I needed beer. I was in no shape to drive.
We're at this exciting point in human history where I can order a case of beer on Amazon and pick the exact timeframe I want it delivered. Instant alcohol delivery, or "alcohaul" as we called it this past weekend.
Whether it's beer, pizza, or some cool new product on Amazon, instant delivery for consumer goods, as a customer, is awesome.
But as a business, this new expectation sucks.
Why? Because buying habit are seeing a massive shift in the B2C space - according to a study by Recode, nearly 56% of millennials expected same day delivery as an option when buying an item online.
That same age group is becoming your target market - home owners, property managers, etc. - how do you think that stat will translate to high-consideration purchases?
Buying habit are seeing a massive shift in the B2C space - according to a study by Recode in 2015, nearly 56% of millennials expected same day delivery as an option.
Although this topic is wide-ranging, the first thing you should be focused on is responding to leads as fast as possible. A good way to measure this is to look at your current lead engagement process and consider a few quick changes to improve it.
Who do you currently have managing your inbound leads? How do they get funneled to your sales team for follow-up?
More often than not, businesses have this antiquated thought process - "I just need to get my leads to my sales team as fast as possible."
If you have a call center or inside sales team, sure - that makes sense.
But for most SMBs, this can have a major negative impact. If your sales team spends a majority of their time in the field on appointments, how do you know they're following up on time? Sometimes, the best person for follow-up is already an employee.
Here's something to consider - in your organization, is there a front desk receptionist or administrative professional who:
Why wouldn't that person then also greet your inbound web leads as soon as they come in, qualify as appropriate, and then pass to your sales team for product review and pricing?
By using a shared inbox, you as a sales manager or owner will always have oversight on conversations with leads and how your team is effectively following up.
Once you qualify the inbound, you've got some breathing room on time to response for your sales team.
Still, you should set an internal rule to follow-up same day with sales response. With a fully qualified lead who has interacted with your business, your sales cycle timeline will also benefit from the prior engagement.
How your lead comes in and how your sales team gets back to the lead, you'll be in a much better position to handle inbounds and make your customers happy with a quick response.
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