Half of all sales inquiries are good. The challenge is finding which half.

Posted by James Obermayer on Jun 24, 2014 9:00:00 AM

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In the distant past (30 years ago)

We figured out through research that 45%f of all inquiries turn into a sale for someone.

In the not too distant past (15 years ago)
We realized that salespeople cannot or will not follow-up on 100% of their inquiries. Marketing can assume that responsibility through nurturing, and increased sales are the result—not by just a few percent—but 200-300% more sales are the result of successful nurturing programs. 

In the recent past (5-6 years ago) we started using programs that grade people who visit your website, score them by what they click on and how long they view it, and present the not-too anonymous visitors to salespeople as sales leads. This happens without filling in the “Contact Us” form.

Now, in the present (last year)
Software programs are cruising the internet and seeking out people who are revealing their intentions by not just where they visit but by what they say in social media. This indicates that demand generation is taking on a whole new meaning. Prospects are identified before they are real prospects and nurtured. The risk in doing this is offset by the opportunity to be first to the table. Several companies doing this come to mind: Leadspace and Wholecrowd.

And yet, even with this extraordinary information, there is no evidence that salespeople are following up inquiries any better.

Why_its_imporant_-_technology_215I blame sales management. Yes, I know it has been a personal crusade of mine these last few months to hold sales managers accountable for follow-up. However, when someone in the manager’s department does something wrong, and the manger doesn’t fix it, it is no longer the person’s failing, but the manager’s screw-up. I don’t use this term lightly—I use it intentionally. Most sales managers don’t have a clue about the potential of the sales inquiries and leads given to their sales people. And cluelessness leads to failure in achieving quota.

Don’t believe me?
Try reading this from Patrick Conley entitled: 5 Ways Your Follow-up Failure is Costing You Major Money. Or The top 12 reasons why companies fail to make a success of exhibitions from the Marketing Donut. It isn’t as if people don’t know there is a problem. Nick Hedges, CEO of Velocity was interviewed on the SLMA radio program entitled: Sales Managers Suck at Taking Responsibility, my own blog, Its Time CEO’s held Sales Manager’s Responsible opined on the subject. PointClear’s blog, ViewPoint, the entry titled: And People in Hell Also Want Ice Water, tackles the problem, as well.

Richard Brock of Sales Talk Technologies and LeadLife Solutions says that the follow-up today isn’t all the salesperson’s fault as buyers have changed how they approach buying. Listen to his comments on SLMA Radio.

The issue is that technology is advancing faster in finding potential buyers than the salespeople who are expected to complete the follow-up. Salespeople are in the 1970s regardless of the tools they are given and I continue to fault the sales managers who are living in the 1980s. If technology presents people who are more inclined to buy (60% or greater) but the salespeople refuse to change, what have we gained? Zip. Zilch. Nada. It’s frustrating. But the fact remains, 45% of inquirers intend to buy something. So, what are you going to do about it?

 

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This blog was submitted by James Obermayer, Executive Director and CEO of the 
Sales Lead Management Association and President of Sales Leakage Consulting. James is a regular guest blogger with ViewPoint.


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Topics: Marketing & Sales Alignment, B2B Sales


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