Competition is fierce in
today’s business world. Whether an organization is B2B or B2C, sales teams and
marketing departments certainly have their work cut out for them.
Developing an effective
sales outreach strategy is critical for companies offering products and
services. A good plan can make or break a business’s success, as it’s an
essential tool in a sales representative’s toolbox. If your operation fails to
hit its targets, it may be time to reassess your sales outreach strategy.
Below are some key tips
for creating a stellar sales outreach strategy to convert potential leads into
loyal customers.
1. Consider Sending Gifts
If you already have a sales outreach strategy in place but feel like you’re failing to connect with leads, you may want to consider sending small gifts out to your prospects. Sometimes, standard touchpoints in your strategy may not be enough to make your prospects feel engaged or that your products or services are worthwhile.
Sending prospects a small gift can make a good
first impression and show that you’re willing to go the extra mile to deliver
quality products or services. Some websites will even let your leads choose the
gift they want to receive, such as swag.com or sendoso.com. Prospects choose
the item they want most, but make sure to include your logo on these products
to improve brand recognition.
2. Create Entertaining Videos for
Prospects
A key component of sales outreach is
personalization. Companies must find creative ways to stand out from the
competition. One way to do this is by filming entertaining, personalized, and
humorous videos to send to prospective customers.
A good example of a sales professional using this tactic is Frankie Weschler, who works at Dynamic Signal. He created a video of himself eating a hot wing from Buffalo Wild Wings--his prospect—which showed how committed he was to working with them. He landed a meeting with the restaurant chain and certainly made a lasting impression.
3. Experiment with Outreach
Timing
It’s widely known that when you communicate
with your prospects plays an important role in how successful your lead
conversions are. In other words, outreach timing matters. If your existing
outreach strategy limits cold calling or cold emailing to prospects on certain
days, try experimenting with other times and see when prospects respond most
often.
For example, you can try emailing on a Sunday so your message is the first email in a prospect’s inbox on Monday morning. Many sales professionals will reach out on Wednesdays and Thursdays. One 2020 study from Gong found that these days are still the best time to contact prospects. Experiment with times and see how you can make any adjustments that suit your business and prospects.
4. Spark Curiosity in Your
Prospects
Typically, a salesperson’s favorite word is
“yes.” However, their second-favorite word should be “How?”. If a prospect asks
you how a product or service works, or questions its value, that means you’ve
sparked curiosity in the prospect.
When contacting a prospect, add something
memorable at the end of the message, such as:
- “Remind me to show you something
at our next meeting.”
- “Consider having your revenue
statements nearby when we speak next.”
- “Let me speak to my manager about
what we can offer you.”
Asking these types of comments will keep your prospect engaged and curious as to what the future may hold. It may also get them excited about speaking with you again.
5. Focus on Catchy Subject Lines
As mentioned earlier, standing out from the crowd of salespeople is no easy task. Nowadays, it can be challenging to formulate effective and creative email copywriting strategies that will pique your prospects’ interest. Word choice and page formatting have always been essential in all outreach and marketing; now, subject lines in an email can make or break your outreach communications.
You really need to hook your prospect when creating a subject line. You may reference a pain point they experience, an upcoming event, an online webinar invite, or offer them a free item or service if they continue reading. Put yourself in the prospect’s shoes and try to include messaging that would be of interest to you and your sales team.
Effective Sales Outreach Strategies Convert Leads into Customers
Companies with dedicated
sales teams must regularly assess their outreach strategies to keep up with
industry trends and ever-changing consumer needs. It would be challenging for
sales representatives to perform their jobs well without a good one.
A better approach will
lead to better outcomes. The tips above should help you improve your sales
outreach strategy to convert leads into customers.