Inbound calls are among the top source of qualified leads.
If a lead calls you, they’ve probably worked their way through your funnel and have an interest in buying from you.
That doesn’t mean all of the work is done, however.
How you handle the lead’s inbound call will often make the difference in whether they decide to do business with you, or move on to another option.
Are you ready to pick up the phone, engage your new lead, and close the deal?
Here are a few tips for converting more inbound calls into sales.
In most cases, inbound calls offer the advantage of preparation.
A lead who calls in has probably interacted with your business before, so you might have some basic information about your lead.
Sometimes, it will just be a bit of information shared on a contact form. That’s fine. Even just a lead’s name, business name, and location gives you a place to start.
You’ll often be able to do better than that, though. If the lead has reached the phone-call stage, there’s a good chance they have already corresponded with you or one of your team members through email or social. Put that information to work.
Ringio’s Rich Caller Screenpops for CRM
When the lead calls, use all available data to handle their needs in a personalized way. While on the phone, pull up the lead’s information in Salesforce or your CRM of choice, visit their social media profiles, and search through your emails for any information from past contact that might be useful.
Leads value efficiency.
When a lead calls, make sure they’re routed to the person or department best suited to handle their needs.
If someone’s looking for a product demo, send them straight to sales. If they have a highly technical question, maybe customer service isn’t the best department to handle that lead.
For sales calls, you want to focus on routing customers to the rep best equipped to handle their needs. If they’ve got a question, send them to a rep with the experience to answer it. If they’ve got a problem, route them to a rep who’s demonstrated that they know the solution.
There will always be leads who you can’t prepare for. Maybe your lead didn’t provide their information while navigating your funnel, or maybe they just called unexpectedly.
Like with most things, your chances of success are dramatically lowered if you’re unprepared. So how do you prepare for inbound calls when you don’t know who’s calling?
Advanced Caller ID is the answer.
Tools like Invoca provide robust caller ID information about leads that goes beyond a simple name and phone number.
Use advanced caller ID to learn who the caller works for, their position in the company, their age, and their preferences. This information allows you to deliver a personalized experience, even if you’re learning about the lead on the fly.
What happens when a lead calls, and none of your reps are in the office to answer?
Too often, missed calls turn into missed opportunities.
When the lead makes an effort to reach out, they need to be connected with a capable rep as soon as possible to keep momentum going toward a conversion.
Make sure that inbound callers are able to leave a voicemail, no matter which of your business number’s they call. If your salespeople use cell phones, set up a system to route calls to the right place when they’re out of the office.
The lead has already taken a big step by making a phone call, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re ready to close the deal.
Your reps need to be ready and willing to follow up to keep the sales process moving.
Make a habit of asking your lead for their email address, ideally in the first few minutes of the conversation.
Email is the perfect way to follow up. It allows your rep to remain on the lead’s mind, and gives you another chance to demonstrate your value to the lead.
Use the information you learn during the inbound call to tailor your follow up message and content to the unique needs of the lead.
Succeeding with inbound calls is all about attention to detail. Leverage your marketing tools, sales dashboard, and CRM to prepare for calls, and personalize your message.
Opt for a phone system that allows you to route the right call to the right person, whether your office is open or closed. And always look for opportunities to follow up.
Handle your inbound calls effectively, and following up will often mean winning the deal.
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Ring.io's Call Logging feature allows you to map call data to any field in your CRM, including custom objects. It enables you to update CRM fields with call dispositions while on the call, ensuring real-time data accuracy. Plus, with RingInsights, you gain instant insights into your call data, helping you better understand your team's performance. This integration not only saves time but also provides a more accurate and detailed record of your team’s interactions. Whether it's tracking average call length, call outcomes, or call time, you get a complete and nuanced view of your team's calling activities.
Experience the dynamic duo of sales success with Ring.io and Hubspot. Together, they weave a symphony of customization, creating an unrivaled sales engagement platform and CRM pair to turbocharge your sales triumphs.
Channels are not created equally. You might discover that one is working better for your prospects or customers than other. We hand-picked channels and their combinations to deliver the percentage of engagement you can close your quota with.
