Do your prospects have an easy path to reach you, at the point in time they’re ready to move forward?
When we engage our audience through lead magnets, case studies, and New Lead Nurture™ we are turning our cold leads into warm prospects. But what happens with they’re hot?
For any Partner organisation, winning new business can feel like a never-ending challenge.
Partners tell us daily that they’re wasting time on unqualified leads, that they’re relying on current customers for new opportunities, and as a result are getting distracted by the need to find new lead sources. What they’d rather is to spend time converting more qualified leads (not qualifying them from the first touch), and they want their sales generated from a mix of existing customers and new business.
Salespeople need the ability to spend time with their highest probability prospects, and this means there is an expectation that the marketing team hands over leads that are already qualified and ready to buy.
We know that this is much easier said than done. Creating a funnel that delivers steady lead generation is no easy feat – and requires a specific approach to how you structure and deliver content through each stage of your funnel.
So, what comes after you have your offer, lead magnet and lead follow up sequence in place?
Creating opportunity for lead engagement
As a salesperson, you must be confident that when a prospect sees that last email from you, or is triggered by that last blog post – that they know exactly where to go to find you and take the next step of engagement. If you don’t create an easy and familiar pathway for them to reach you, you might miss them.
Now, you might already have them on your frequent caller list if picking up the phone is their preference, but what if it isn’t?
Here, we’re talking about always providing opportunity for your prospects to raise their hands at the point in time they decide to move forward – and they know exactly where to find you.
Common lead management mistakes
Among Channel Partners there are a few common lead management mistakes. While Leads move from cold to warm to hot – we must be patient and stay present in their minds (and inboxes!).
1. Putting pressure on prospects when they’re not ready
Moving prospects through the sales funnel or stages can be a hard task. The feeling of needing to stay connected constantly, or not knowing what the best next step might be is tricky. They might want to read a pitch deck, but not have a meeting just yet.
Regardless of where they’re sitting, the worst thing you could do is put pressure on them to take the next step if they’re not ready.
2. Engaging with cold leads too early
We must be confident that the colder leads that have entered the funnel have entered for the right reasons. They have entered from our core messages – the pains and problems that we know they have, and we have used in our marketing messages. So, because we trust that they are here for the right reasons, we also must trust that even if they are silent observers, they will know what to do next when they are ready.
3. Disengaging too early
You have prospects in your funnel, receiving your new lead sequence, but they’re just not engaging as fast as you’d like. Whatever you do, don’t disengage with them as a result. You likely don’t know their sales cycle, what they have going on in the business that might be holding them back. Keep them in the funnel and keep engaging with them – they will come when they’re ready or unsubscribe if they decide ‘no’.
If you can overcome these common mistakes, you can be confident that your prospects know what they can do next to engage with you without you needing to speak with them. They will feel empowered to decide what’s next for them according to engagement preference, and what they need to do to take that step. And you will feel comfortable that even if they’re silent, they will know what to do next at the point in time they’re ready.
When they do engage, they are raising their hand.
How to raise hands with your email signature
Being present is key, and the easiest way to do this is through your New Lead Nurture™. But there is one thing you’re probably not including in your lead follow up – that is the key to getting hand raises.
That is, the right content in your email signature.
When a prospect raises their hand, you should be confident they are a match for you. So here are the 5 things updating our email signature content will help you sort out;
- You will know who is willing to engage in a dialogue. Frankly if they aren’t interested in engaging in a dialogue, then they aren’t a match for you right now.
- Inviting them to respond directly to your New Lead Nurture™ shows us if they are friendly and cooperative. You obviously don’t want to work with people who are abrupt, and unfriendly
- You will know what they want. They may not know exactly what it is they want but they know what they don’t want.
- Know when they want it. You are looking for those prospects who want it now - you don’t want to help them next year; you will help them now.
- They would like some help. They are actively looking for a partner to help them solve their problem.
The Hand Raise Signature™
At Partner Elevate, we get hand raises using the Hand Raise Signature™. It is a simple list of four separate calls to action, giving your prospects four options of the next best ways to engage with you – according to their preference.
Where it appears
The Signature should be added to every piece of communication that you have with prospects in your funnel. This may seem excessive, but you won’t think it is when you start seeing the engagement you see as a result.
This means adding it to your 12-day New Lead Nurture™ emails, your email program emails or newsletters if you have them. Also, update your email tenant email signature, too.
How it’s structured
The first line is simple:
PS. Whenever you are ready, here are four ways I can help [solve your problem].
Next is the list of actionable CTAs they have can engage with. The goal is to provide a variety of options that are varied in their engagement level. Booking a meeting is further through the funnel than joining a community, following on socials or downloading an eBook. The last CTA is your ‘get started now’ CTA and asks them to respond directly to your email.
- Download Lead Magnet
- Subscribe
- Follow us
- Work privately
Other CTAs to include might be:
- Book an assessment
- Subscribe to newsletter
- Subscribe to blog
- Upcoming event registration
- Read a case study
The best thing about a the Hand Raise Signature™ is that you can implement it today, right now even. So, what’s stopping you?
Remember
- You need to have patience that the prospects that are a match will raise their hand when they are ready
- Guard your time for your highest probable prospects and let the new lead nurture warm those cold leads to warm prospects
- Trust your Hand Raise Signature™
- The Partner Elevate Sales Enablement Platform get's you started today.
Hand Raise Signature™
If you would like to see a full example of a Hand Raise Signature™ - download it now!
