Jeremy Sacco is part of the team behind About Leads, BuyerZone’s lead generation blog, which covers lead nurturing, sales techniques, email and search marketing, and more. Find out more at http://leads.buyerzone.com.

Thanks Jeremy. We appreciate you sharing your insights with our readers.

______

Flexibility makes good sales techniques better: get the most out of every list

“One size fits all.” It’s about as accurate in sales as it is for pants: not very.  If you’re trying to apply a single selling methodology to every lead you get, it’s time to rethink your plans.

Your sales technique might be outstanding: every phone call and email expertly crafted and timed, honed over the years for the best conversion rates. But leads today can come from many different sources, and adjusting your sales tactics for different types of lists can help you get the most value out your leads.

What’s in a lead?

A “lead” can be anything from a basic list of names and contact information, to fully-fleshed out profiles that describe prospective buyers’ organizations, buying intent, history with your company, and purchasing plans. These days, your sales team could be working leads from inbound web forms, lead generation services, content marketing, phone inquiries, and more.

For every source of leads, you should consider the following characteristics and adjust your sales approach accordingly.

Level of detail

Some lead sources provide more detail than others about prospects’ interests and plans. The more detail you get, the more you should prepare a customized call or email. The prospect spent time describing their situation, answering questions or filling out forms, and they are likely to react more positively if you demonstrate that you’ve been paying attention.

There’s a message in the medium

One of the simplest considerations is how the lead was generated. Use the communication medium that the prospect did: web users are likely to respond better to an introductory email to set up a later call, instead of a phone call out of the blue. Users who called should be called back.

Don’t go too far: even if a lead came in from an in-person event, it’s probably not a good idea to knock on their door unannounced. But in general, responding to a lead in the manner they prefer can be a good relationship-builder.

Different sources, different cycles

One of the primary reasons to use multiple lead sources is that different techniques and services capture buyers at different points in their sales cycle. A lead generation service like BuyerZone tends to attract buyers who are in active but early research stages: they’re gathering information on products and vendors, but they’re not always ready to make a final decision. Leads that come in through your own web site are more likely to be further down the cycle.

Knowing if a certain prospects skew early or late can help you customize your pitches and offers. Approach early-stage buyers with more of a solution-selling approach, helping to understand their problems and offering solutions; give more details about products and pricing to buyers who are further along.

How far can you go?

There are plenty of other ways to customize your approaches to particular leads – based on industry, the prospect’s experience with your products, the size of their business, and more – but these are some of the most important. If you understand your lead sources in enough detail, you’ll find that each channel winds up with a slightly different set of tactics and activities.

How do you customize your sales tactics for different lead sources? Share your thoughts below.