Both lead generation and sales teams need to work together. Both teams should work together to achieve the same goal, which is closing sales. 88% of companies achieve the best results when they use a closed-loop marketing process. Marketing should flow from sales to marketing, then back to marketing.
We see a system where bad leads get the most follow-up, while good leads that multiply your business, remain static. Leads have great potential but they can be wasted if they don’t align with the sales team’s current offerings.
Developing a seamless integration between sales and lead generation takes some work. However, the results are measurable increases in capacity and ROI.
These are five ways you can help bring these teams together.
1. Increase Lead Quality Through Communication: The marketing team is responsible for generating qualified leads. However, this can only be achieved with the input of the sales team. What are the criteria that distinguish a qualified lead from an unqualified one?
The marketing team can’t generate the right leads if the sales team is unable to quantify the difference. Make sure your sales team has a system that outlines what they want from a lead. This will allow the marketing team to pre-qualify leads, and increase conversion rates.
2. Attention To Capacity Issues: As your marketing team generates more leads, you need to follow up immediately. Many of the leads generated by the sales team can get lost in the ether and you could lose your business to other companies.
We have seen wasted leads as a major problem in the lead generation process. To combat this issue, create a feedback loop from the sales team to marketing, so leads can receive first-stage follow-up and continued relationship-building efforts.
3. It’s All About The Data And Metrics: Lead generation teams can significantly improve the quality and quantity of leads they collect by improving their tracking. Modern technology makes it possible to track where leads came from and what they are looking for. You can also see what they did to get there.
This data helps to shorten the sales cycle, reduce manpower commitments, and improve total sales numbers. Online marketing data collection can reveal the exact message or tool that converted a customer. For the best results, track lead sourcing and make sure the information is sent with leads to sales.
4. Increase Your Customer Relationships: We see businesses making the same mistake over and over again: They don’t assign responsibility for building long-term customer relationships. The reality is that the marketing team should handle relationship-building. Successful marketing campaigns bring customers to the sales department, while valuable service packages keep them coming back.
Marketing teams create product packages that will keep customers coming back. Once a sale is closed, the job of the sales team is over. The next step is the repeat purchase. Word-of-mouth and customer feedback are essential. It is vital to foster these relationships as repeat customers make up 80 percent of businesses income. Place the responsibility where it belongs. Ensure that your sales cycle is complete.
5. Personalize Your Selling Process: Every customer is unique. There is no one size fits. We cannot count the number of times that we have witnessed a sale fail because:
- The sales team tries to sell the product that is “almost right”.
- Sales team tries to start the sales process too soon, or
- The message is not appropriate for the buyer’s context.
Your buyer’s context should be the basis of your lead generation. This should help the sales team identify the right focus. The sales team must still be able to effectively sell.
This can be achieved by ensuring that information flows seamlessly. Each pitch can be tailored to the needs of each buyer by sales teams. To minimize customer pain points, marketing teams can coordinate upsells and new messages. This creates long-lasting customers and increases conversions.
