How is your company staying top of mind with your leads and prospects? Your sales team can only be in one place at a time, so your marketing team is likely stepping in to use some combination of social media, blogging, events or other tactics to fill the gap.
Additionally, contact preferences differ – some prefer to receive emails while others prefer to follow you online or via social media. B2B companies must find a balance when it comes to staying top of mind without becoming annoying to the point where your lead, prospects, or even clients opt out or stop following. Here are some suggestions to help you achieve that balance.
Personal Contact: Depending on your business and sales cycle, sometimes a three-month follow works for personal contact, other times four to six-month intervals work better. Regardless of the interval, be sure to set aside time to review your top prospect, partners and clients, and touch base with them directly. This should not be a marketing email blast, but a personal phone call, email or LinkedIn message. Keep your CRM updated after each conversation, so you can revert to your notes to personalize your communication. Ask about a recent project, hobby or personal interest that was mentioned previously for that extra personal touch.
Send Out a Monthly Newsletter: Or bi-monthly, or even quarterly. However you set the schedule, stay consistent. Newsletters are a great opportunity to provide relevant and timely content to your subscribers. Focus on content that you believe is most valuable – thought leadership articles, case studies/success stories, company news, etc. Be sure your email platform is tied to your CRM so you can track email activity and follow up directly with those who are most engaged.
Follow Your Leads/Prospects: No, not literally. But, your leads and prospects and their respective companies probably have social media profiles via LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to follow them or ask to connect professionally. Then, you get to hear about what they are doing in real time, and you can use this information to strengthen your relationship and show support.
Give Them a Branded Item: Promotional or branded items with your logo on it is the gift that keeps on giving. Something as simple as a pen can serve as an indirect visual reminder of your brand, helping keep you top of mind in a functional way. Branded gifts are relatively low cost, but highly effective. Consider using branded items as giveaways at your next tradeshow or event, or as a leave behind after your next sales presentation.
Following the recommendations won’t automatically put you keep your prospecting thinking of you. You’ll need active engagement, thoughtful attention, and perseverance while treading carefully not to come off as overbearing or annoying. But if you start on that path today and find a solid balance, you’ll eventually find yourself consistently at the top of your prospects’ minds.
