Commercial prospecting is essential for a company that wants to develop its business. A lever for growth and a guarantee of survival, no company can deprive itself of it.
However, many of them are struggling to win new customers. A lot of investment for little return, the profitability of prospecting is not at all at the rendezvous. The most common mistake is going fishing in the wrong lake. If only they could guess where the fish bite the most… Hence the idea of this article!
Through these few lines, we will show you how to attract and convert customers using a simple method . Our theme of the day: omnichannel prospecting!
How does omnichannel prospecting work?
When it comes to commerce, whether physical or online , there is always an element that is the concern of companies. This is the competition that can sometimes be very tough . And when it does, it becomes harder to get the best market share . Thus begins the great race to conquer prospects and customers. It becomes imperative for companies to stand out from the competition. But how can they do it? Well, you have to meet prospects and increase your visibility with them. However, it is already necessary to determine by which way you will be able to approach them. This is where the omnichannel prospecting strategy comes in. It allows you to use multiple prospecting channels at the same time to better reach your prospects. This will even allow you to pass on more qualified leads to your sales reps while saving time.
From another point of view, the rise of digital has transformed the behavior of prospects. Now, they are hyperconnected and tend to switch from one channel to another. That's why you have to adapt to this new rhythm. You have to go where your target is. It is no longer a question of choosing between physical or digital prospecting , now the best strategy is to combine the two.
Omnichannel prospecting is therefore the best option to contact your prospects and to create a strong relationship with them. The different channels are complementary, which is why they will allow you to reach your target and convert new customers.
Why establish an omnichannel prospecting strategy?
Time has changed the old methods of prospecting . Now, the channels used by prospects are more numerous. What does this mean?
Faced with this multiplication , it is no longer profitable to stay on a single channel to hope to reach an engaged audience. It has become almost impossible, especially if you want to stand out from your competitors. Especially if they have already implemented an omnichannel strategy, it is certain that they have a big head start on you. But basically, why opt for this strategy? What are the advantages of omnichannel sales prospecting ? The answers to these questions can be very broad, but we will list some of them:
- Omnichannel prospecting allows you to adapt your company's practices to those of your prospects. This will allow you to better approach them later.
- It allows you to adapt your prospecting strategy to the behavior of your prospects. Their needs need to be understood in order to better design the approach to engage them.
- The omnichannel prospecting strategy allows you to personalize the customer journey. This will make it easier for you to convert your leads.
- It allows you to deliver the right message to the right people at the right time. It will also help you use the right channel to deliver the right content.
- The omnichannel strategy ensures the optimization of the prospecting process to make it simpler and more fluid.
Remember, to win new customers, you need to optimize your visibility where your prospects are most present. That's what catching the right fish in the right lake is all about. For this reason, your prospecting strategy must be customized according to the channels used by your prospects.
Which prospecting channels should be favored?
So you guessed it, it is not necessarily necessary to use all channels . First, you need to identify which ones your prospects are actually on. Then the strategy is to attract them to you. Here are some effective prospecting channels we recommend you try:
1 – Email prospecting
Email must be at the heart of your prospecting strategy . It's a fast, efficient, and cost-effective way to contact your prospects.
In France alone, about 1.4 billion emails are sent per day in 2022 . In addition, a large number of Internet users use it for professional or commercial purposes. This means that email prospecting can help you generate leads and win customers.
Like any prospecting strategy, emailing requires a certain knowledge and mastery of particular techniques . That's why we're going to show you how to prospect by email in the best way. We have 3 tips for you:
- Relevant targeting:
This is the first element that will guarantee the profitability of your emailing campaigns. Targeting starts with identifying your target. It allows you to define who you are addressing and collect personal data about them. You'll then gather this information into your prospect database . You will then have enough data to establish the criteria for segmenting your contact database. This will allow you to send the right message to the right person. The best known method to set up such targeting is the buyer persona or the profile of your ideal customer.
- Behavioral segmentation:
This marketing practice consists of studying the Behaviors of the people who receive your emails. A high open rate may indicate that your message is of interest to your recipients. Those who clicked on your CTA may want to know more about what you offer.
This type of analysis will allow you to send a personalized message or a targeted follow-up to your prospects. Thus, behavioral segmentation is the path to take to generate more qualified leads.
- Added value:
If people open your emails, they're looking for an interest , otherwise they wouldn't do it. You need to write your email in a way that makes people want to know more. The subject , content , message, and approach you use should be top-notch. It's all about how you communicate. You can use storytelling and copywriting methods for this. But don't use an overly commercial approach. It's best to keep it simple , clear , short , and concise . Get straight to the point!
Discover : 5 copywriter techniques to boost the opening rate of your emails→
2 – Prospecting on LinkedIn
LinkedIn, this renowned professional social network , is a channel to focus on in your omnichannel strategy. For years, this network has brought together a large number of professionals, including decision-makers and executives looking for new business opportunities . These particular characteristics have made LinkedIn the ideal place for B2B prospecting. But how to gain prospects on this network? Many have tried, but in vain…
Indeed, just like emailing , prospecting on LinkedIn requires a mastery of the field. First of all, you need to know and appreciate the network. Then, you have to launch a contact search based on your persona . Prospecting on LinkedIn is not at all difficult if you know the following best practices:
- Optimize your LinkedIn profile:
To prospect on this network, start by working on your image. Your profile picture and banner should be neat. Each section of the profile must be complete to attract visitors' attention. On LinkedIn, everything is played in one glance! So if you don't present the best version of yourself, business opportunities won't come to you. It is also necessary to work on your visibility . Post useful content regularly and be active. The video format, for example, is of interest to many people on LinkedIn.
- Identify qualified leads:
Your most qualified prospects should match the profile of your ideal customer. On LinkedIn, you need to connect with people who share your interests . Contact is very important. Remember to take care of your message when you contact your target. A very small miscommunication could not only cause you to lose a prospect, but also jeopardize your reputation and credibility . Keep in mind that LinkedIn places a lot of importance on recommendations . If you can get some, that would be perfect!
- Start a conversation with your prospects:
To hope to win customers on LinkedIn , it is essential to use the right hook. Sending a relevant message cannot be improvised, it requires a strategy . You need to learn how to engage in meaningful conversation with your contact. The goal is to build a relationship of trust with your target and impose your reputation . This can be done well before a direct contact request is sent. For example, you can react to their posts, comment on them, or even share them. This already shows that you are an open-minded person who can be an interesting contact for them.
It is when they accept your contact request that you will start the conversation. You need to send them a thank you message , useful content and you can even present who you are, what you do, and what you can bring to them. But again, try not to use too much of a commercial approach . Advance your offer little by little to increase its interest . Then, if he is interested, he will want to know more, maybe even make an appointment.
3 – SMS and VMS
Even if inbound marketing has revolutionized prospecting methods, outbound marketing is not dead…
As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, these two methods can be complementary in a successful omnichannel prospecting strategy . Let's discover two variations of outbound marketing that can help you prospect:
- SMS or Short Message System:
SMS prospecting is a quick way to get in touch with your target . In addition, it is not necessary to spend a lot of money to have a good return on investment (ROI). A budget of €65 is more than enough to reach 1,000 contacts .
The other advantage of SMS marketing is that it can save you time . Almost everyone uses a mobile phone, which makes spreading the message really easy. With an open rate of 97%, it is undoubtedly one of the most interesting channels.
But beware of the Opt-in , it is forbidden to use the phone number of your prospects for commercial purposes without their consent . Similarly, it is mandatory to mention the name of the advertiser in the message. All of these rules are tied to GDPR , but with our dynamic base of over 20 million B2B contacts, these rules will be followed, rest assured! To learn more, click here→
- VMS or Voice Message Service:
This form of outbound marketing involves leaving a voice message for a prospect or consumer. The goal is to share information quickly. It's an easy way to talk about your business, products or services. But other marketers also use it to let people know about them news gold promotions. It is therefore a prospecting lever not to be neglected.
The biggest advantage of VMS is that it can be transmitted to your prospect's voice server without the phone ringing. You can be sure that your message is reaching its destination. It is therefore an innovative and customizable solution that can greatly contribute to the success of your commercial prospecting . In addition, the VMS is compatible with different existing phone models. This significantly increases the success rate of your campaigns.
SMS and VMS are great channels to drive rapid engagement with your prospects and customers. Magileads gives you access to your prospects' phones without having to worry about regulations regarding the protection of personal or sensitive data. If you want to get started in omnichannel prospecting, don't wait any longer to meet one of our experts in customer acquisition and
loyalty
. Our team is available if you want to share your needs and see how our platform works. Book a demo online here→
