email sequences, providing additional insights, case studies, and success stories. AI lead generation can significantly enhance this process.
Retargeting Campaigns: Use social media retargeting ads to keep leads engaged. This helps increase sales productivity with automation.
Demos and Webinars: Host webinars addressing specific challenges and showcasing your solutions. This demonstrates how you can empower your sales team with AI automation.
Conversion: Create exclusive offers like free trials or demo sessions to capture contact information. Use personalized email campaigns to invite leads to book meetings or join seminars. Note: Ensure all content pieces have clear CTAs guiding prospects to the next step.
By focusing on these steps, your team can build the necessary trust to move prospects through the funnel, ultimately leading to more successful meetings and conversions.
Remember, building trust takes time, but it is essential for long-term success. Your goal is to create a relationship with your prospects, so when they are ready to make a decision, you are the trusted partner they turn to.
My Ask
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About Rob Craig
Rob has spent his career entering cold markets in the U.S. and Canada to establish recurring revenue models and sell SaaS-based enterprise software and solutions to Fortune 500 companies and SMBs. He has founded and built four successful, sales-centric tech start-ups, including Stratford Technologies, ActiveStream, 3 Tier Logic, and AutoNow.
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