Make a plan

We've heard the adage "failing to plan is planning to fail" and as in most circumstances, it rings true for Inbound Marketing. When you sign up to have an Inbound Marketing strategy you are letting the reigns go and handing them over to people who make other people money for a living. You'd better believe that there will be leads and that they will trickle and then pour in.

Knowing how you are going to handle these leads will be the measure of your success in inbound marketing. You should pick a point person and have a clear method of handling each lead when it comes in. This is vital for a few reasons:

• Effective management of the leads
• Development of best practices (you can track success when the approach is consistent)
• Easily monitored by every department

Teach your sales team a consultative approach

One of the biggest mistakes our clients make is trying to use traditional sales tactics with inbound-earned leads. These are leads that have come to you because you are an industry though-leader. You have given them plenty and in exchange they are offering you their business... you have earned them. Don't blow it by showing up to the party like a tacky salesman.

Consultative sales is professional problem solving. Your business answers a pain point for your clients, so know how to approach the narrative gently and make it all about them. This is a much more honest and transparent approach to sales.

Avoid focusing on each opportunity to speak to a lead as a chance to convince them that you are the best company for the job. You have been proving yourself since their first conversion on your website with lead nurturing automation that has resulted in your opportunity to talk to them.

Define the process once you've sold to them

You've got the deal, but you still have a huge opportunity to build the relationship. So know what happens as soon as that signature hits the dotted line. A welcome email to your new customer/client is a great way to layout expectations for them. Give yourself generous timelines and beat them by a mile to show your new client that they are not only important, but a priority for you. This goes a long way with the smaller clients that are not used to being treated like the gold they are.

Getting qualified leads for your business is great, and it is a building tool that will generate income and impact your bottom line. That is a fundamental truth. Knowing how to handle those leads, how to manage those sales and build the relationships is out of the hands of the inbound marketer.

We are experienced in making it happen from our own businesses and can offer a lot of advice, but the sales process is ultimately in your hands. As our agency has grown thanks to Inbound Marketing we have used the above to help us map our process, and as our clients see very full lead pipelines for their businesses these strategies have proven to be simple processes that help to set expectations that are reasonable. If you've got your plan in place, let's chat.