Lead generation and sales automation is incredibly appealing for obvious reasons. It could save you significant cash if you do it right, but that kind of short-term cost-cutting can also get you in trouble. Here are the five biggest pitfalls you can run into when automating your sales and lead gen efforts.
1. Anti-automation Social Media Policies
Overuse of Linkedin automation is one of the top reasons people are kicked off of the platform. If you’re automating your LinkedIn use to send mass amounts of messages and requests, you’re at risk of a ban for misusing the platform. If you aren’t using the platform at that scale, the automation software is likely not worthwhile in the first place. In either case, it’s difficult to use social media with lead generation automation while keeping your accounts in good standing.
2. Prospecting Inaccuracies
Over-automation is one of the most common prospecting mistakes out there. Prospecting is only as valuable as the information you prospect. Inaccurate contact information targeting the wrong people won’t serve you well, and automated prospecting tools are rife with errors. If you want lower error rates, you’ll need to verify your prospecting data with a human touch, which negates many of the benefits of automation in the first place.
3. IT Issues
When you buy into tools that advertise themselves as cutting-edge, you’re paying to beta test someone else’s product. No matter how they advertise, technology companies are always looking to cut costs on customer service, and you’re introducing more potential break points into your workflow. IT issues are sadly common with sales and lead gen software, and they can be seriously costly for your business.
4. Lack of Skill Development
Many companies still like to source their sales executives from their SDR pool because they believe their SDRs develop important sales skills while working those junior-level positions. But then they equip those SDRs that tools that make developing those skills unnecessary at their level. Identifying good leads and writing personalized emails is important for executives and automation software undercuts the skill development of junior employees who might become executives later on.
5. Lose Focus on Cold Calling
Automation software can also make a sales team focus too much on what they can automate. They put all their attention into casting as wide a net as possible with emails and social media messages. As a result, they neglect one of the cornerstones of the modern sales playbook: cold calling. Despite what you may have heard, cold calling isn’t dead. But focusing on tactics you can automate means you neglect one of your most important sales tools.
Instead of automating certain sales and lead generation tasks, many sales teams choose to outsource them to professionals who will use a personal touch. If you’re interested in exploring the advantages of sales and lead generation outsourcing, reach out to Salaria today.
