One of the most frustrating things as a sales professional is missing out on opportunities because a lead has stalled in the sales process. The unfortunate truth is, too many leads are lost in the nurturing process. In fact, most “email marketing databases naturally degrade by about 22.5% every year” (HubSpot). Despite this, we are constantly looking for ways to pick up those lost leads.
How does one reengage stalled leads?
In this article we will address stalled leads, how to qualify them, and ways to reengage them using video!
2.0 Identifying Qualified Leads
2.2 Marketing Qualified Leads (MQL)
2.3 Sales Qualified Leads (SQL)
A stalled lead is one that has halted in your nurturing process and has not converted into a sale. They are not responding to or opening your email campaigns; and, they might have unsubscribed from your email list completely. Using a CRM tool will help you identify and track when your leads have stalled.
So, you have determined who your stalled leads are – but how do we determine who is worth reaching out to from there?
We need to determine who, from that list, can grow into a qualified lead. Did they express interest in a specific product, your company, or your market in general? Understanding the subtle difference in these functions will help you reengage those leads with a targeted, relevant message!
There are three different types of leads we need to consider in order to determine how we should redirect our outreach toward them: Generic Lead, Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL), and Sales Qualified Lead (SQL).
Generic Leads express a vague interest in your product or company. They may fill out a lead form or drop off a business card but aren’t necessarily interested in purchasing your goods or services. These leads are considered low quality and thus should receive the least amount of attention when determining who you should reengage.
Marketing Qualified Leads (MQL) express a more pointed interest in your product or company than generic leads. These individuals may fill out a lead form, repeatedly visit your website, request a demo, etc., but have not taken the final step to purchase. Because these leads have demonstrated genuine interest in your company, they are worth retargeting in such a way that will move them closer to a purchasing decision, at which point you may consider them a Sales Qualified Lead.
Sales Qualified Leads (SQL) are direct about their interest in your product and intentions to make a purchase. While embodying the traits of a MQL, they will also request pricing information, request a meeting with a salesperson, etc. Since these individuals are already willing to convert, they are less likely to need reengaging.
The key to reengaging a stalled lead is to interact with them in a way that will reinvigorate their interest without seeming too pushy.
Our solution? Video!
Below we have listed three areas in which you interact with leads and how you can use video to make them more engaging.
Email Marketing
Many companies use email campaigns to nurture their leads. These are typically plain text, HTML, or templates from their email campaign service provider. While these are viable options, many viewers find them to be redundant in their inbox. Here is where video can help you. Instead of composing a wall of text for your lead to sort through – record a personalized video with the same information. This will not only stand out visually in the inbox, but it will also allow prospects to see the face of the individual sending them marketing information.
To reengage those stalled leads in your contacts – try sending a message via video mail that is specific to the recipient that shows them you are thinking of them, you have a solution to their needs, and that following up is a simple process. By making it simple and personal, those leads are more likely to become SQLs.
Social Media
Nearly every popular social media site prioritizes video in their algorithms. Videos get more engagements than photos and plain texts combined on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Therefore, companies would be foolish not to use video in their nurturing mix. As we have discussed, video allows prospects to see who is working for your company as well as what you are selling. “Viewers retain about 95% of information from a video compared to about 10% of information while reading the text” (Insivia).
To reengage those stalled leads following you on social media – try posting a few authentic, fun, and informative videos that show your value proposition and convince them why they should convert. Once they have expressed further interest, hit them with a personalized video mail message as described above.
Sponsored Content
When you are planning your paid advertising campaigns for social media, Google, television, billboards, etc., it is important to consider how prospects might be viewing this content. For digital signage, using video is a simple no-brainer. You can promote informative video content on social sites, in Google Ads, in commercials, etc. These are great places to put short videos that will direct your prospects to the next steps in your sales funnel.
For more traditional ad formats, like billboards, mailers, newspapers, etc. using video seems very tricky, if not impossible. However, we have a solution! If your ad points viewers to your website, your landing page should have a video as the first thing they see. “96% of people prefer to watch an explainer video to learn more about a product or service” (WordStream). While this method isn’t as direct as previously-mentioned methods, it is still worth employing to reinvigorate MQLs that are already following your company.
When you start using video in your sales and marketing process you will see a dramatic change in the way your leads and clients interact with your company. We understand that introducing video is easier said than done – we are here to help!
We have made creating and sending video messages quick and easy with the SalesMail app!
SalesMail is a market-leading branded video messaging application that allows you to instantly record and send personalized video messages. With SalesMail, you instantly build trust, develop great relationships, and get responses faster.
Here are a few more key reasons SalesMail will help you nurture your leads:
Using SalesMail, you can get the right content, to the right people, at the right time. For more information on SalesMail go online to www.salesmail.com.