How Sales Can Help Marketers Bring in More Leads

For many business leaders, marketing is something that comes and goes. When sales reps are bringing in leads and closing deals, marketing can take a back seat, but once things slow down, the focus shifts. This can become a habit in many organizations. Not only does this place unreasonable pressure on marketing to save the forecast, but it halts any cohesive marketing strategy before it begins. It’ll also make your pipeline dry up.

We know sales is the lifeblood of any business, but with today’s buying culture shift, it’s crucial your marketing and sales teams work together. So, while your marketing team is executing your inbound marketing plan, here are some ways your salespeople can focus on closing deals while still helping bring in leads.

Start with Current Customers

While your inbound marketing campaign is getting off the ground, this is a great time to get back in touch with your current customers. Depending on your industry, it’s five to 25 times cheaper to retain an existing customer than to find a new one.

Revisiting old clients can drum up new opportunities, uncover details about how your product is performing, and give you insights into how your buyers view your company post-sale. All of this information is valuable not only to the sales department but to marketing as well.

Try sending out a re-engagement email workflow or connect with customers who may be interested in a new product or service you’re offering. Many times, the easiest sale is the one from a buyer who’s already a fan.

Who’s Already Coming to Your Site?

Always try to leverage the existing online traffic your business receives. Look at the analytics and see what your visitors are viewing on your site. Can you add something simple to your site to convert traffic faster? Are you promoting any current deals or offers on social media and on your site? Chances are your site has some room for improvement.

Get a list of regular visitors from marketing and reach out with a simple nurturing workflow. Collect the low-hanging fruit first and see who you can connect to without excessive effort. Leads that are visiting your site time and time again are already halfway there.

Ask for Referrals

Another great reason to revisit your existing customers is to ask for referrals. Many salespeople resist asking for referrals but it is an important part of the sales process. Although it can seem awkward or tedious, find a way to bring up the subject of referrals with all your customers.

If you’re doing the great job we know you are, your customers also know. There is nothing wrong with leveraging your hard work to ask for a recommendation or referral.

Refine Your Selling Process

Is your selling process simple for your customers? This question might not get asked enough in the sales world. Many businesses are ingrained in their ways and it can be hard to snap out of it and see what the customer sees.

If you are booking demos and having loads of initial conversations, but only a few of those prospects turn into customers, you may want to rethink your buying cycle. Making it as easy as possible for your customers to buy is a simple thing, but it makes you take an outside look at how you sell, which is productive for any business leader.

While it can feel like focusing on your inbound marketing strategy is taking the priority away from sales, they both go hand in hand. These are just a few ways your salespeople can feel like they aren’t just waiting for leads to roll in but helping marketers bring in leads too.