The 3 Step Process to Turn Leads into Clients (and the Tools You Need)

One of the most important aspects of any business is the generation of leads and the ability to convert them into sales. Lead generation is great, but unless there is a model in place that can help a company to capitalize on these leads, it does not matter how good your business is at coming up with them.

The Tools You Need

An efficient and effective sales and marketing team needs a set of tools to help execute a lead generating campaign so salespeople can close the deals. These tools consist of:

• Data.com

  Data.com provides the most accurate and up-to-date company information which allows companies to locate new accounts by any desired segment. This provides companies with a starting point of leads that will initiative any starting point. www.data.com

• Website

  Your website is the portal to your company and oftentimes the first impression many new leads have of your company. An effective website is the anchor that attracts leads, converts them into prospects and brings them back for more valuable information. Learn more about Galvin Technologies web design and development services.

• Salesforce.com

  A CRM is the engine of your lead generation and the leader in this space is Salesforce.com. Salesforce.com is an enterprise leading CRM that will not only automate your lead and sales processes but will also provide your company the data it needs to manage the pipeline and campaigns. Try Salesforce.com for 30-Days Free

• Pardot

  Not all leads are ready when you want them to be ready. Implementing a marketing automation platform like Pardot allows companies to not only nurture leads but it also helps guide prospects and clients through any stage of the sales pipeline. www.pardot.com

How does the process work of generating leads into clients?

1. Find and Capture Leads

Use Data.com to Find Targeted Leads

There are a wide range of methods that can be used to generate leads. A tool like Data.com is extremely valuable when it comes to lead generation and is used by many different companies. Data.com provides businesses with the information they need to generate leads and is a proven method for growing a company’s sales.

Use Inbound Marketing to Attract Targeted Leads

Inbound marketing is another popular way for a business to generate additional leads. Now that more companies have realized how inefficient outbound marketing tactics have become, inbound marketing has become the preferred form of marketing, as it allows companies to spend less money and reach more people. Instead of relying on expensive television ad campaigns and print marketing that ends up being thrown away, inbound marketing places a company in front of the people who are actually interested in their goods and services. Whether social media is used, or e-books, blogs, and podcasts, inbound marketing provides a great avenue for potential clients to self qualify themselves and share their information with you as a lead.

Cold Calling is a Must

Cold calling is difficult but it still works and should be a part of not only your sales process but your lead generating process too. Cold calling isn’t always asking for the sale, although that is a big part of it, but it can also be to collect information about a company, invite them to an event, ask them if you can send them information they might enjoy and so much more. When done properly cold calling can be a real effective lead generating process.

2. Your Website Needs to Inspire Them

Design and Develop a Website that Converts

So how are the leads converted from the website? The key part is designing a message that resonates with your potential client base. Unless your website is able to speak to them on a personal level, they will not take the time to fill out any sort of lead generation form that you include on your site. People love responsive web design, in tandem with interesting content that they can learn from. Once you have created a website that speaks to people on a personal level and generates interest in your goods and services, they will stay and fill out the forms needed to generate a lead for your business. Essentially they have given you permission to speak and sell to them.

3. Sell-Nurture-Close and Repeat

Bring Those Leads into Salesforce.com

Once the form has been filled out, it is then transferred to Salesforce. After the form is sent to Salesforce, there is a sales force automation process that is put into place to ensure that the lead is pursued and maximized in every possible way. After the lead has been sent to Salesforce, they must go through an internal qualification process in order to decide whether it should be sent to a specific salesperson to follow up on or be sent to Pardot Marketing Automation to gain better qualification and nurturing.

Nurture Those Leads with Marketing Automation

The automation process is pivotal to the conversion of a lead. Pardot Marketing Automation must be allowed to nurture the lead in the best possible way, or else it will not be fully maximized. Unless there is a system in place to ensure the proper nurturing of leads, even the most top notch responsively designed website will not be able to help a business to prosper. When Pardot Marketing Automation has the ability to help the lead make its way through the business funnel and become fully qualified, this leads to more sales and makes the job of the salesperson much more simple. They are able to focus on making the sale, as opposed to dealing with marketing and qualification concerns. The system of lead generation and qualification is what enables a company to consistently generate new customers. Each part of the funnel must be able to function on its own, otherwise, people are forced into covering for the deficiencies of others.

Your Salespeople are Ready to Close the Deal

A sales staff needs to be able to focus their concentration on finishing the deal and not be worried about trying to convince the customer to make the purchase. In a perfect lead generation and qualification system, any pertinent customer concerns have already been addressed long before they reach the end of the sales funnel. Pardot Marketing Automation makes sure that a business’ sales staff is placed in a position to succeed at all times. With the help of their automated qualification system, a lead is not passed onto a specific salesperson until it is vetted and ready to be closed. The presence of this three pronged system gives a company the tools they need to plan for the future. Having a system in place allows a business to budget accordingly and tweak their marketing techniques as needed. They are able to see which marketing ideas work best and adjust as needed. If more results are being derived from websites like Data.com and inbound marketing, a business can decrease their amount of outbound marketing and vice versa. The process is much more easily streamlined when the correct methods of lead generation and qualification are used. By focusing on the generation of leads and also nurturing them through the sales funnel, a business is taking important steps towards becoming self sufficient. When a company relies on the Salesforce/Pardot Marketing Automation System, this places them a step ahead of their competitors and allows the company to function at peak efficiency.