Sure, your business may be getting a lot of sales meetings… but how many of those meetings convert into sales? Studies show that the average conversion rate for sales meetings is 2.23%. (Note: this statistic is an average across all industries and service regions, so it’s important to consider the industry and market you serve.)
When you get a lot of sales meetings that don’t convert, you waste the valuable time of your sales reps that could be focused elsewhere. Furthermore, when sales reps aren’t able to close due to unqualified sales meetings, they’re limiting their earning potential which could increase the risk of turnover.
If you want to get your sales team more meetings with qualified prospects, there must be some parameters in place that increase the likelihood of conversions. Through this blog, we’ll cover the best ways that sales reps can get more sales meetings with qualified prospects.
Here are some best practices for getting more qualified sales meetings:
- Craft Your Pitch Towards the Prospect
- Don’t Be Too Eager—Focus on Building a Relationship First
- Be Professionally Persistent With Warm Calling
- Share Relevant Success Stories From Customers
- Showcase Your Impact With Online Marketing
- Use a Multi-Channel Approach to Engage Different Buyers
- Cross-Share Content Through Various Channels
- Attend and Speak at Networking Events and Conferences
- Get More Touchpoints with Decision-Makers
- Consider Making Adjustments to Your Prospecting Strategy
- Don’t Underestimate the Impact of Referrals
- Position Your Company as an Industry Thought Leader
- Outsource Your Growth Efforts to a Lead Generation Provider
Craft Your Pitch Towards the Prospect
The needs of every prospect in the sales pipeline are different, which means the pitch must also be different to align with their specific goals and pain points.
Crafting your sales pitch toward the prospects demonstrates a customer-centric approach, showing that you understand and care about their unique challenges and desires. For example, our sales reps wouldn’t pitch our B2B appointment setting service to a lead who’s interested in online marketing, right? That’s because we would turn them away from doing business with us at all. Showcasing how your product or service can fulfill their needs allows you to establish trust and relevance.
Tailored pitches increase the likelihood of resonating with prospects, making them more receptive to your message and ultimately driving conversions. This personalized approach fosters stronger relationships, enhances customer satisfaction, and ultimately leads to long-term loyalty and increased sales opportunities. And don’t forget to take notes on the personal details and topics you’ve discussed. That way in follow-ups, you can show the prospect even more “personalization” and show that you remember the conversation, making them feel special.
Don’t Be Too Eager—Focus on Building a Relationship First
In the grand scheme of things, sales is all about building relationships with clients for long-term success. But before they’re customers, business development representatives (BDRs) must connect with the prospect on a more personal level from the beginning.
First impressions mean a lot whether it’s on a personal or professional level. If you start on the wrong foot, you’re less likely to get on their good side. Therefore, sales development teams should prioritize building relationships with prospects. As we mentioned above, relationship-building should focus on the prospect and their needs, meaning there needs to be a sense of personalization.
By understanding a prospect’s needs, challenges, and preferences, teams can tailor their outreach effectively, demonstrating genuine interest in solving problems rather than just making a sale. Building relationships also allows for ongoing engagement, nurturing leads over time. This approach not only increases the chances of securing qualified sales meetings but also fosters a sense of partnership, which can lead to long-term customer loyalty, referrals, and sustained revenue growth.
Be Professionally Persistent With Warm Calling
We get it—picking up the phone and making calls gets scarier and more intimidating as time goes on. However, it’s incredibly impactful for connecting one-on-one with decision-makers.
Warm calling is crucial to getting more qualified sales meetings for several reasons. It showcases your dedication to your prospects and your commitment to meeting their needs. By respectfully and consistently following up, you remain top-of-mind, increasing the chances of converting leads into sales.
Persistence demonstrates confidence in your product or service and the value it can provide. It also allows you to address any objections or concerns prospects may have over time. However, it’s vital to maintain professionalism throughout, ensuring you don’t come across as pushy or invasive.
About 30% of leads don’t receive a follow-up call from sales reps, meaning these sales “experts” are missing out on significant sales opportunities. The BDRs at Abstrakt have a warm calling lead nurturing routine in a process that ensures no qualified prospects fall through the cracks. We understand that being professionally persistent is not calling and asking “Are you ready to buy… are you ready to buy?” It’s about being respectful, yet consistently following up. This shows the prospect your confidence and the overall value you place on them and the potential business partnership.
Our BDRs call a prospect back every three months (or until their contact renewal period is up) to ensure they’re not to forward and follow up when the timing is right. In the meantime, once a month, a lead nurturing email is distributed to them to provide top-of-mind awareness and highlight what your brand has to offer.
If there’s one thing you take away from this blog, it’s that you should never underestimate the impact of storytelling. Case studies can play an incredibly head-turning role in getting more qualified sales meetings. These content marketing assets are valuable because they:
- Demonstrate real-world impact
- Help build company credibility
- Empower BDRs to overcome objections
- Instill confidence
- Allow you to personalize your pitch to prospects
- Showcase how your company is superior to competitors
Our business development reps use case studies as a core asset to their sales pitches. If a qualified prospect is on the fence about scheduling a sales meeting, case studies are more often than not the kicker that converts those leads into opportunities. When used correctly and at the right time, they play an impactful role in lead generation.
Showcase Your Impact With Online Marketing
More and more businesses today are taking advantage of the internet to get more sales meetings (rightfully so). Highlighting your company online through your website or social media platforms is an incredibly impactful way to generate new leads and even push warm leads to set up a meeting with your sales team.
There are a variety of online digital marketing methods that companies can follow to get more qualified sales meetings. Here are the main techniques to consider:
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Optimizing your website for search engines improves organic visibility. When prospects search for relevant keywords, the business’s website is more likely to appear in search engine results pages (SERP), attracting prospects actively looking for solutions.
Paid Advertising
Digital marketing allows businesses to use platforms like Google Ads, Meta Ads, and LinkedIn Ads to reach a highly targeted audience based on demographics, interests, and behavior. This precision ensures that the marketing message reaches prospects who are more likely to be interested in the product or service, increasing the chances of qualified leads.
Content Marketing
Producing valuable and relevant content through blogs, videos, webinars, and whitepapers establishes the business as an industry authority. Prospects seeking information are more likely to engage with businesses that provide valuable insights, ultimately leading to qualified leads.
Additionally, content marketing can also help turn unqualified prospects into qualified leads as they look for your advice on growth.
Email Marketing
Email campaigns can nurture leads by sending personalized content, offers, and updates. Email marketing is not a one-size-fits-all approach because not every sales email should go to the same decision-maker. Instead, you should practice personalization within your emails for greater responses. This continual engagement helps keep the business top-of-mind, making prospects more receptive to scheduling meetings.
Social Media Marketing
If you are in an industry that is active on social, or one where pictures really show off the work, engaging in social media marketing is a must. Regularly engaging with followers on social media platforms can foster relationships and trust. Sharing success stories, testimonials, and industry news can spark interest and inquiries from potential clients.
Targeted Remarketing
Remarketing campaigns target users who have previously visited the business’s website or interacted with its content. This keeps the brand in front of potential leads, reminding them to take action.
While these are all great ways to get more qualified sales appointments, it’s important to consider the next steps in the buyer’s journey. Once a user is ready to submit their information and enter the pipeline, they’re identified as a marketing qualified lead (MQL) because they’ve actively shown interest in your product or service.
However, while they may have shown interest, this doesn’t mean that they meet your company’s sales criteria. Therefore, it’s up to your sales development representatives (SDRs) to follow up with the MQL to ensure they meet your company’s qualifications. If they do, then they’re identified as a sales qualified lead (SQL) and turned over to the sales team where they can then convert them from an SQL to a customer.
Use a Multi-Channel Approach to Engage Different Buyers
One lead generation method to getting sales meetings is not enough to engage all the different buyer personas of your target market. Therefore, you must take on a multi-channel approach.
A multi-channel approach to lead generation is crucial as it diversifies and widens a business’s reach, reducing reliance on a single source. It accommodates varying customer preferences and behaviors by engaging prospects through multiple strategies (outbound or inbound lead generation) and various channels (cold call, email, SEO, social media engagement, etc.).
This approach to getting sales meetings enhances visibility and credibility, as well as the chances of reaching prospects at different stages of the buying journey. It also hedges against market fluctuations and platform changes, ensuring a more resilient and consistent flow of qualified leads.
Cross-Share Content Through Various Channels
If you want your lead generation strategy to come full circle from one channel to the next, connecting all the different dots, cross-sharing content is the way to go.
Cross-sharing content through multiple channels is an effective strategy for securing more qualified sales meetings. By disseminating valuable content across various platforms such as blogs, social media, email newsletters, and webinars, businesses can cast a wider net and reach diverse audiences. This approach positions the company as an industry thought leader, attracting prospects interested in the expertise and solutions offered.
Content sharing fosters engagement and nurtures leads, gradually converting them into qualified prospects who are more likely to seek further information and eventually schedule sales meetings. It creates a continuous, multichannel conversation that builds trust and drives conversions.
For example, in our monthly newsletters and lead nurturing email campaigns, we share relevant blogs in these emails, aiming to drive decision-makers in our email lists to our website. From here, they can learn more about topics they’re interested in and ideally reach out to us to set up a sales meeting and invest in our growth services.
Attend and Speak at Networking Events and Conferences
As great as all these different lead generation strategies are, sometimes traditional marketing methods can be a great supplemental asset to your growth efforts.
Attending and speaking at networking events and conferences provide one-on-one access to a direct pool of industry professionals and potential clients, increasing the likelihood of meeting prospects who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer. Speaking directly with decision-makers can position you as an authority, bolstering credibility and trust. Personal interactions enable relationship-building, allowing you to understand prospects’ needs and tailor your approach.
Leveraging these events as platforms for education and networking creates opportunities for meaningful connections and, ultimately, more productive sales meetings with qualified leads. However, remember to make sure that attendees have an easy way to contact you. Creating a QR code with a link to your site or LinkedIn profile might be a great strategy to follow.
Get More Touchpoints with Decision-Makers
Research suggests that at least 20 touchpoints are needed to establish top-of-mind awareness. The more touchpoints you have with a prospect, the better relationship you’re able to build… but don’t get carried away.
Getting more touchpoints with decision-makers is crucial because it strengthens relationships and bolsters trust. This includes making warm walls, sending follow-up emails, using ads to retarget website visitors, and more. Each interaction provides an opportunity to showcase expertise, address concerns, and demonstrate the value of your offering. Building a rapport through multiple touchpoints fosters a deeper understanding of their needs and preferences.
Additionally, more touchpoints with decision-makers keep your brand top-of-mind, making decision-makers more likely to consider your solution when the time comes to make a choice. Consistent engagement can shorten sales cycles, increase the chances of closing deals, and lead to long-term partnerships, ultimately driving business growth and revenue.
However, it’s important to consider the time and space with the prospect. If SDRs follow up too much, with calls or emails, they risk turning them off from your business. Be respectful and curious of their time, only following up when necessary.
Consider Making Adjustments to Your Prospecting Strategy
Sales, marketing, and lead generation teams should always be reevaluating and adjusting their prospecting strategy to align with changing market dynamics and customer preferences. They can properly adjust their prospecting strategy by:
- Analyzing existing data
- Refining their target audience
- Updating their value propositions
- Diversifying their outreach methods
- Optimizing their lead scoring approach
- Monitoring and measuring campaign performance
One of the best lead generation strategies to help optimize your prospecting approach is outbound appointment setting. Through outbound appointment setting, BDRs have the opportunity to learn more about your market and discover what decision-makers are looking for in regards to a product or service provider. With this information and data gathered, sales, marketing, and lead generation teams can tweak their approach as needed to align more with the wants and needs of the market.
Read our blog here for insight on how to have a successful B2B sales prospecting strategy.
Don’t Underestimate the Impact of Referrals
Referrals play a great role in securing qualified sales meetings as they come with built-in credibility and trust. When existing satisfied clients or business contacts recommend your product or service to others, it carries a strong endorsement.
Prospects are more likely to respond positively and be receptive to your outreach. Referrals often lead to warmer introductions and more productive initial interactions, significantly shortening the sales cycle. Leveraging referrals not only expands your network but also helps ensure that the leads you pursue are more likely to align with your ideal customer profile, increasing the chances of converting them into valuable clients.
While referrals are impactful for lead generation, they shouldn’t be relied on completely. Referrals should be used as a supplemental asset to get more qualified sales meetings. If you only rely on referrals, you don’t have access to a predictable and sustainable sales development process. When implemented with appointment setting and digital marketing, you can maximize business growth efforts.
Position Your Company as an Industry Thought Leader
Of course, you want to showcase how great your business is in relation to competitors. And making thought leadership content is a good place to do that.
When you position your company as a thought leader, you are establishing authority and expertise in your industry or niche. If you want to position your company as an industry thought leader, you must:
- Have in-depth knowledge of the subject matter
- Create content that resonates with your audience
- Gather original research and share analysis
- Participate in public speaking events
- Network and collaborate with like-minded thought leaders
- Be consistent with your messaging across all platforms
- Build case studies based on your claims
- Be open to learning from other subject matter experts
Consistency, credibility, and a commitment to adding value to your industry are key to establishing thought leadership. Over time, this position can lead to increased trust, a strong reputation, and more opportunities for your company, including more qualified sales meetings.
Outsource Your Growth Efforts to a Lead Generation Provider
Building and sustaining a business is hard work. We understand we’ve been there before. When growing businesses don’t have the bandwidth to take lead generation in-house, they often look for help from outsourced appointment setting companies.
Third-party lead generation providers offer significant benefits to growing businesses. They have the expertise, tools, and databases that can efficiently identify and qualify leads. They employ dedicated teams trained in prospecting, freeing up in-house resources. This approach often results in a higher volume of qualified prospects and allows internal teams to focus on core activities.
Additionally, third-party providers can offer insights and strategies based on experience in various industries, increasing the effectiveness of lead generation efforts. By harnessing external talent, growing businesses can secure more qualified sales meetings, accelerating their expansion and revenue growth.
Key Takeaways
Getting sales appointments may not be the problem you encounter—but getting qualified sales meetings is. Every small to medium-sized business wants to grow their sales pipeline. While growing your pipeline is key, so is ensuring the prospect is qualified for your product or service offerings. Without confirmation or implementing a way to generate more qualified sales meetings, you waste valuable time, money, and resources that could be better sent elsewhere.
Getting qualified sales meetings is a full-time job with a lot of processes that need to be put into place, from prospecting and nurturing to setting the sales meeting. Luckily, there are third-party lead generation companies that take the sales development process off the sales team so they can spend more time selling and less time finding their next client.
Abstrakt Marketing Group is an outsourced sales and marketing company that empowers growing businesses like yours to fill their sales pipelines with qualified leads. Our business growth experts take care of every step in the lead generation process so your sales reps can prioritize building and presenting a targeted pitch that converts more qualified prospects into closed business.
If you’re ready to optimize the way your team approaches sales to get more qualified sales meetings, contact the lead generation experts at Abstrakt!
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