3 Ways to Bring Cold Leads Back to Life

B‍y Ingage. 

New leads are not enough to keep your business growing, your business needs to learn how to engage cold leads as part of a successful sales process. 

Any contractor can tell you that the key to increasing profitability and bringing in new clients lies in quality lead generation. However, not all leads end up converting into boosted sales and customers, even a perfect sales pitch doesn’t guarantee a secured lead. So what do you do when the trail goes cold on a lead? Read on for expert insight from Ingage on how to ensure your leads convert and to discover a lead-nurturing strategy that you can depend on to get more business. ‍ 

Why leads turn cold 

In your sales process, you will encounter three different kinds of leads: cold leads, warm leads and hot leads. Each type of lead interacts with your business differently, and you need distinct sales pitches and messages to move them forward. First, cold leads are prospects who aren’t really interested in what you have to offer. They may need more information about your brand, and you typically have to do a lot of convincing to get them to purchase from you. 

Warm leads are potential customers who show they are interested, but they still haven’t made a conscious decision to purchase from your brand. They may need a little more time to decide, or they would like to better see how you could benefit them. Many consumers fall under this lead category. 

Finally, hot leads are those who know what you have to offer and are in need of it. These leads are most likely to convert, and they may already be on the verge of purchasing. However, even the hottest leads can quickly turn cold without a lead-nurturing strategy in place. Here are some of the main reasons hot and warm leads turn cold: 

1 - Prospect is either too overwhelmed or confused. Today’s market offers customers a wide variety of options to choose from. This can leave customers feeling overwhelmed, as they aren’t sure what brand, product or service to choose. Prospective customers may also feel confused about your product or service. They could need more information before deciding to purchase, especially if they’re dealing with high-ticket items. 

2 - You didn’t define the next steps clearly. Does your prospect know what they should do next? If they don’t, then they likely won’t go further down the sales funnel. You need to be explicit about what you want your prospects to do each step of the way. This may entail providing them with more information or encouraging them to convert with a clear call to action. 

3 - Complete lack of follow-ups. In today’s noisy market, it’s easy to forget about brands and products—even if a customer really wants to purchase. If you don’t regularly remind your prospective customer of your brand, they may move on to another. That’s why consistently following up with prospects is part of an effective lead-nurturing strategy. If your follow-ups are poorly spaced or non-existent, your leads will turn cold. 

4 - Prospect got distracted. Again, it’s easy for prospective customers to forget about your brand. They can get distracted by other brands, products and services, and they may be encouraged to purchase from other companies instead. If your prospect gets distracted with other opportunities or possibilities, your lead can turn cold. 

5 - Your product or service doesn’t meet your prospect's needs. Your product or service needs to answer your prospect’s pain points. If they don’t think you can benefit them or provide them with the solution they need, they will leave and look for another option. 

How to reheat cold leads 

While it isn’t favorable for leads to go cold, it’s important to remember that it can happen to any brand across all industries. These leads aren’t lost causes though—leads that have gone cold can be reheated. You can still get the conversions you want by re-engaging with your cold leads. 

1 - Reach out 

Your leads want to know you care about them. Show them this by reaching out to them. Part of lead nurturing is sending a personalized message asking what you can do to help them. Focus on showcasing your value and how you can benefit your prospects. Reminding your leads why they connected with you in the first place will help reheat a cold lead. 

By reaching out, you can also show your prospect you care about them. This will help build trust between your brand and your prospect, which is crucial in driving sales. After all, consumers are more likely to engage and purchase from brands they trust because they believe they’ll get a quality product and service. By gaining your prospects’ trust, you are building a relationship with them. As a result, they’ll be more likely to do business with you again in the future. 

2 - Approach them through a different channel 

There are a variety of ways to reach out to your prospects, so it’s important to know the most effective channel to use to communicate with them. Email is the standard way for brands—especially B2B companies—to communicate, but other channels can also be effective. 

If you have your prospect’s mobile number, you can try sending them a personal text or calling them. You may even reach out to them on their social media channels if you have fostered a deep enough connection. However, it’s important to refrain from being too pushy, as this may scare off your prospect. 

3 - Send a personalized offer 

Personalization is key to reheating a cold lead. Automated, generic emails can push a cold lead even further away, and they send the signal that your prospect is little more than a name on a list. Today’s customers are looking for a human touch. They want to know a brand they may potentially patronize or work with are seeing them as more than just a sale. Studies have found that as many as 69% of consumers are looking for a personalized experience designed to meet and address their specific wants and needs. 

A personalized offer may include a real marketer reaching out to your prospect via email or phone call. In addition, consider creating a personalized presentation based on your prospect’s individual needs. Then, consistently follow up with them as they review the presentation to see if they have questions or need additional information. Actions like this will show your lead you genuinely care about them and drive them closer to making a purchase. 

Lead nurturing tactics for keeping leads warm 

While it’s normal for leads to go cold, you can employ lead-nurturing tactics that will prevent this from happening. At the core of these tactics are showing your value as a company and ensuring your prospects know they are cared for. Incorporate these steps into your lead-nurturing strategy to keep your leads warm: 

Get in touch—regularly 

Your customers need to be aware of your brand. The easiest way to remind them of who you are and what you have to offer is to maintain contact with them. Sending them regular reminders and check-ups will show them you mean business. These simple touchpoints can also help you build rapport with your prospects. 

By regularly getting in touch with your customers, you can deepen your relationship with them. For example, a weekly or monthly email of relevant but non-sales content will help build trust and establish a routine or flow with your prospects. This will also show customers you care about them beyond simply making a sale, which will build a good foundation for future interactions and sales to come. 

Communicate through multiple channels 

In today’s fast-paced marketing world, you must leverage omnichannel communication. Omnichannel communication helps you create a consistent and unified customer experience, which shows prospects how reliable and trustworthy your brand is. This can be facilitated through customer communication management software or by simply unifying the way your customer care system responds to prospects across all your channels. 

Effective omnichannel communication means ensuring all customer interactions across all touchpoints are consistent. This shows customers you’re invested in providing them with an excellent experience and will further build their trust in your brand. 

Keep them updated on what’s new 

It’s important to keep your customers interested in your brand. Do this by constantly updating them about what’s new with you. If you have a new product or service, an upcoming promo or a new store location, keep your prospects in the loop by telling them about it. Consider creating an email newsletter and sending it out regularly to keep your prospects updated. This may even give your prospects something to look forward to from your brand. 

With Ingage, you can create informative and stunning product presentations and one-pagers that build rapport with your leads. Leverage Ingage’s easy-to-use dashboard to navigate its handy creation tools and develop an engaging piece your prospects will want to read. 

Offer product demos 

It’s often better and more effective to show than tell. This is especially true when it comes to your product. With a product demo, you can show your prospects exactly how to use your product and how it can benefit them. You can do this through a short video or a step-by-step tutorial, whichever one would best resonate with your prospects. 

Product demos are an excellent addition to your lead-nurturing strategy because they also help build your prospects’ trust in your products. By seeing clearly how your product works and how it can benefit them, your prospect is more likely to be convinced to purchase. 

Keep your brand updated 

You also need to make sure your brand stays fresh and current. This includes staying on top of the latest trends and keeping your brand message both clear and relevant. As much as possible, you want to ensure that you are top of mind for your prospects—especially when they are already considering a purchase. 

It’s also important to ensure consistency when it comes to your branding. Keeping things fresh does not necessarily mean giving your entire brand’s look an overhaul. Rather, you should ensure that you present a consistent look to all your prospects. Develop a branding style guide your team can refer to when creating content and materials for your business. By keeping your brand updated yet consistent, you can improve brand recall for your prospects and make it easier for them to relate to you. 

Reel your prospects in with a powerful sales presentation 

Today’s market is highly saturated and competitive. That’s why your sales team and sales strategy need a boost, especially when it comes to lead nurturing. Even your best salesperson can’t guarantee a closed sale, so you need to equip them with the right sales tools. Empower your sales team with presentation software that will help them create engaging presentations to secure your prospects. 

With a powerful sales presentation, you can highlight your brand’s value to your prospective customers and let them know more about what you have to offer. This will help you move them further along the sales cycle, eventually leading your sales team to close a deal. Ingage is a cloud-based presentation software that allows you to create interactive presentations that are sure to keep your prospects engaged. 

With Ingage, you can easily collaborate with your sales team and keep your branding updated. You can also measure performance through rich analytics, which will help you make smarter and more informed business decisions. See how you can boost your lead nurturing strategy with Ingage.  

Learn more about Ingage in their RoofersCoffeeShop® Directory or visit ingage.io. 

Original article source: Ingage