You’ve worked hard to turn a number of leads into a pipeline of qualified prospects…BUT, not every prospect is ready to buy when 
you contact them.
So – how do you stay in front of prospects when they’ve said, “not now”?
Prospects need time to develop trust in you, your company, and your services before they will consider buying from you. Data has shown it takes an average of seven impressions before a prospect will remember your company. But, the quality of those touches matters greatly.
What does this mean for those in marketing and sales? At a minimum:
- You must remain in front of your prospects regularly so that when that elusive “time of need” arises, you will be front-and-center, ready to assist them.
- You need to provide added value at every touch.
One way to achieve this value-added outreach is via the use of regularly scheduled email marketing campaigns. The key here is to provide VALUE-ADDED CONTENT to your prospects.
- Value-added content provides answers, insights, information, or solutions.
- Value-added content is NOT an advertisement or solicitation to promote your company’s services – your content should be 90% informative and only 10% promotional.
- Ask, “What will HELP my prospects gain value immediately? What are common challenges in this industry? What questions arise again and again?” Content addressing these questions will provide immediate value for your audience.
Strive to provide content relevant to your target industry in the form of tips, a handy checklist, or best practices. You can also create mini email marketing campaigns to further nurture qualified leads based on their needs or interests. The goal is to continue to be viewed as a helpful resource throughout the sales cycle.
Here are five top ways to NURTURE your “not now” leads:
- Special Articles: Send an “I thought of you” article once a quarter, citing a source of industry information which could prove helpful to your prospect.
- Research industry trending topics.
- Categorize your prospects by industry, area of solution required, size, or other variable.
- Match and send relevant content based on each prospect’s industry or need.
- Checklists: Develop useful checklists that are available for download, providing tips and ideas or education regarding solutions relative to the industry’s needs.
- Webinars: Invite prospects to attend a content-packed webinar. Offer educational information to assist prospects in certain areas of need.
- Newsletter: Provide a content-rich newsletter, delivered consistently once or twice a month, with topics targeted to your industry.
- Phone Outreach: Call them – nothing beats a personal phone call!
- Call on all email “clickers”, checklist downloaders, and webinar attendees ASAP.
- Ask open-ended questions to spur dialogue and uncover hidden needs: “I saw you downloaded our checklist on top email marketing techniques. What kind of email marketing campaigns have you tried thus far?”
- Continue to provide value. Engage in meaningful conversation about their current reality, daily challenges, or needs with which you can assist.
By sending value-added, though-leadership content you can achieve the following results:
- Increased email open rates and click-through rates
- A favorable image of your company – BRANDING!
- Increased website traffic – readers are more likely to investigate your company
- The opportunity to be in front of prospects at regular intervals
- Prospects will REMEMBER YOU when they are ready to buy
Keep up the great work! Prospects and clients alike will come to anticipate and appreciate your content when you follow these basic guidelines.
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