At MarketTime we believe salespeople are crucial to the wholesale industry and great salespeople know the value of following up. Following up is an important part of the B2B sales process because it allows salespeople to stay in touch with potential and current clients and is key to building strong relationships. When salespeople follow up with leads and clients they provide them with valuable information about new products, current and future product availability, and address any concerns they may have.
MarketTime hosted a webinar about the art of follow-up, focusing on how B2B sales professionals follow up with new leads. We conducted surveys during the presentation, and MarketTime obtained some interesting insights. As we prepare for another upcoming wholesale show season, we invite you to learn more about some of the takeaways gathered from Salespeople, Sales Agency Admins, Sales Managers, and Suppliers that attended the webinar and utilize these tools as your follow-up post-shows.
77 responses were reported:
The relatively even split between answers shows how salespeople use diverse tactics to source their leads.
50 responses revealed the following spread:
This question for sales managers and brands sees trade shows as the big winner. Salespeople are generally the top source for leads with other brands that use salespeople, so it's interesting to see answers with this option excluded.
87 responses reported the following spread:
Programs and apps will read information from a business card and save it in a spreadsheet. Only 8% of respondents use this technology, which shows that people either need to be made aware of these tools or are reluctant to adopt them.
82 respondents revealed the following show lead follow-up strategies:
When salespeople receive a business card at a trade show, most will email the contact to follow up; however, this can backfire, as every contact who received a card will send an email, leading to the connection becoming overwhelmed and ignoring further emails.
27 respondents answered this prompt, revealing the following spread:
This question for sales managers shows that many hesitate to bypass salespeople by sending a catalog or samples. Providing a potential customer with a physical object is persuasive, so mailing something to establish contact gives a salesperson more time to follow up.
97 respondents reported:
With so much information inundating salespeople and sales managers, running frequent reports is essential to understand everything happening.
76 respondents answered:
Sharing reports is the best way to develop new projects and generate new ideas. When everyone has the same information, they can create new strategies and improve upon existing ones.
76 responses reported the following:
These top three responses are essential for brands/manufacturers/suppliers to consider, and MarketTime can help implement the technical resources to get this data to your salespeople.
40 respondents said:
This question for sales managers shows an overwhelming preference for receiving information from retailers.
79 respondents answered:
The biggest challenge sales managers face right now is slower sales, followed by manufacturers lacking inventory. As a result, salespeople need to be more strategic in their approach to retail buyers and suppliers.
As critical as ever, following up on leads and activating existing customers is paramount to success. Part science and part art form, there are many paths to success for salespeople, sales managers, and sales agencies.
Reports in MarketTime and mtPlay can build your sales strategy and help you master the art of follow-up. Contact MarketTime today to schedule a demo and take your business to the next level.