It is quite common to experience scenarios where leads have gone cold without any substantial reason or explanation. Every sales professional has probably come across this situation, which is very challenging for a multichannel marketing strategy due to various reasons. They may have chosen to deal with some urgent problems in the company or other pressing matters. For one, the process of getting these cold prospects and sales leads back in the reckoning might not be as difficult as expected.
Even with a multichannel marketing system, these prospects do not seem to be coming back. With the massive battle for attention these days, leads might be lost on social media, playing a Book of Ra demo, or enjoying leisure time.
If that is the case, then you have been channeling the efforts in the wrong path. There are some exciting techniques available to bring the old prospects back to life. Some of the top five techniques are described below.
Staying Relevant and Keeping It Short
One can keep track of the prospect’s company’s latest developments as part of the multichannel marketing techniques. This will give a strong reason why they had gone cold when everything seemed in the best possible shape. In the past, it wasn’t easy to get information about other companies, as the news was one of the best sources.
Now, though, it is easy to keep in touch with any company thanks to the presence of social media, where a multichannel marketing campaign is likely to be posted — if the company is actually serious about doing business. Once the predicament has been understood, it is time to compose a clear and concise message to the prospect. This message should not be generic, as it would destroy the ability to bring things back to life.
The cold prospect should be engaged once again with specialized and exciting content, which would highlight your brand more than anything else. At the same time, the message should not sound spammy, as it may warrant instant deletion.
Focusing On Timing
The content alone does not do the job, as little is known about the cold prospect. It is not a great idea to disturb with unsolicited messages at the wrong time of the day. This would end up hurting the multichannel direct marketing efforts. The likelihood of morning emails being opened is less, as the messages’ volume is relatively high during this period. Similarly, any emails sent during the weekend tend to get looked at very quickly amidst the large pile of spam that is commonly consumed during this period. One of the best periods for sending the email would be Thursday morning, as research has shown this period to be very profitable and productive.
Using Different Marketing Channels
One of the biggest advantages of multichannel marketing will be switching between one mode of communication to the other seamlessly. Since very little is known about the cold prospect, one can avoid just using a single communication channel if possible. The chances of re-engagement are very different when using multiple channels. For example, rather than stick with emails, one can use social media channels like Facebook and Twitter, which tend to create custom and targeted ads. The availability of targeted ads for a custom audience is a feature that social media channels can reignite the lapsed prospects.
The leads may not click on the ad or sponsored post, but such a campaign keeps the company in the limelight so that a possible revival takes place at any stage.
Providing A Helping Hand
The salesperson should try to present themselves as a venue to get assistance rather than just focus on the numbers. This will help warm up the audience for any messages that may be sent from your desk. Many do wonder, what is multichannel marketing? It is not about using many means to bombard a cold prospect with messages and emails. This has to do more with appearing resourceful to the cold prospect.
This, in turn, would the likelihood of a connection being struck and a lead being converted. The first interactions with the audience should be more than just about any sales operation. It helps to be more concerned about the audience in these interactions. Rather than push the brand or the product, focus on the service or product’s value proposition. It is the true multichannel marketing definition.
Being Respectful
One should always keep in mind that ultimately multichannel marketing refers to an interruption of someone’s thoughts. So, a lot of respect should be shown in the interactions with the audience, which should always be provided to get out if they are not happy with the communication process. The option should be very crucial, as the audience would have had multiple interactions and communications from other brands as well.
If they have chosen a reason to go cold, it is very likely that other brands have won the race or are very close to doing so. The competition with the other brand who has taken the lead now takes a different shape in this competition. It is now more about staying in the background without annoying the cold prospect altogether and hoping that they would re-engage.
Giving Up On The Cold Lead
There is a distinct possibility that companies or people will simply not want to pick up the product, as any multichannel marketing metrics. In such a case, they have gone cold for a reason, and it is doubtful that they will come back with a renewed interest. In such cases, it is better to give up on the cold lead at some stage and focus on new opportunities. After making this decision, it is advisable to give one last go before calling it quits with the lead.
Conclusion
The world of multichannel marketing can be quite hard and unforgiving. Yet, one can always be able to make the most of cold leads by using specific techniques. It is quite hard to convert a cold lead, but it is certainly possible.
What are your thoughts on this? How would you approach this type of marketing? Leave a comment below.
Thomas Glare (Author)
Thomas is a marketing manager with over six years of experience in the industry. He studied at NYU, worked in the Big Apple for most of his career, and is now focused on giving back some of his knowledge accumulated throughout the years.
