Seeking new prospects is an essential part of sales but for many, it is one of the hardest. That’s why having a solid selection of sales prospecting tools in your toolkit is crucial when converting your potential customers. With many things to consider, from prospect gifts for sales teams to the medium you use to reach out, it is imperative to hit the nail on the head with your customer pool.
Create an ideal prospect profile
Your ideal prospects will vary depending on the industry you work in and your company’s core mission, so there is no one-size-fits-all method. To make meaningful connections with likely prospects, create several different customer profiles, also known as Ideal Customer Profiles (ICP) for your top customers and least profitable buyers. Use these profiles to help you narrow down who you reach out to. And, to make the most out of your outbound campaigns, work on committing your ICP to memory so that you can more easily identify who will –and who won’t—be quality leads to pursue.
Discover the best ways to communicate
Consider where you met your top customers and use that information to single out your most promising locations. Whether your most lucrative channel is at a trade show or via Instagram advertising, analyze the data you have to ensure you don’t waste your time. Social selling is a huge opportunity to connect with individuals on a personal and human level, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Detailed data and the ICPs will build out your research to show you exactly how your target likes to receive their information and what motivates them to act. This research can help you prioritize a social media campaign, opt for a direct mail campaign, or even reveal prospects that prefer the traditional cold call.
Give sales prospecting gifts
Capture the attention of your potential customers with prospecting gifts that will help boost your conversion rate. Among customers, 73% consider the overall customer experience as a factor in their purchasing decision, and sending a small surprise is a great way to build an experience into your prospecting strategy. The best gifts for sales reps are small yet thoughtful, just enough to open doors and build meaningful connections with your client base. Personalizing these sales professional gifts transforms them from generic items to meaningful B2B sales gifts, so don’t forget to add your logo to the package! When you make an impression and use thoughtful sales gift ideas, they will feel inclined to choose you when the time is right.
Sales development technology
Nowadays there is an abundance of digital information available, making it increasingly challenging to reach and qualify buyers. A massive 72.4% of companies are turning toward technology solutions and have plans to make a sales development technology purchase. With more touches needed per lead in today’s buyer landscape, it is more important than ever to make these reach-outs count. Especially if your product has a long sales cycle (or you are juggling a large pool of prospects) it’s important to utilize automation and organization technology to keep your leads organized, prioritize your outreach and ensure potential revenue is actualized.
Ask happy customers for referrals
Is there anything better than a happy customer? Satisfied buyers will spread the word and encourage their peers to follow their lead too. A massive 91% of B2B buyers are influenced by word of mouth when making decisions, so recommendations go a long way. Particularly if your product requires a sign-off from the C-suite, referrals can speed up approvals and serve as a voucher for security and usefulness. Ask your customers to refer their friends and boost your new prospect intake.
New prospects are vital as research shows that 72% of companies that failed to exceed 50 new opportunities per month didn’t achieve their revenue goals, compared to just 4% for companies with 101 to 200 new opportunities. Putting the time in to get to know your prospects is one of the best sales tools for lead generation and genuine partnership. Incorporate relevant sales gift ideas when choosing the right sales gifts for your clients, so they know you care.
Curious about how Packed with Purpose can elevate your prospecting strategy while showcasing and promoting your company values? Connect with a gifting expert today and we’ll help you design a prospecting gift experience that can boost your pipeline with quality leads.
