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8 Best Practices for Effective Lead Follow Up

Hey there, as sales leaders, it’s crucial to keep up with the constantly changing B2B sales landscape and adapt your strategies accordingly. In today’s digital age, it’s all about leading your selling efforts rather than simply leading your sellers. This means moving away from traditional sales channels and focusing on digital channels where data and analytics can drive your sales decisions. To thrive in this new landscape and increase your conversion rates, you’ll need to be aware of the latest trends and adopt the best practices for lead follow-up. That’s why we’ve put together this blog, where we’ll share the key trends shaping the future of B2B sales and provide practical tips and tools to help you optimize your lead follow-up efforts. Let’s get started!
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It’s important to take note of these key trends in B2B sales as you optimize your lead follow-up efforts for 2023. The first trend to watch is the increasing reliance on digital channels. To effectively engage with leads, you may need to shift your focus to online platforms like email, direct calling, social media, and other digital channels.Another trend to consider is the growing importance of data and analytics. As digital sales interactions generate more data, it’s crucial to have a system that can capture, organize, and analyze this data. Doing so can help you better understand customer behavior and make informed decisions to improve your lead follow-up process.

Lastly, B2B buyers, especially Millennials and Gen Z, are becoming more skeptical of sales claims. To build trust and credibility with your leads, make sure you provide accurate and valuable information in your follow-up efforts, instead of relying on empty promises or aggressive sales tactics.

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Key B2B Sales Trends in 2023

In 2023, we’re seeing a major shift in B2B sales towards digital channels. That means if you want to effectively follow up with your leads, you need to prioritize online platforms like email, direct calling and social media. By doing so, you can provide your leads with the information and resources they need, right at their fingertips.
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8 Lead Follow-Up Best Practices

As the B2B landscape continues to evolve, it is important for sales organizations to stay ahead of the curve and leverage best practices for lead follow-up. By leveraging data, analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI), companies can maximize their conversion rates and increase revenue. In this section, we will outline key best practices that can help you optimize your lead follow-up efforts in 2023.

Define Clear Qualified Lead Criteria

Ensure that all sales reps have a clear understanding of the criteria for a qualified lead. Using a definition like BANT (budget, authority, need, timeframe) or ANUM (authority, need, urgency, money) can help ensure that sales development reps (SDRs) are focusing on the most promising leads.

Create an Omnichannel Touch Pattern

No buyer's journey is limited to one channel of communication. To effectively reach and engage potential customers, use an omnichannel approach that includes a variety of channels, such as email, phone, social media like LinkedIn, and in-person meetings.

Adopt Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Strategies

ABM involves targeting specific, high-value accounts and tailoring marketing efforts specifically to them. This can be a particularly effective approach for B2B organizations, allowing for a more personalized and targeted approach to lead follow-up.

Establish a Clear Handoff Process

A well-defined process for handoff from SDRs to service teams can help ensure that follow-up is timely and effective. Establishing a process for documenting customer interactions and passing on information to the service team can help reduce sales cycles and improve lead conversion.

Include Engagement in Lead Qualification Criteria

One of the most common mistakes B2B organizations make is focusing equally on all leads. Instead, include the engagement factor in lead qualification criteria and prioritize high-value and closer-to-purchase leads to avoid wasting resources on leads that are simply browsing.

Monitor and Refine Lead Follow-Up Strategies

Analyzing lead follow-up performance on a regular basis can reveal opportunities for improvement. Use data to identify the most effective channels and approaches for engaging leads, as well as areas where additional resources may be needed. This can help ensure that sales reps are focusing their efforts in the right places and optimizing lead follow-up strategies for maximum success.

Adhere to Service-Level Agreements (SLAs)

Ensuring that sales reps accept and take ownership of qualified leads in a timely manner is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the sales process and driving better results. Establish SLAs that provide a clear timeline for follow-up on leads and hold sales reps accountable.

Supplement Lead Follow-Up with Relevant Content – Industry Newsletters

Providing quality and relevant content can not only increase the effectiveness of an outbound sales strategy but can also differentiate your product from competitors. Use content to educate prospects, and consider creating personalized content based on their interests and needs.

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The Takeaway

The future of B2B sales is digital and data-driven. By creating a clear and effective lead follow-up strategy and leveraging best practices, sales organizations can increase their conversions and improve the customer experience. And to stay ahead of the curve, it is essential for CSOs and sales leaders to embrace new technologies and approaches, including lead routing automation solutions like Fusion Advisory. In today’s digital age, B2B sales interactions are increasingly taking place online, making it crucial to prioritize digital channels in lead follow-up efforts. It’s important to have a system in place for capturing and analyzing data to better understand customer behavior and identify opportunities for improvement. In addition, B2B buyers are becoming more skeptical of sales claims, highlighting the need for accurate, relevant, and valuable information in follow-up efforts. Here are eight best practices for optimizing lead follow-up efforts in 2023:

  • Define clear qualified lead criteria, such as BANT or ANUM.
  • Establish a clear handoff process to ensure timely and effective follow-up.
  • Adhere to service-level agreements (SLAs) to maintain the integrity of the sales process.
  • Create an omnichannel touch pattern to effectively reach potential customers.
  • Prioritize high-value and closer-to-purchase leads by including engagement in lead qualification criteria.
  • Supplement lead follow-up with relevant content to differentiate your product and educate prospects.
  • Adopt account-based marketing (ABM) strategies for a more personalized and targeted approach.
  • Monitor and refine lead follow-up strategies using data to identify the most effective channels and approaches.
  • Overall, embracing new technologies and approaches, such as lead routing automation solutions like Fusion Advisory, is essential for staying ahead of the curve in B2B sales.
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