Dawn of the Dead

How to Bring a Prospect Back to Life

If you’re like me, the entire month of October is Halloween. Forget the apple picking, pumpkin carving, and foliage — I spend October bringing back the dead. My “dead” however, are not zombies, monsters, and mummies, but instead sales pipeline that has gone cold.

October marks the beginning of Q4 for the majority of prospects, when they often begin to evaluate their budget for the upcoming year. This offers an opportunity to re-open dialogue with prospects that were previously closed off.

One tactic to bring back pipeline that has gone cold is to send them relevant content, like trends in the industry and/or compelling events. This reminds the prospect that not only do you still exist, but it gets them thinking about what their competitors might be doing. Sending this material in Q4 also allows the prospect to think about their budget and what might be in store for next year. Should they be allocating more budget to meet these industry trends? How necessary is it to keep up with the competition?

Customized messaging around budget and previous conversations is another tactic to wake up a cold pipeline. Oftentimes, salespeople fall into a pattern of sending templated emails to prospects. While templates have their time and place, a customized email can make the difference in re-engaging with a pipeline account. This makes them feel as though you care about their business, and that you not only remember past conversations but have an interest in where their company strategy is going. If you need to, remind the prospect that Q4 is often a time that budgets are evaluated. This adds a sense of urgency and relevancy to your messaging.

After having made a few attempts to contact the prospect throughout Q4, sending a “Permission to close your file” follow up email after no response is a solid final attempt. This email will tell the prospect that it is nearing the end of the month/quarter/year and you’re looking to close the files of prospects that are no longer qualified or interested. If they fall into that bucket they should let you know or, if they are still interested, let you know when to reach out. This allows you to understand if your pipeline should be disqualified or qualified further. By being upfront you will know whether or not to continue your pursuit.

It doesn’t require a mad scientist or a full moon to bring a prospect back to life — just relevant information, customized messaging, and an upfront email.

October might be the month to begin to re-engage with the “dead,” but this period can last until January! Budgets and strategy are evaluated throughout the fourth quarter to ensure a strong new year. Strategic persistence, when used correctly, is a valuable tool. It can be the spark that transforms your pipeline into a Sales Accepted Lead.