Leads can make you feel like a love-sick teenager all over again. Should I respond or shouldn’t I? I should, but I don’t want to come across as needy. But what if she thinks I’m ignorant?! The timing needed to execute a lead into a conversion flawlessly is an art form only a few companies have mastered. The good news is the YGG is one of them and the even better news is that it’s willing to share.

Without further ado, these are the steps you should take to ensure your response is on point at all times.

Cherry Pick Them

As soon as the leads start flying in, it’s time to rank them in order. The demographics are simple: hot, warm and cold leads. The former is good to go right away because the customers have shown an interest to make an instant purchase. The second group is almost ready but they need a bit of time to calculate all the information. And, the latter is nowhere near ready. The two you want to focus on the most are the hot and cold leads. Why? It’s because both need a quick follow up to either cement it or convince the interested party to part with their money.

See When They Have Read It

You don’t want to come across as pushy because it’s a turn-off. Bugging them before they’ve had a chance to read the email is a sure-fire way to make them bounce. Thankfully, a CRM specialist such as Copper has a solution. It’s a customer relationship management app that integrates with Gmail. Therefore, it tells you when they have read your message and then you can follow up accordingly. Not every CRM syncs with mailing apps so you should pick the one that integrates seamlessly.

Close the Gap

The process is often split into two sections: getting it and following up. But, by the time the marketing team passes it onto the sales rep, there is a massive gap and the lead goes cold. It’s by no means dead, yet it’s nowhere near as hot as it was because customers see it as a slight. With that in mind, close the gap between the two teams by asking your marketers to follow up once they have passed it off. Just because they’ve secured it doesn’t mean their job is over and they can move on to the next one.

Repeat

Humans need to hear a repeat of the information before it sinks in and they understand the message. To do that, you should focus on using a variety of platforms so that the news doesn’t get old or boring. As well as phoning them, be sure to contact them by email and social messengers, too. Also, don’t forget to educate them as to why they need to make a purchase. Repetition is only useful when it’s got value; otherwise, your welcome will wear out fast.

Combine these four things and you’ll find the perfect rhythm for following up with leads.