by Susan Walsh, President and CEO, Sales-Link Inc.
Lead Generation and Sales are living and breathing components of your business. They change and evolve, based on environmental, financial and human factors. During the past year, as I observed the swiftly changing landscape, I became convinced that a major shift needs to take place in sales. I am committed to helping organizations address these needs through training and consulting. There are genuine steps that can be taken to help with transitions, and lead you on a path to success in 2019. I talk about some of today’s lead generation and sales challenges in the following video clip:
Over the past few years, so many systems have come into play that are helpful to the sales industry, that I believe there no longer needs to be a separation between lead generation and sales departments. Systems are fast, effortless, produce real-time data, and are extremely user friendly.
Anyone, and everyone, should be able to use them, but the ideal candidates are quality salespeople, who are disciplined in utilizing lead generation systems, and who can also sell.
Leadership is paramount! Look at the numbers, meet weekly, mentor sales and ensure processes stay in place for continuous improvements. Last month, we published a really informative article on various roles and responsibilities, as we see them. (Read here->Sales-Link Blog)
As things stand now, fifty percent of leads fall through the cracks. I believe that many factors contribute to this dreadful statistic, when leads are simply handed to salespeople. A few common examples: The salesperson feels like a lead may not result in a sale, based on a past experience, so they don’t follow-up; the salesperson follows up with a call, but never connects with the lead and gives up; the company doesn’t look familiar, so the salesperson moves on, believing it not to be a good lead; and on, and on. If a salesperson is a part of the effort to bring in a lead, then they are far more likely to see it through to the end.
Email campaigns, call centers, Social Media, blogs, website content and blending a more cohesive lead generation/sales department, are the focus for Sales-Link in 2019. If you feel like you could benefit from our expertise and consulting services, we are here for you. Happy New Year!