by ryanHow to Take Your Sales Process Inbound
No matter your marketing process, closing leads will always be up to the sales team. As marketing has overwhelmingly shifted toward inbound methodology (i.e. “permission based marketing”), the need for marketers to understand the sales side of things is becoming more and more integral to closing customers. Knowing how leads convert can make your marketing more effective and build better communication within across your teams. Most importantly, it can increase the bottom line.
TRADITIONAL VS INBOUND SALES
Traditional sales methods relied on creating a static pitch for your cold calling efforts. Regardless of who you were speaking with, everyone on the other side of the phone got the same pitch. The sales team acted as information gatekeepers. They would only provide relevant information if the cold call led to a purchase.
As technology evolved and the internet made information more readily available, new methods of consumer education emerged. The concept of “cold calling” and “email blasts” became outdated, interruptive, and impersonal.
Inbound sales, however, revolves around the entire inbound methodology. It relies on disseminating educational content to attract new visitors to your business. The concept of inbound is actually the opposite approach to traditional methods. It provides the potential customer with information they are looking for in abundance. Content should openly and honestly demonstrate your product or services. Instead of creating a seller-centric approach, the approach becomes buyer-centric.
HELPING SALES UNDERSTAND THE INBOUND PROCESS
Inbound marketers devise personalized marketing strategies for each of their best customer groups. We call them “buyer personas”. These personas allow marketers to tailor pitches to increase conversion rates and close more sales. However, many companies still struggle with their leads once they reach the sales team. Why? Sales teams are often stuck closing leads using traditional methods.
When a business decides to use an inbound marketing strategy, the concepts must be understood by everyone in your business! Yes, everyone. Think about it this way: inbound marketing generates more qualified leads (visitors most likely to become customers). They already know all about your business when they reach the sales team. This is distinctively different than using a traditional approach! Calling the numbers on a purchased list may generate leads, but not qualified ones.
This type of lead generation forces your sales team to stop acting as gatekeepers to information. The leads already have it! What inbound sales teams must focus on is really listening to the potential customer. This will allow them to determine each customer’s problems and provide suitable goods or services.
In the end, if your sales and marketing team are fully knowledgeable about the process and the lead, the customer will feel like they are valued at every stage of the conversion process. The customer will know your business and trust you when you offer a solution.
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