Products with longer sales cycles will gain additional sales from a simple a lead nurturing system. It is an obvious point, right? Yes, but unfortunately excellent sales leads for future-projects are often left to become stale while salespeople get back to responding to current leads and immediate sales. While those long-terms leads (potential customers) remain un-contacted they are looking for other suppliers or being contacted by your competitors.

Brian Carrol of Start With a Lead describes lead nurturing this way: “What’s lead nurturing? Lead nurturing is all about having consistent and meaningful communication with viable prospects (those that are “a fit” for your solution) regardless of their timing to buy. It’s not “following-up” every few months to find out if a prospect is “ready to buy yet?” Lead nurturing about building trusted relationships with the right people.”

In his review of a RainToday.com report about lead generation, Jon Miller of Marketo includes a chart that highlight the results of a survey of companies indicating that on average 25% of leads are disqualified immediately, 25% are “sales-ready”, and 50% require further lead nurturing.

Barry Harrigan of Accelerating IT Sales reviews a study which indicates potential buyers of IT products prefer certain methods of follow-up contact over others. The most preferred method is a website or micro-site with information about the product. While nurturing your leads, consider using all of your contact options including phone, email, information on your website, and in-person discussions.

Long-term leads should be developed (through various methods) into customers through a process of relationship building and discussions about their projects, requirements, and wishes. Nurture leads by developing a fruitful working relationship with them. Offer helpful information and ideas and ask questions to help you understand their projects how you can be ready to supply when they are ready to purchase.

Other Lead Optimize Articles:

How To Reply To Contact Form Leads

Follow Up! Manage Your Sales Leads

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