In today's competitive marketplace, sales directors are constantly looking for new ways to generate more qualified sales opportunities. One of the best ways to do this is by leveraging your existing database.
That’s right — your existing database.
Instead of immediately assuming you need to create NEW leads, let’s take a fresh look at your EXISTING contacts.
Could you be overlooking any of the following types of contacts?
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Old trade shows lists
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Stagnant records sitting in your database not currently being marketed to
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Previous lost opportunities
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Records with incomplete data
If you can find a few thousand records in your database, then you have what you need to find a few additional deals this coming month. Once you have some data identified, the next step is coming up with the best way to warm them up.
Step 1: Find out what your customers want, and give it to them.
Start by answering the following two questions:
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What is the biggest problem the people in your database are wrestling with?
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How can you help them solve this problem?
Got the answers?
Perfect. Now it’s time to record a video speaking directly to them and helping them solve their biggest problem. Yes, video. Since the beginning of time salespeople have been most effective speaking directly with their customers; today is no different.
When recording your video, any of the following ideas will work well:
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Call a current customer on Zoom and talk them through the solution to the biggest problem. Record the Zoom meeting. Done. Sometimes talking to somebody else live helps you deliver the message without overthinking things.
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Host a live digital event (people overuse the word webinar and many people do terrible webinars, so try calling them live digital events) and invite as many people as you can. This keeps the energy at a high level and forces you to build an outline to keep yourself organized.
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Simply hit record while sitting at your desk and talk directly into the camera. Easy. Efficient. Effective. Done.
That’s it. You now have a valuable piece of content that your database will benefit from.
Step 2: Give away your value to add them to your sales funnel
Now that you’ve found out what your customers want, the next step is to give it to them. Well, rather, we’re going to invite them to receive it.
We recommend using HubSpot sequences to connect with the people in your database with a series of four or five emails. The emails must:
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Demonstrate that you understand their problem.
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State how your information and insights will address that problem.
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Prove it with a fact, a testimonial, or an example.
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Ask them to take an action (such as “click here to watch the video”).
The goal is simple: Get them to engage and learn about how they can solve their biggest problem.
Step 3: What’s next? Create a clear call to action.
At the end of the video or on the page where the video lives, give the viewer a clear next step.
If you were correct in guessing their biggest problem and your solution was valuable, then you will have earned the right to ask them to take more action.
What should you ask as a next step?
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Book an exploratory call or a strategy session
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Enroll in a course
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Download additional information
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Subscribe to your blog or newsletter
The more value you provide, the more likely you are to earn the next step in the process. Focus on the value first and the rest will fall into place.
Step 4: Follow up. Follow up. Follow up.
Studies show that people must be engaged with or hear a message nine times before taking action.
It is critical to continue to message the contact who viewed your video multiple times. The problem you’re solving was relevant enough for them to take time out of their day to search for a solution, therefore you know there is demand for a solutions provider such as yourself.
Stay pleasantly persistent.
Both; pleasant and persistent.
Persistence without pleasantness is no fun for anybody.
Mix it up with any of the following:
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Personalized Vidyard video messages
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Phone calls are still relevant
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Additional valuable information that focuses on solving their problem
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An insight you can share for them in particular. Perhaps a suggestion you have based on some limited research on their company or website
The most important thing you can do for your company's sales strategy is to have fun, provide value first, and make a friend at all costs.
