In 1998, marketing guru Seth Godin estimated that the typical consumer came in contact with an average of 3,000 marketing messages per day. Even though that sounds like a lot, that number is only accurate for a world before social media, before smartphones, and before our dependence on e-mail was fully developed. The number has likely skyrocketed. Because of the rapid growth of channels and the additional marketing messages that accompanied them, today’s consumers don’t take kindly to sales-related interruptions. The CMO Council found that 86% of people skip TV commercials, 44% of direct mail goes completely unopened, and 91% of people have unsubscribed from company emails they once voluntarily opted into.
Clearly, today’s consumers won’t listen to a sales pitch or sit through a phone call that isn’t relevant to their specific needs at that moment. That’s why to close sales today you need to know exactly to whom you are selling, and provide them with tailored messages that address their individual concerns. It’s a matter of getting the right message in front of the right person at the right time—specifically, a time when they are open to hearing it. To do this you must have more information about your prospects and what they need during each phase of the buying process. So, how can you learn more about your prospects without overwhelming them with messages and marketing? Look to the HEUG.Online Community where 30,000 Oracle Applications Users are having conversations on a daily basis! 76 Discussion threads and 749 thread views per day to be precise.
Using Your Online Community to Learn More About Prospective Customers
In the HEUG.Online community discussions are taking place about your industry. HEUG Members are sharing informational content relevant to their current stage in the buying process or products they are currently using, and having access to forums where they can connect with experts and peers is a great way to present your solutions in a timely and helpful way.
Engaging potential customers in the HEUG.Online is intensely valuable, but the biggest bonus of having access to prospects in the HEUG.Online is the ability to have perspective when reaching out versus a cold-calling. There’s a stigma sales people have that needs to change. With access to discussions your reps can be more informed so that when prospects think about your company they see your reps as HELPERS and not ANNOYERS!
3 Insights About Prospective Customers in Your Online Community
Insight #1) What Information Is Most Valuable to Prospective Customers
To earn a prospect’s business, give them all the help they need to make a decision. Doing this effectively means that you have to understand what information will best help your prospects accomplish their goals, learn about your products and services (especially the value they provide). Since each buyer is unique, making assumptions and blanketing them with general content can quickly cause you to lose their interest—and their business. Fortunately, with activity data from the HEUG.Online, understanding the individual interests and needs of your prospect doesn’t have to be a guessing game.
By watching a prospect’s behavior and engagement in the HEUG.Online community, you can learn more about their challenges and which factors are impacting their buying process. Tailor your communication, including sales and marketing messages, based on this information. For instance, if a prospect posts a question about customer satisfaction or product reliability in a discussion forum, you can send a reply directing them to a case study or customer testimonial on that topic.
Insight #2) Where Prospective Customers Are in their Buying Process
Understanding where your prospective customers stand in the buying process allows you to create a custom experience that makes them feel comfortable. Since they need different types of information at different points in the research and buying journey, prospective customers can get the information they need for their specific mindset.
For example, if a prospect’s behavior clearly indicates he or she isn’t ready to be contacted by your marketing or sales department, you can send a low-pressure invitation to read through a few educational blog posts or check out the comments on a discussion board. As prospects begin to engage further you can continue to help them move down the sales funnel by providing more detailed information on your product or an opportunity to ask a company executive a question.
Prospects’ online behavioral data helps you learn how far along they are in the buying process so you can respond to their needs appropriately, and help your sales team and support teams nurture customers.
Insight #3) When Your Sales Team Should Contact a Lead
Your sales team will have a much better chance of closing the deal if they are contacting a lead who wants to talk to them. According to Marketing Sherpa, 79% of leads never convert into sales, often because they are not ready to talk to sales people and are not adequately nurtured. Through having access to discussions and other material in the HEUG.Online your reps can paint a picture as to whether or not it makes sense to engage a prospective customer. These insights can help set your sales team up for success. Not only will they know the right time to make contact, but they’ll also have key data about each lead, including what product the lead is interested in, their potential concerns, and the research they’ve completed. With that, your sales team can ask the right questions, provide personalized information, and make a quicker sale. Online
Community Insight Takeaway
The process for attracting and nurturing prospects has drastically changed over the last several years. What worked 10 years ago doesn’t work as well today. Prospective customers want to engage with valuable resources when they are researching a product. Your current customers aren’t the only ones who benefit from having access to the HEUG community. The insights you gain from their behavior allow you to market better, communicate better, and identify the most promising sales opportunities.