The b2b sales funnel is tends to be quite simple.
 
In most cases, it starts with a lead, moves through to a sales qualified lead and finishes with a customer.
 
Of course, there’s a huge amount of work between each stopping point!
 
Whether at the top of the funnel or at the bottom, maintaining a strong funnel all year round is a challenge for any sales team.
 
Let’s see if we can make it a little easier!
 

It’s all about quality!

 
From start to finish, your B2B sales funnel needs to exude quality and care.
 
The better the quality of leads generated, the easier they’ll be to qualify thoroughly which results in closing sales at a higher order value, generating more revenue and future revenue from upsells and cross-sells.
 
Look at the sales funnel in this simple form.
 
Think about how we can improve it to bring real quality into your B2B sales process, so it remains robust and substantial all year long.
 

Let’s start at the top of the funnel

 
In B2B sales, it all starts with business leads.
 
● How does your sales team acquire leads?
● Do they match your buyer persona?
● Are you spoilt for choice or grabbing anything that comes your way?
 
Salespeople focus on turning leads into sales.
 
But if the leads you start with are poor quality, the rest of your funnel will suffer.
 
The fix is simple.
 
A great lead generation solution that works for sales teams!
 
Lead Forensics identifies anonymous website visitors, so you know who needs your solution.
 
We not only tell you the business name, we also provide contact details for key decision makers.
 
With this information, sales teams can call warm leads that have expressed interest in their product.
 
Teams can construct tailored follow up calls, improving cold call success from 2% to 40%!
 

Now for the middle of the funnel

 
The lead qualification process in sales is a crucial.
 
In its most basic form, a sales qualified lead is ready and able to purchase your solution.
 
A failure to qualify leads results in wasted time, missed opportunities, bad customer fit or being unable to close deals all together!
 
With that sense of “quality” in mind, here are the dos and don’ts for qualifying sales leads.
 

The dos:

 
● Measure the lead against your buyer persona.
● Make a note of any changes you’ll need to employ during the sales process to accommodate your Customer.
● Ensure buyer personas are up to date. The more detailed, the better!
● Acknowledge your prospect’s needs and adhere to them.
● Make sure you do your research!
● Get to know the Customer’s decision-making process.
● Ask about their requirements and see where there is a fit.
● Ask about competitors.
● Never badmouth, always inform and let them know how you differ.
 

The don’ts:

 
● Don’t ignore inconsistencies.
● Politely gain clarity to avoid problems further down the line!
● Don’t just listen.
● You need to pay close attention to tone and nuances in their speech.
● If you detect uncertainty, ask questions so they can elaborate further.
● Don’t turn the call into a quiz. You need answers, but you need to be human too!
 

And finally, the bottom of the funnel.

 
If you’ve qualified your leads effectively, you’ll have what you need to bring quality into your sales tactics.
 
Tailor everything to that qualifying information.
 
Treat every lead with care and adapt your solution to their precise requirements.
 
You’ll know exactly what they want to hear, what problems you may encounter and what numbers to hit them with.
 
This may seem like a lot of work, but this is what rounds off a strong funnel!
 
You’ll be maintaining high quality, qualified leads, and pulling them through the bottom as customers.
 
They will spend more money, as they see the true value of your product.
 
They’ll be easier to retain, offer you more sales through upsell, and be likely to give you referrals.
 
Referrals are the secret to a strong sales funnel.
 
Always ask for them!
 
91% of B2B buyers would be happy to refer you, but only 11% of salespeople ask!
 
Referrals put more business back into the funnel and allow it to stay topped up all year long.
 
Follow these steps to a high-quality sales funnel, and you’re on track to see B2B sales success for the rest of the year!

The post How to maintain a strong B2B sales funnel in 2020 appeared first on Lead Forensics.