by Will Rotondi
You hear a lot of buzzwords getting thrown around these days when it comes to technology, most of which start at the beginning of the alphabet: automated, agile, artificial intelligence, business intelligence, etc. But as much as these services or methodologies are meant to make your operations easier, they’re not perfect. Every new piece of software will have kinks to smooth out, and finding temporary workarounds until that can happen is now its own particular art form.
There are also times where you get stuck in a rut and turn to certain workplace “crutches” that you think are serving you well, when they’re really hindering your performance. It could be your habit of staying glued to your mobile device or computer: you think you’re being more productive, but your physical inactivity is hurting your health. It could be that extra cup of coffee (guilty as charged) that feels great for the caffeine buzz but leaves you far less mentally and physically engaged come the afternoon.
It could also be in how you prospect: pushing too much information at your potential leads too quickly, in the hopes that you’ll develop faster sales.
Here’s why you think that it helps:
- It tells your brand’s story.
- It gives your prospects full transparency on what you offer.
- It provides value on your services.
Here’s why it doesn’t really help:
- Your prospects care less about your brand’s story and more about why they should talk with you. Keeping it brief and asking them who the best person is for a mutual conversation is more likely to get you a positive response.
- Telling your prospects everything will essentially give away the whole show, and more of a reason not to respond to you. Provide them with smaller chunks of information that push them to your website and prompt them for a call.
- Value is a matter of opinion. You see value in listing off your features and benefits, but the value your prospects want is through education: what’s new in their market space, and what can help them overcome pain points they’re experiencing.
So as we head into August, take some time to assess whether you’re relying on some prospecting crutches to justify your lead gen’s performance, or whether it’s time to change your methodology.
