A common challenge that salespeople face is the phenomenon of once-promising sales opportunities becoming inactive.
This happens when previously engaged and interested potential customers suddenly give up and eventually disappear from the sales process. There are many reasons for this, and understanding the reasons behind is needed to revive these dormant opportunities.
Watch the below series of similar videos to see what you need to do and how to prepare your sales efforts.
Possible causes of inaction
In many cases, the initial qualifications plan may not have gone far enough. Salespeople couldn’t identify the potential buyer’s true interests or true needs. When prospects realize that the product or service is not what they were looking for, they tend to give up. Sometimes potential buyers just aren’t ready to buy in the first engagement. External factors such as financial constraints or internal decision-making processes can delay their purchasing decisions, resulting in periods of inactivity. Sales people need to understand the dynamics and the particularities of the organization they try to sell to. Salespeople may have neglected to maintain consistent and meaningful communication with the prospect. When prospects feel forgotten or unimportant, they lose interest and are more likely to move on. Business needs and priorities can change rapidly. The prospect institution may have another more important problem to solve, hence disengaging with the sales person.
Trying to reactivate sales opportunities
To create again interest in passive opportunities, salespeople need to go back to their original requirements strategy. Reassess the prospect’s needs, challenges and pain points to identify any new opportunities to add value. When reaching inactive leads, salespeople need to personalize their communication. Acknowledge the time you spend and show genuine interest in helping your prospect solve their problems. Share relevant industry insights or success stories that demonstrate the ongoing value of the product or service. Position it as a solution to the prospect’s changing needs. Consider offering incentives such as discounts, exclusives, or extended trials to reignite interest and motivate prospects to re-engage. Be firm but respectful. While persistence is key, salespeople need to strike a balance. Continue to follow up, but respect your prospects’ time and decision-making process. Avoid being a nuisance. Use tracking tools to track prospect engagement through your outreach efforts. Analyze their responses and reactions to fine-tune your approach.
Read the below article that shows how to convert into an opportunity.
It is important to realize that not all things are within our control. The business environment is dynamic, and consumer behavior can be unpredictable. Salespeople need to continuously analyze and refine their strategies so that opportunities are not turned off. While salespeople may not always be responsible for opportunities becoming inactive, efforts to understand and address these issues can dramatically improve both conversion rates and sales success.