How can you turn a cold lead into a warm one using follow-up?

Communication with empathy and establishing a relationship of trust is ther first step to approach a cold lead. Open conversations on any channel and sharing transparency will set the tone.

In my experience, the best way to start a relationship is to be useful. Is there a piece of data/report available that could benefit the target person's day-to-day tasks? If you want somebody to create value for you, start by creating value for them.

As far as I am concerned it is All about the follow up. Unfortunately in my experience this is not what most people do, or they do the opposite. Yes they try and sell at you straight away. What I do is to follow up in a timely fashion, dependent on the context and I always GIVE or HELP the other person. I am looking to build a relationship so avoid the heavy handed approach many take.

Focus on the client, his need, his agenda, his modus operandi, then act like a trusted partner. An external advisor who brings meaningful and valuable solutions in the long term

It's always best to follow up on the channel you originally had contact with the lead on. Though often a multi channel approach will breed the most amount of familiarity

So true. A different perspective is...being Proactively Empathise with the buyer and knowing his past behavior and current needs try to evaluate his process and actions. Then plan your approach best suited to help him with your product /solution.

How to turn a cold lead would best be to revisit what can you offer that would add value to your client - more importantly to see the perspective of the buyer and consider that if such an offer would be made to you, you would consider or accept it. There is nothing better than if you can convince yourself and believe the pitch then who wouldnt - so you come across trustworthy and reliant therefore, open for communication.

Relevancy is key to me. My views come from using HubSpot with clients and being able to track website visits and interactions. Being able to see what a prospect has shown interest in provides a great advantage. Rather than contacting a cold lead with a generic message you can deliver the relevant message as you can see their interests from their online interaction. So much better to offer a solution to a problem (as outlined in this article). First contact is key and if what you're saying matches their need then you have more chance of continuing the conversation.

Communicate the value of your offering. You need to make it clear how you can solve their problem or pain point. Follow up should be consistent but not excessive. Once a week in my opinion is a good balance.

I always talk about lead generation as a value exchange. You are exchanging your valuable knowledge to relevant people in exchange for the potential to have a dialogue with them about how they could leverage your knowledge. Spend more time upfront looking at how your value can benefit them, instead of talking about your business and you'll start 10 steps ahead.

Open-ended questions are a perfect way to best understand your prospect's pain points. But not every question fits every person or situation. I recommend having an arsenal of questions you can select from. For instance: what has been your experience so far...What are your top 3 challenges...where do you feel you need the most work...how soon are you looking to make a change... By asking detailed questions such as these, you can quickly trigger your prospects pain points and then address how you might solve them.

Building a conversational rapport is crucial, where the dialogue feels less like a sales pitch and more like a consultation. By integrating storytelling or sharing experiences, the conversation can become engaging and insightful. This approach can disarm apprehensions, making the lead more comfortable to share valuable insights, which in turn can help tailor solutions to their specific needs.

I always answer a polite turndown when I am referred with "When do you think would be a better timeframe to re-approach you so I can add value when you have more time to focus on what I can help you with?" Notice that my reply is not threatening and open-ended to suggest I can help, but when the target is ready. Then when they tell me x months or a specific date, I email a brief reminder a week ahead of the agreed date, with some tidbit of news or excerpt from a testimonial from a recent project, to schedule a zoom call as an invitation on our calendars. I confirm the day before by updating the zoom invite (no changes other than the word confirming at the top of the message) and arrive early at the appointed time of our call. It works.

In addition to listening and empathizing, demonstrating a proactive approach in addressing the lead's concerns can build trust. Offering initial insights or small solutions can showcase your commitment and expertise. This proactive engagement, combined with active listening and empathy, can help transition the cold lead towards a warmer, more productive dialogue, inching closer to a fruitful partnership.

You’ve got to make it about them and not you! Most salespeople fall into the trap of marketing myopia and only talk about them If you make it about the person on the other side and show genuine interest in providing value without being transactional you will have success This forces most people to completely switch their mindset and approach to a follow up

30 years ago we all thought that sales was about talking. Fast forward to today and sales is 99% about listening and 1% about talking. The only talking you should be doing is to show you've listened and absorbed what your prospect is saying and begin empathising and giving your knowledge without any expectation of anything in return.

During a conference in London, I met Charles. He was under immense pressure because of work deadlines, visibly distressed. Instead of diving into business talk, I chose to listen and empathize. We chatted about the challenges of our professions and the pressure that comes with it. The real follow-up started at that moment, by being there for him. A few days later, during our follow-up meeting, Charles thanked me for lending an ear when he needed it the most. We are now discussing potential business opportunity. Remember, a meaningful follow-up begins at the first meeting. Listen, empathize, and be human. This approach can turn a potential lead into a meaningful professional relationship.

The power of instant follow-up is often underestimated in business conversations. A recent interaction with Greg during a conference at Radisson Red London Heathrow serves as a perfect illustration. In the midst of our vibrant discussion, we shared an AHA moment, a moment when ideas clicked, and we envisioned a potential collaboration. The energy was tangible, the possibilities exciting, but it needed a catalyst to transform from a casual conversation into a business opportunity. That's when I suggested scheduling a follow-up meeting. Greg's enthusiastic agreement was the affirmation we needed to keep the momentum going. We met as planned, and the synergy from our initial talk flowed into our follow-up conversation.

Practicing your CTA or next steps is an underrated skill. Very regularly, a meeting ends, next actions are not set, and then the person selling feels like they've been ghosted. The reality is that the people you're selling to are busy and you're one of many vendors they speak to. The easiest way to keep momentum going is to control the next actions in every interaction you have so it's ok for you to follow up until you have an answer or resolution.

It's also super important to follow up until the lead becomes a dead one. Not every lead will end up becoming warm, and for the benefit of your time it's important to learn how to qualify out leads that have legitimate reasons why they can't ever buy from you. Eg. "The founder/CEO owns a marketing agency so we will never buy marketing services from you." You can follow up that lead forever, it will never close and your time is spent on your other, more valuable (and possible) leads.

Understanding that sales as a whole is very much about understanding what inspires buying decisions at each stage. Standard sales techniques aside, knowing your ideal clients and appealing to what intangible challenges or desires they could be ashamed/scared to admit also matters. If you only speak to the obvious problem you miss a great opportunity to connect. For example: If you're a Financial Consultant, it may be obvious that your prospect needs your services based on there money goals, but not obvious that the reason they have their goals is out of fear of repeating generational cycles and negative money stories. Help them see how your solutions are a bridge to what they REALLY care about, not just the obvious.

In my experience, the essence of transforming a cold lead to a warm one is akin to establishing a connection in a story. No article or pitch ever resonates without a thread of relatability. Similarly, when you're reaching out to a lead, especially one that's cold, it's crucial to find that thread. Beyond tactics and strategies, it's about authentic engagement. Sometimes, it might not even be about the immediate sale or conversion. It could be about planting a seed of trust, which when nurtured over time, can blossom into a fruitful relationship. This long-game perspective, where genuine relationships trump quick wins, has often been my compass in unfamiliar terrains.

Here's the hard truth: Without a solid follow-up strategy, all that effort is heading straight down the drain. Networking isn't just about attending events, shaking hands, and exchanging business cards. It's about building relationships. And that's where the magic of follow-up comes in. It's the bridge that connects a promising introduction to a fruitful collaboration. Think about the time, energy, and costs invested in preparing for and attending these events. You've sparked conversations, ignited interests, and sowed seeds of opportunities. However, without watering these seeds through follow-up, they'll wither, and your efforts will be wasted.