Looking for leads is an age-old struggle, no matter what you’re selling. But when circumstances change, your means of finding leads should, too.
COVID-19 has forced most of us in the tech and SaaS industry to work remotely, which means that if you’re used to prospecting for leads in person, your usual methods aren’t available anymore. But the need for revenue is more important than ever, so you’ve got to adapt.
In this article, we’re going to cover how to prospect for leads virtually. Whether you need these suggestions right now due to the coronavirus or in the future when your organization finds its new normal, this will help you find the right customers at the right time, no matter where you are.
Meet your prospective leads where they’re at.
Social distancing (or time zone changes, or conflicting schedules) means you’re not always able to meet on your own turf. Leads can’t come to you, and you can’t exactly go to them either. But making the sale requires the lead feel comfortable where they’re at, so you’ll need to do that in some capacity.
When you’re not able to meet together in person, a video conference or phone call is the go-to. But meeting a client “where they’re at” is more than using the right technology. It’s also about understanding they’re unique circumstances, especially if your prospecting in an unusual market.
In the case of COVID-19, researching how the company has designed their coronavirus response before you speak with them can make it easier to adjust the meeting to fit their unique needs. Most companies have a page or pop-up on their website that lets customers know how they’re handling the current crises.
More generally, any research you can conduct before you chat with a lead, the better. If you’re unable to do some investigative work before you talk, ask the right questions upfront to guide the rest of the conversation in the right direction.
Invest in your content.
While this is true all the time, investing in your content is one of the best ways to bring in prospective leads when you can’t engage in normal outreach. Because so much of your conversations will be held virtually, ensuring your leads can access all the important information about your company and current processes in once place is crucial.
There are a few different things to consider when creating content for these purposes. Here are our favorites.
Actionable Content
Actionable content is content created with the intent to make a user do something specific. What that action looks like can vary; you may want visitors to your website to fill out a form, schedule an appointment, submit their information for a sweepstakes, sign up for a webinar, or more. But this action should be clearly defined before you create your content, and should be obvious in the final product. Clearly communicating what you want from your leads will help you get whatever end result you’re looking for.
Social Media Updates
With the news around COVID-19 changing by the minute, let your prospective leads they can get up-to-date information about your company and its current practices by following your social media accounts. Regular updates that are informative and action-based instill a sense of trust in your followers (and your would-be followers, too).
Revise your SEO strategy.
Search behavior changes when the market does, and that’s especially true right now. If your SEO strategy hasn’t changed to reflect the new ways leads are using search engines, now is the time.
Keyword research can help you determine what your potential clients are looking for, and therefore help you respond to that. Use your research to match industry standards. But also find the gaps your competitors are leaving in order to capitalize on a need that hasn’t been filled.
Attend virtual forums and town halls within your industry.
Due to social distancing measures, conferences, forums, town halls, and conventions have been cancelled or postponed. This also means your way to find leads in person has also been cancelled.
But thanks to modern technology, there are ways to simulate that environment digitally through webinars and forums. If you’re able, host one yourself and allow the leads to come to you. You can even join with other leaders in your area or industry to boost your lead capture potential.
If you don’t have the bandwidth or resources to host your own gathering, get involved yourself. Here in Utah, we’ve got our biggest tech companies joining together for regular briefings. Check your local area to determine if there’s anything similar in your neck of the woods.
Join the Boostability Partner program and we’ll help you sell SEO.
Our Partner Program is designed to help you sell SEO starting within a week. You find the leads, and we’ll help you close the sale with our robust sales support team. Contact us to get started.
