Inbound leads should be money in your pocket. To make sure that’s true, you need to remove any barriers between them and you. That means you need to make it as easy as possible for inbound leads to get in contact with you however they want.
It also means that you should get back to them politely but persistently, always ready to reply to them with what might seem like an unreasonably fast response time. If you’re always ready to respond quickly, politely, and persistently using accurate contact data, you’ll dramatically increase the money you make per inbound lead.
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Data Management
Good data management is one of the most underappreciated but essential parts of inbound lead management. You need to make sure you keep it safe and use it well. Lead and prospect data is a multibillion-dollar industry by itself, so if people are giving you their data for free, you should treasure it.
First, you need to make sure you’re storing that data securely. Your inbound leads have entrusted you with personal information, and you need to make sure that you’re validating that trust with proper security protocols. Those protocols will also help you make sure you’re in line with GDPR and other data privacy regulations.
Then you can make sure you’re capturing key contact information, such as email and phone number, and keeping it updated. After all, a work phone or email will change when someone gets a new job, but their interest in what you’re selling won’t.
2. Response Time
The Harvard Business Review famously showed an easy way to increase your qualification rate from calling inbound leads: faster response times. Calls made within five minutes of the lead inbounding have a 400% higher rate of qualification than calls made within five to ten minutes.
Of course, creating a response time that fast is easier said than done. But it’s absolutely worth the effort; responding faster is one of the best ways to increase your inbound lead qualification rate.
3. Availability
If you want to respond within five minutes to every inbound lead, your BDRs need to be ready for them 24/7. That means you either need people willing to work night shifts, an international BDR team, or an outsourced team that’s experienced with 24/7 inbound coverage.
If you have any questions on how to set up a team like that, feel free to set up a call with our inbound lead management experts today.
4. Polite But Persistent
You can’t give up on inbound leads if they don’t respond to your first outreach. These are your most valuable leads, and they merit determined, professional efforts to get in touch.
That doesn’t mean that you should overwhelm them with nonstop calls the first day they express interest. It just means that you should keep your company at the top of their mind with a steady flow of outreach.
5. Choose the Right Channels
A great way to make sure your outreach is persistent without becoming annoying is by choosing the right contact channels. Of course, the channel you should focus on should be the one they inbounded through. If they called you, call them back, and if they sent an email, reply in kind.
That way, you’re focusing your efforts where they should belong. If someone calls you, don’t just bombard them with constant emails.
