04Feb

How to Prioritize Sales Leads

When a sales rep gets a lead, whether it’s a referral, sourced through their own research, an inbound lead (email, phone, website) etc, they have to take the time to prioritize it with all of the other responsibilities on their plate. Do they drop everything they’re doing because that lead looks good on paper? What if another lead that they put on the back burner could prove to be better? How should they decide which comes first, second or even third?

Most sales reps prioritize their leads based on the time they come in, rather than researching the data of each lead, such as how many times that person has visited your website or clicked on that piece of equipment. With the era of inbound marketing growing, sales reps should focus their attention based on the level of interest, not the time they called.

To make sure the right leads are worked first, use this four step strategy to ensure they’re  working the most important leads.

  1. Work inbound leads first.

The first leads a sales rep should touch base with are individuals who have already visited your website and took some type of call to action. Does your website have a resource available to download? For example, your dealership may offer a guide on the best winter vehicles. If a prospect takes the time to fill out the form to download this guide, they are clearly interested in what you have to offer. These should be the first leads your sales reps should contact.  

Other types of inbound leads are people who have contacted you through social media, email or phone calls. If a prospect has actively demonstrated that they are interested in some way, then you should reach out ASAP. Research has shown that reps are 100 times more likely to reach an inbound lead if they follow-up within the first five minutes.

  1. Work prospects who have opened your emails second.

Sales reps send a huge amount of emails to potential customers everyday. Did you know that you can see who opens your email and if they’ve taken a step further and visited your website? One resource reps can use to see this information is Hubspot Sales. The resource allows you to see who opens your emails, when, where and the time. This allows your sales reps to be in more control when following up on leads. If a prospect took the time to open the email during their busy day, then it’s clear that they’re interested in something your business offers.

  1. Work prospects who have visited your website third.

Of your leads, which prospect continues to come back to your website and view your online inventory? These people are clearly looking to learn as much as possible about your products and services. With a prospect expressing significant interest and returning to your website time and time again, reps should prioritize them over any other leads that have not expressed interest.   

When a lead views your website, you can track how often they visit a particular page and your website. Commercial Web Services offers this for our dealers through a service called Visistats.

  1. Work outbound-sourced prospects last.

Hate to break it to you, but not all leads are going to fall into your lap. Sales reps spend hours researching potential customers. After you put together a good list of prospects that you believe will be a good fit, tackle one at a time.

Not sure how to spot a good prospect? Well first of all, you will have to do some research. Is there a need for your product for that potential customer? Are they struggling in areas of their business where you can help? Do they have the budget to invest into your products? All of these questions are a great starting point to make sure you don’t waste your time with the wrong prospects.

Reaching out to leads in the right order is crucial for a sales rep to have success. Remember to prioritize them based on interest level and not just by the time that they come in. Doing this will give you the greatest result of turning prospects into customers.

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Commercial Web Services
COMMENT (1)
Closing A Sale | Commercial Web Services Blog / October 26, 2016

[…] our sales series comes to a close, we hope you took away some great advice! Now that you know how to prioritize sales leads by importance, the common sales mistakes and taking “No” for an answer, you’re […]

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