In my experience, business leads have one or more of the following reactions to sales lead generation campaigns:
- They reject the message outright
- The ignore the message
- They accept but refuse to take action
- They think over the message and make a decision
So what motivates these reactions, and what drives conversion in the sales process?
Here’s what I found: Whether prospects reject, ignore, or accept your message depends on whether or not the communication makes sense to them.
It’s all about relevance. And, to make sure that your business lead generation message is not ignored or lost in the chasm between delivery and conversion, send it to whom it is relevant. The most effective way to do this is by segmenting your database. Here are 4 segments you can make to make your database more organized and efficient:
Lead Source– Where do your leads come from? Be they from outbound telemarketing, tradeshow, or inbound inquiries, the channel you used to generate sales leads will tell you how to best reach them and what kind of communication will move them effectively along the sales pipeline.
Lead Stage – In what stage of the sales process are the leads? Have they been qualified by sales, or just raised their hand to inquire? Knowing the sales readiness of your leads helps determine the level of engagement and type of message you need to use in your appointment setting campaigns or sales campaign.
Demographics – You don’t communicate with a 45 year-old director the way you communicate with a 22-year old receptionist. When you understand the demographics of your market, you have a better chance of getting your message across in a way that appeals best to your prospects’ status, needs, and interests.
Behavior / Actions Taken –Actions taken by your sales leads leave a pattern you can use to analyze and even predict their responses. Prospects who share similar behaviors and buyer profiles are usually drawn toward specific messages. Use those patterns and behaviors to segment your database and plan your approach.
How about you? How do you segment your database?
