3 Tips to Successfully Manage Inbound Leads

Inbound marketing is a household term these days, and for good reason. According to Search Engine Journal, inbound leads cost 60% less than outbound leads, so it’s no wonder we focus so much on getting them. In comparison to the amount of waste associated with traditional, impression-based advertising, inbound marketing also provides a much more focused program that matches today’s buyer behavior,” and according to HubSpot, is exactly what you need to nurture prospective clients.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re using a marketing automation platform like HubSpot, or a hybrid of inbound and outbound tools, either way, you understand the value of generating inbound leads, right? That’s why building a framework to nurture each lead through the pipeline is as important - if not more important - as capturing each lead in the first place. And that’s exactly why we’ve decided to share our 3 key tips for improving your ROI for each inbound lead:

1. Data! Data! Data!

The first phone call or email with a prospective client can make or break a sale - so It’s important that you make a good first impression on your inbound leads. The difference between starting off on the right foot with a prospective client and failing to understand their needs can be boiled down to one simple but vital resource: Data. How do you get it? Ask yourself questions, like:

• What is the client looking for in my product or service?

• What are the client's pain points and how can I alleviate these?

• What role does this client have in their own business?

• How did this client find us?

It’s crucial to do as much research as possible on each lead prior to touching base with them so that you have a deeper understanding of their needs. Once you do, stepping into each sale will be much easier than going in blind (and you won’t be caught off guard with any questions you can’t answer). Having this data at your fingertips is one of the key differences between those that succeed in sales and those who fail.

2. Utilizing a CRM Solution

So you’ve got all this data on each client, but what do you do with it? This is where the importance of having a CRM comes into play. Without a centralized database to store this information easily, you will inevitably find yourself lost in confusing spreadsheets and piles of business cards. And that’s only half the battle...

You still need to learn how to leverage your CRM to more effectively nurture each lead. But rather than manually inputting all the data you’ve found on each of your prospective clients, start using a client work management platform that can do this for you - automatically. The best part? You’ll be able to assign priority statuses to each contact in your sales funnel to successfully nurture them all the way through to the finish line. Having a single place to go to to see everything you need to know about a client will dramatically reduce the amount of time you spend searching through notes or emails - so that you have more time to focus on the revenue-generating work you actually love to do.

3. Pick Up the Phone

While it’s easy to stay comfortable and nestled behind the screen of your laptop, only so much can be conveyed in an email or call with a potential client. Rather than waiting to set up a call with a qualified lead, it’s best to preemptively strike and pick up the phone. Many clients aren’t actually expecting to receive calls, but if they’ve taken the time to submit their personal information it’s always worth a shot.

If you rely on email as your primary means of communication, you need to ask yourself this simple question: are you tracking time spent writing them?  While every minute spent calling a client is recorded and billable, most people don’t realize how much money is lost due to untracked emails! In fact, not tracking time spent in your inbox could be costing you as much as $50,000 in lost revenue every year.

If you’re ready to stop leaking revenue and start nurturing clients with ease, it might be time to consider a client work management solution like Accelo. Just click here to learn more and get started with your free trial today.