Successfully acquiring new customers - and what we can learn from online dating
Successfully acquiring new customers - and what we can learn from online dating
What does the acquisition of new customers have to do with modern online dating methods? At first glance, quite little. On closer inspection, however, the parallels are hard to miss, because both sales and virtual dating require tact, a step-by-step approach and strategic thinking.
But first things first: As an integral part of the sales process, new customer acquisition determines the short, medium and long-term success of a company. The aim of all acquisition activities is to convert potentially interested persons into customers who are willing to pay. In this context, a definition of the term must first be made.
New customer acquisition vs. sales pitch
The sales pitch is an integral part of every successful cold call. However, as a sales tool, the sales call is by no means synonymous with cold calling. Rather, as a salesperson, you pursue an individual sub-goal with each conversation in the course of customer acquisition, which is subordinate to the ultimate goal - the "closing of the sale". The objectives of each call depend, among other things, on the respective acquisition phase, the outcome of any preliminary discussions and the position of the other party.
New customer acquisition vs. sales pitch
We have already hinted at it: on closer inspection, the process of acquiring new customers shows parallels with online dating. Imagine you have met a potentially interesting person via an online platform and successfully arranged a personal meeting. Would you now ask this person to marry you at the first meeting? Most probably not. And it's the same with cold calling: your contact is not ready to say "I do" at the first meeting.
The example of telephone acquisition
Cold calling by telephone starts one step before the first face-to-face meeting: At this stage, the target person has not yet had any contact with your company. Your task as a sales professional is therefore to establish initial contact and conduct a first conversation. It makes a difference whether your counterpart has decision-making authority or your call ends up in the secretary's office or switchboard. In the latter case, the aim of this conversation is limited to generating contact with a lead. In the follow-up call, the so-called qualification or discovery call, you then speak to a responsible person who has previously been able to familiarize themselves with your product or service.
Telephone acquisition in the inbound sales scenario
In an inbound sales scenario, the newly interested person is already familiar with your company and the range of products or services. Ideally, they have already expressed an intention to buy - in this scenario, the inbound SPIN is ideal for the first personal contact on the phone. The aim of the conversation is to successfully close the deal or - depending on the type of product - to arrange a product demo. This approach is particularly common in B2B software sales.
The example of mail acquisition
Mail acquisition is a promising and time-efficient method of acquiring new customers. Once registered in the newsletter distribution list, potential customers are available as leads. The advantage: the recipients of the newsletter already know your company and may have purchased a product or service in the past. The recipients on the newsletter mailing list are often customers who have been inactive for a long time, but for whom reviving the business relationship is particularly promising and worthwhile. However, mail acquisition can also be used as a cold-calling tool to draw the attention of potentially interested people to your range of products or services. The main challenge in this scenario is to obtain the consent of the person receiving the email via a double opt-in procedure.
Takeaway
Always be aware of what stage of the process you are currently in. Is this your first "meeting" or have you known each other for some time? You need to adapt your strategy and behavior accordingly.
Lead generation as the key to acquiring new customers
The first stage of every new customer acquisition is the generation of leads, i.e. the collection of contact details of potential new customers. Leads already know your company and are usually open to sales information. If your marketing department regularly generates new leads, then you have a successful basis for acquiring new customers. Existing customers are also ideal for generating new leads as part of referral marketing.
Not all leads are the same. It depends on the quality. In most cases, an interested person is not fully informed and is far from making a purchase decision. In technical jargon, this is referred to as "unqualified leads", which subsequently need to be qualified - be it in a discovery call or a qualification meeting. The higher the chance of closing a deal, the higher the quality of the lead. Below you will find an overview of the options for generating leads.
Generate outbound leads via direct sales
Even in the age of online meetings and LinkedIn, traditional telephone canvassing is still an effective direct method of lead generation. In B2B sales, cold calling is permitted by law if there is a presumed interest in a product or service. However, successful telephone canvassing requires careful preparation and continuous optimization through systematic performance measurement. Telephone canvassing should not be seen as a one-off action, but as a process. One promising method for increasing lead conversions in telephone acquisition is the use of an interactive conversation guide.
Interview guidelines? I don't need anything like that.
We say: If they are solidly structured, discussion guidelines can help everyone to improve.
Generate outbound leads via email marketing
In recent years, traditional mail acquisition has wrongly lost importance. This is because, on closer inspection, contact by email proves to be an effective method of communicating with the target group. High-quality content and valuable product information make it possible to communicate proactively in a clear and concise manner. When it comes to email acquisition, it is important to be brief and to communicate authentically and honestly. Birthday greetings by email are a good way of maintaining contact and making the other person remember you. Especially in combination with direct advertising, mail acquisition is a helpful tool when used correctly.
Generate inbound leads
In the past, there was a clear boundary between sales and marketing activities. All direct customer contacts, such as telephone acquisition and existing customer care, were assigned to sales. Inbound contact management, on the other hand, was limited to indirect marketing activities to support sales. As a result, the exchange of customer data and cross-departmental communication were not on the agenda.
The rise of digital marketing methods such as content and search engine marketing is making it increasingly difficult for companies to create effective inbound campaigns. The hard separation is breaking down and a merging of direct and indirect customer contacts is taking place. Sales approaches and sales data are important in order to support inbound marketing and effectively align it with the target groups.
The methods of inbound lead generation
Content Marketing
Content marketing is generally suitable for all companies to generate new leads for customer acquisition. High-quality and relevant content with high added value helps to attract the attention of potential customers and increase the digital reach of the website. Nowadays, we are all saturated with advertising and false promises. A content marketing strategy is therefore not aimed at a direct sale, but focuses on the added value for the target group: "Look, we love what we do and we want to share our expertise with you - for free."
Search engine marketing
Search engine marketing is similar: the generic term SEO (Search Engine Optimization) covers all measures aimed at positioning company-relevant keywords in search engine results. As an alternative to technical or content-related SEO measures, paid Google Ad Words campaigns (SEA) are also available.
All three methods have one thing in common - provided they are not paid marketing: in order to generate a lead, you need to create sufficient added value for the potential customer, for which they are willing to give you their data. But that's another topic.
Social media marketing
Social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter are becoming increasingly important - also for lead generation. Social media is an excellent way to increase company awareness and position brands cost-effectively - be it through blogs, white papers or video messages. At best, targeted marketing in social networks ensures success within a very short time. A distinction is made between paid and unpaid methods. With paid social media marketing, you can reach the target group without having built up a network of organic followers beforehand.
Conclusion
Regardless of which combination of marketing and sales activities you choose to acquire new customers: Thorough preparation in the form of customer research, the consistent use of discussion guidelines and the systematic monitoring of success are essential. Success monitoring involves defining key figures, carrying out target/actual comparisons and taking measures for continuous improvement. In sales practice, it is important to continuously develop discussion guidelines and use templates and behavioral instructions along the customer acquisition process - for example in the form of objection handling.
