- Increasing the number of qualified prospects and
- Converting your prospects already in your sales funnel into clients.
Marketing for B2B Sales
This doesn't mean to stop all of your marketing. Just choose your marketing goal to be sales focused, versus brand awareness. It takes time before someone is ready to buy from you. They have to trust that you can help them solve their problem before they hire you. Your number one goal from marketing is to increase your prospect list, which could be your email list or CRM, or both. If writing articles is part of your marketing strategy focus on topics that can convince a reader to a prospect. For example, if I was a web designer, I wouldn't write articles on why a business would need a website. Instead, write case study articles of how your websites increased revenues for your clients. That way you're showing someone who is ready to invest in their business to choose to invest with you. If you have a podcast or a YouTube show, have a starting offer so you can convert your audience to prospects who, again, will invest to improve their business. If you do not have a starting offer yet, develop a small service or product that turns a prospect into a buyer. A starting offer is lower-risk for your prospect to try your services, and you still get paid for your time.Nurturing Prospects in the Customer Journey
Add prospects to your email or CRM list gives you the opportunity to nurture their relationship before you make an offer to hire you. Of course, the benefit of a list doesn’t end there. You also get a chance to make offers for other services products. These could be your own or something you are promoting as a strategic alliance. The end result will improve your revenue either directly or indirectly. As you go about growing your business, focus first on growing your prospect list, and then on converting these people into paying customers. Make that the main goal for everything you do online and you will see your income grow.*For more information on starting offers and best sales practices, sign up for a free trial of LIFT, an online learning community for solo business owners and freelancers.
