Who could use a little vacation right about now? I know I’m ready!
Planes are filling up with vacationers seeking out a change of scenery after a year of lockdown and isolation. Despite higher gas prices, people are hitting the roads as well. In fact, RV sales and shipments are forecast to jump 24 percent in 2021 and reach a record high of about 533,300 units.
This reawakened desire for adventure and the call of the open road got us here at Vertical IQ thinking about another type of journey: the one taken by prospective buyers.
The buyer’s journey is typically slow, meandering, and full of potential pitfalls. But what many sales professionals don’t realize is that they can be the one guiding their prospect through the various stages of the sales process. And Industry Intelligence can serve as your North Star.
The buyer’s journey begins with awareness
As with many of life’s adventures, the sales journey begins with awareness. In most cases, your prospective buyer recognizes they have a business challenge to be solved or an aspiration they want to attain.
Their roadblock? They aren’t sure where to begin. As a result, they are on a fact-finding mission, searching for general information rather than specific solutions.
Your obstacle as a sales professional? You aren’t even on their radar. But the good news is this is your opportunity to send up a flare to capture their attention, flip their map right side up, and point them in the right direction.
But you may want to pump the brakes just a tad before swooping in and sharing all the great benefits your solution or service can deliver. Remember: During the awareness phase of the buyer’s journey, your focus should be on learning everything you can about the prospect and their business challenges, pain points, and their industry as a whole.
The best route to accomplish this is via Industry Intelligence. Use it as your atlas to:
- Identify new markets and potential industries
- Prioritize business development efforts
- Prepare for cold prospecting
- Enhance your marketing content and promotions
- Tailor your lead follow-up
Considering their best route
Once your prospective customer becomes aware of your brand and your services, their voyage through the buyer’s journey moves to the next stage: consideration. To keep the travel analogy going, at this point, they know they want to take a trip, but they aren’t sure where to go or how to get there.
Buyers typically will begin searching online for solutions to their pain point or goal, so naturally, you want your website to capture their attention. You can accomplish this by ensuring your site is packed with industry-focused educational materials, like eBooks and whitepapers. Developing this tailored content is simple when you use Industry Intelligence.
While it is appropriate to begin to introduce your solutions at this point in the expedition, that doesn’t mean you are done learning about the prospect and their industry. And again, Industry Intelligence can serve as your guide as you entice prospects (and also lost leads) to consider you and your brand via email, phone calls, and meeting invitations.
Industry Intelligence allows you to:
- Quickly and effectively prep for calls and meetings
- Share industry-relevant news articles and forecasts
- Answer questions with confidence and clarity
- Build trust and position yourself as an industry expert (not just a sales or marketing rep.)
An expert navigator for their journey
Are you ready to take the wheel to guide your clients and prospects through all six stages of the sales cycle? Then climb aboard, and let’s explore ways to deliver a better, more tailored experience in every phase of their trek. Vertical IQ’s newest eBook, Deliver Value at Every Turn: Industry Intelligence Across the Buyer’s Journey, will show you the way.
In it, we explore how sales and marketing professionals can capture and capitalize on the opportunity to connect with buyers and provide guidance and value at every turn of their purchasing journey with Industry Intelligence. You’ll learn how to win, grow, and retain more business while competitors disappear in your rearview mirror. Come along — it’s a trip worth taking!