Inbound Marketing Insights

As part of the "Identify" phase of the inbound sales process, it is the job of the marketing team and sales team (prospecting) to identify the right prospects for the sales team to pursue further. You can read our blog on the "identify" phase to get more insights and tips on this process. Inbound sales teams then take over the "Connect" phase once those prospects are identified.

A salesperson should find a way to "connect" with their qualified prospects to decide if it is a good next step to engage further. Some prospects may fill out a form to speak with sales, while others may be targeted prospects that the marketing and sales teams have identified. Either way, marketing has helped the sales team pre-qualify and build these qualified lists of prospective buyers. Consider ways of communicating by email, phone call, or LinkedIn messaging. Prospects have different communication styles, so sales teams must be open to all channels to capture the prospect’s interest.

Ideally, sales teams should provide these prospects with a helpful next step in their journey. For example, invite the prospect to schedule a consultation to discuss their needs and goals. This is a helpful way to engage with the prospect, answer their questions, and mutually decide if it is a good fit to move forward to a potential proposal. What if the prospect is not ready for a consultation? That’s not a problem. Your sales teams should have a great deal of identified content at your fingertips.

• If the prospect is simply at a data-gathering stage, the salesperson can send blog articles, webinar recordings, or whitepapers.
• If the prospect is at the consideration stage and evaluating several companies, the salesperson should send case studies highlighting your organization’s expertise, a demo video, or an offer for a free trial. 
• If the prospect is at the final stage in their buyer's journey, hopefully, your sales team has been in touch with them in some way already to ensure your company is at the top of their list for organizations to continue evaluating. At this stage, speaking to a current customer as a reference could help aid in that decision-making journey.

Engaging prospects in the sales process is crucial for the success of any inbound sales team. By understanding where the prospect is in their buyer's journey, sales teams can tailor their approach and find the most effective way to move the prospect forward. Every prospect is unique and may be at different stages of their buying process. To engage prospects effectively, it's important to personalize your communication and provide them with the right resources at each stage. By understanding the prospect's buyer's journey, your sales team can provide a personalized and engaging next step.

Are you looking for ways to optimize your inbound strategy? The "book "Mastering Inbound Marketing: Your Complete Guide to Building a Results-Driven Inbound Strategy," written by Elyse Flynn Meyer, Owner & Founder of Prism Global Marketing Solutions, covers every aspect of the inbound marketing methodology, including the revenue generation trifecta of marketing, sales, and the customer experience. Check out the book to see how to most efficiently and effectively develop, implement, and maintain your inbound strategy.