- " Weaver PLC has been using marketing data provided by Barbour ABI for 13 years and this year we converted our Business Builder subscription to weekly HTML email deliveries. This data is invaluable to our marketing effort providing a broad breadth of information across the geographical areas and sectors that Weaver operates in. The ease with which this electronic data can be manipulated and entered into our database is already paying dividends over and above the hours saved trawling the paper version. We await with interest future developments that may improve efficiencies still further! "
Using your Sales Leads
Here at Barbour ABI, we’ve been providing focused, comprehensive and up-to-date information on construction projects within the UK since the 1930’s. Our researchers understand the industry so they are able to find the information you really need to make contact with key decision makers. As a Barbour ABI customer, you have a dedicated Account Manager who can offer you guidance on how to win new business and make your ABI subscription work for you. But in the meantime, here are some of their top tips to get you started.
The sales approach that gets results.
Once you have defined the type of new business that you want to win, the next step is to start your sales approach.
Step 1 - Your letter of introduction
Remember that first impressions really do count - make sure your letter is sent out on professional letterhead and get a colleague to read everything before it mails out to check for grammar or any mistakes. Other points to consider:
- It’s important to address the letter to the correct person - if you don’t have a contact name, phone first to find out who you need to approach about the project.
- Make your letter as detailed but as concise as possible - describe who you are and what you do and then explain why you are writing to them. Describe the project and then introduce your product or service - enclose some relevant literature with your letter.
- Explain that you will call to follow up in a few days time - and keep to this promise.
How to write your sales letter
Step 2 - Telephone follow up
Before following up your leads, it’s vital that you prepare yourself thoroughly so that you are as confident as you can be. Ensure that you:
- Prepare an introductory script that details who you are and why you are calling - remember to also have a list of features and benefits of your product or service handy.
- Plan a list of questions that you want to ask about the project or product specifications.
- Check that the person you are speaking to is the correct contact for the project.
- Let them know what the next step will be - will you call back at a later date, arrange for a representative of the company to visit or send more information?
How to structure your sales call
Step 3 - Monitor your results
You need to keep track of how well your sales approach is doing so that you can monitor how much new business you have won as a result.
- Using Trackbase or your own customer relationship management (CRM) system you will be able to track which sales leads you have mailed or called. If you do not use a CRM system, try to set up a simple system to track this for you.
- Use your system to flag up work you have won, or lost, and make notes against each lead. Use this data to further refine your future sales approach.
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