Effective Strategies for Closing More SMMA Leads

Introduction

Pipeline management and effective follow-up strategies are crucial for successful sales in the SMMA industry. Learn how to optimize your pipeline, implement workflow automation, and master client acquisition outreach flows for better results.

Effective Pipeline Management for Better Sales Results

• Pipeline management is the key to closing up to 10 times more leads from the same pool by effectively managing leads at different stages of the customer journey.

• A pipeline is a visual representation of where leads are at on the customer or buying journey, and the stages will vary based on the business and customer journey.

• Using CRM software like go high level, pipedrive, snub.io or HubSpot can help automate and effectively manage the pipeline.

• Efficient follow-up processes for DMS, emails, and cold calls are crucial for successful pipeline management, especially in B2B sales.

• It’s essential to keep the pipeline for warm and hot leads only, rather than cluttering it with cold leads, and to follow up with personalized messages for better response rates.

Effective Follow-Up Strategies for Sales

• The key to successful follow-up in sales is a two-stage sequence, consisting of an initial bump for the first follow-up, followed by an audio or video message for the second. This approach emphasizes personal effort and is found to be the most effective.

• For social media platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn, manual follow-up is necessary, while automation tools like instantly.ai or lemlist can be used for email follow-ups. It’s important to avoid excessive follow-ups beyond a three-stage sequence as it can be counterproductive with no time-to-reward.

• Cold calling requires persistent follow-up, with the advice to call leads every day until a response is received. Building relationships with gatekeepers and maintaining thorough lead management is crucial for successful cold calls.

• Handling responses, whether positive or negative, involves updating leads on email tools and maintaining thorough records on spreadsheets. Positive responses trigger automation to add leads to the pipeline, while being ghosted by prospects requires a specific ‘ghosting flow’ stage in the pipeline to track such leads.

Implementing Workflow Automation for Lead Management

• The ghosting flow is a follow-up sequence designed to reignite interest from potential leads. It includes showcasing the services offered and client testimonials to engage the leads.

• For successful meeting bookings, implementing an automated system linked with the calendar is crucial to avoid manual errors. This ensures that leads are moved through the pipeline stages accurately.

• In the event of a meeting cancellation, leads are shifted to the cancellation stage in the pipeline. A follow-up is initiated to reschedule a meeting, aiming to keep the communication warm and professional.

• If a lead is a ‘no-show’ for a meeting, they are placed in the no-show stage in the pipeline. An automated workflow is triggered to re-engage the lead and encourage them to schedule a meeting.

• The goal of the entire automation process is to continuously guide leads towards booking a meeting and prevent them from dropping off. The focus is on persistently nurturing and reigniting the interest of potential clients.

• By leveraging workflow automation, agencies can extract more meetings from existing leads and avoid losing potential clients due to lack of follow-up. The approach is aimed at addressing the common industry trend of not pursuing leads after initial contact.

Key Points of Outreach Flows for Client Acquisition

• Outreach flows can be a powerful tool for client acquisition, providing opportunities for more meetings and sales out of the current lead flow.

• There are three main outreach flows: ghosting flow, no-show flow, and nurturing flow, each designed to address specific challenges in client communication.

• The ghosting flow is triggered when the pipeline stage changes to ‘ghosting’, and it involves sending personalized emails and SMS to re-engage potential clients who have gone silent.

• The no-show flow is activated when there’s a ‘no-show’ stage in the pipeline, and it includes a series of follow-up emails and an SMS to reconnect with clients who missed scheduled meetings.

• The nurturing flow is the next step for leads who haven’t responded to the ghosting or no-show flows, aiming to continue building a relationship and providing value to the potential clients.

Learning Automation and Copywriting

• The key point is that simply mimicking someone else’s results in copywriting or automation won’t work. It dilutes the message and doesn’t connect with the audience because everyone is using the same content without any personalization.

• The importance of understanding the psychology behind emails and rewriting them based on one’s business, personality, and customers is emphasized. It encourages creating personalized content rather than copying word for word.

• The integration of a nurturing flow in the business process, including a six-part email sequence, has been highlighted. This sequence focuses on providing value, building authority, and nurturing relationships with potential customers, rather than pushing for immediate sales.

• A practical approach to nurturing old or dead leads has been introduced, indicating the value of reigniting leads and not giving up on them easily. This process ensures that potential leads are not wasted and can still be converted into valuable customers.

• Emphasizing the need for continuous pipeline management and client acquisition is a critical point. It stresses the importance of dedicating time to filling the pipeline and not relying solely on existing clients, as well as considering hiring additional help for outreach and pipeline management.

Conclusion

Mastering the art of pipeline management, follow-up strategies, and workflow automation is essential for closing more SMMA leads. By implementing these effective strategies, you can optimize your sales process and achieve better results in client acquisition.

undefined