Spring has sprung! Now’s the time of year to look back on your former connections – prospects that did not become clients or others with whom you have lost contact – and try to warm up those cold leads.
If you are like most sales professionals, you’re bound to have some record of those with whom you didn’t connect, those who did not respond to your mailings or other outreach, or those with whom you didn’t reach the finish line. Maybe you gave them a quote, but they chose a different carrier or another broker with whom to close.
You might be thinking, “Why bother?” However, it’s important not to let your past shortcomings get in the way of writing new business. Those old leads will not cost you a dime, and they could lead to your next big case. You just need to nurture them a bit.
Former clients can also be a great source of new business. It all depends on why you lost them as a customer. Maybe their business fell on hard times, something many have faced in the past two years with the coronavirus pandemic. Maybe they wanted something that you didn’t offer. Maybe you don’t know why they left. Now is your chance to find out – and to share information about how you might be able to help them today.
Lead Outreach and Re-engagement Strategies
There are many methods to consider in your new outreach/re-engagement strategy. Here are seven tips to consider:
- Do your research: Before calling, emailing, or reaching out via social media, go through your old records to remind yourself of your prior conversations. You might find useful info that gives you the foundation on which you can build your renewed outreach. Look up your targets on LinkedIn or other social media to see what they are saying about their business and themselves. If they lack a current social media profile, it may mean they no longer own or operate a business.
- Reach out by email: Make the most of your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) program by using it to send messages that will attract the interests of your former prospects and/or customers. (Read Increase Your Sales in 2022 by Adopting These 5 Trends for more about CRM.)
- Consider touting an employer checklist, guide to comparing health plans, or an upcoming webinar. If you have been out of touch for a while, an in-your-face sales pitch might seem pushy – and could turn off your potential customers.
- Experiment with subject lines: This strategy works as an extension of #2. If you send an email but don’t get a response, consider a second outreach with a different subject line and topic. Maybe your first message offered tips on “reducing employee benefits costs,” but it went unread. In your second effort, you might try something “lighter” – like an opinion survey offering an incentive for their response.
- Reach out by “snail mail”: Written (especially handwritten) messages are unusual in today’s world, but using them can differentiate you from your competitors. If your targets are older, they could even be more receptive to your outreach if it’s not by text or email.
- Don’t overlook the phone: While it may not work for everyone, some of your former prospects and customers might welcome your call. If you don’t connect and you end up leaving a message, explain how you may be better able to help them address their needs today (as compared to the past).
- Be an advisor, not a seller: One of the most important things you can do in reaching out to past prospects and clients (and to existing customers, too) is get to know them and their needs. Discuss their problems and work to find the solutions that address them. Do more listening than talking.
- Focus on building a relationship: Developing a relationship – and not being too focused on the sale – allows you to connect with your prospects and customers. Health care and insurance are complicated topics. Demonstrating your expertise helps you prove your value – and can often lead to new referrals. If your customers don’t buy immediately, they may still be more likely to think of you if there’s a future opportunity to assist them and their employees in the future.
To take advantage of the diverse product portfolio available from Word & Brown, talk with your Word & Brown representative. Or, if you are not already doing business with us, call (800) 869-6989.
