How Has B2B Prospecting Changed Post-COVID? Understanding The Top Trends

There’s no doubt that COVID-19 changed a lot of things. From supply chain shortages to stock market crashes, the pandemic had a big impact on the entire world. And it continues to do so, despite vaccines and public health policymakers helping to keep it under control.

Businesses were also deeply affected by COVID-19, particularly the world of B2B sales. If you sell B2B products or services, it’s important to understand the changes caused by COVID-19 and how your sales team can adapt. In this blog, we’ll take a look at a few of the top post-pandemic changes that have affected both buyers and sellers.

1. Buyers And Sellers Both Prefer Digital Channels Over In-Person Interaction

According to studies by McKinsey, both buyers and sellers now prefer digital channels over in-person interactions. In the past, it was common to make B2B sales in person with a combination of meetings, on-site visits, factory tours, and other such face-to-face interactions.

But now, digital channels are much more popular. According to McKinsey, 70% to 80% of surveyed B2B decision-makers said they “prefer” remote human interactions and digital self-service, and only about 20% of them say they “hope to return” to in-person sales.

Obviously, this shift was necessitated by the impracticality of meeting in person at the height of COVID-19 pandemic. But now, years later, it seems that this change is here to stay. And that’s a good thing for B2B prospecting! 

Compared to setting up in-person meetings, it’s often much easier to get stakeholders and decision-makers to meet remotely. That is, if you can get in touch with them. Which leads us to our next point!

2. It’s Harder To Get In Touch With Decision-Makers By Phone…

The shift toward remote work during COVID-19 has left many office buildings empty. Throughout the U.S., only about 50% of office space is occupied. According to another McKinsey study, office attendance has now stabilized to about 30% less compared to pre-pandemic levels.

This shift to remote work means that it can be harder to reach decision-makers by phone. Many workers have shifted to “softphones” and apps like Zoom or Microsoft Teams – and are no longer easily accessible through traditional office phones. This means that if you rely on cold calls, you may have a harder time getting through to B2B buyers. But that may not be a bad thing!

3. …But Customers Prefer Video Calls Over Phone Calls, Anyway

Even though it’s harder to reach some decision-makers by phone, this may not necessarily be a bad thing. More people than ever prefer to interact with potential B2B vendors through video chat over the phone. According to McKinsey, 76% of B2B decision-makers prefer video conferencing through Zoom, WebEx, Teams, and other platforms compared to phone calls.

So what does this mean for B2B prospecting? It means that it may be better to reach out to customers via email, SMS, or even other channels like social media – and then set up a video call where you can sell your products more effectively.

Related to this point, we also recommend focusing on inbound marketing alongside traditional B2B prospecting. If your website brings in customers via blog posts, demos, or freebies like eBooks, you can collect their contact information and use it to set up a video meeting.

4. Self-Service Online Sales Are Becoming More Popular, Too

COVID-19 led to a rapid spike in eCommerce growth with a 20% bump in 2020 and a steady 8% YOY growth since the early days of the pandemic. And B2B companies weren’t left out of this. 

Today’s B2B decision-makers are more comfortable than ever about purchasing products and services directly from vendors online. Here are some eye-catching stats on how much decision-makers are willing to spend online, again from McKinsey:

• 70% of customers would spend up to $50K

• 32% of customers would spend $50K to $500K

• 12% of customers would spend $500K to $1M

• 15% of customers would spend over $1M

If you have an intuitive, effective, and easy-to-use website, this can be a big boost to your B2B prospecting efforts – and lead to big sales. However, the human element is still important, which leads us to our next point.

5. Live Chat Captures “Hand-Raisers” And Helps Sell Your Products

Online chat interactions have grown by 23% since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to McKinsey. And live chat is an absolutely fantastic tool for B2B prospecting. Why? Because if someone is visiting your website, they’ve established themselves as a “hand-raiser” – someone who is truly interested in your products and services, and who is likely to turn from a prospect into a qualified lead.

By offering real-time live chat to these “hand-raisers,” your sales team can connect with them quickly, gather their contact info, answer questions about your products and services, run demos, make product recommendations, and so much more.

Need Help With B2B Prospecting? We’re Here For You!

COVID-19 changed how businesses sell, and its effects are sure to influence the B2B sales marketplace for years to come. Need help navigating this new era? No matter the size of your business or what you sell, Incept Grows is on your side. 

We offer B2B prospecting services, appointment setting, custom list creation, and everything else you need to keep your business growing. Interested? Contact us online or give us a call at 330-994-1349 to speak to one of our team members and set up a consultation.

Do People Still Pick Up The Phone? What You Should Know About Phone-Based Marketing

If you’ve got more than a few years of sales experience under your belt, you may have noticed that it’s harder and harder to get through to a real person when you’re making a sales call. Many people send calls right to voicemail, or completely ignore them without a second thought.

It’s definitely still possible to reach potential prospects by phone. But it’s important to understand why pickup rates are dropping, how you can maximize your success rates, and the other channels you can use to augment a phone-based marketing strategy. In this blog, we’ll discuss all of this and more!

Why Don’t People Pick Up The Phone As Often? Understanding This Trend

So, we know that it’s harder to get through to potential prospects on the phone these days. But what’s behind this trend? It’s impossible to list all of the factors, but here are a few that we think are the most impactful:

• Spam calls just keep growing – According to a 2023 study from Truecaller, the average American receives up to six spam calls per month, adding up to more than 25.2 billion calls per year. Standing out from a field of unwanted spam calls can be tough, particularly if you’re cold-calling.

• People are way less likely to answer calls from unrecognized numbers – Along with the above point, most people are likely to ignore calls from numbers they don’t recognize. According to one survey done by TNS, 75% of Americans will “never” answer phone calls from unrecognized numbers. If your customer doesn't already have your number, they may never pick up at all!

• Some phone numbers can get automatically filtered – Because of the rise of spam, some mobile carriers have introduced tools like T-Mobile’s “Scam Shield.” These features automatically block reported spam numbers – so if your calls are regularly reported as spam, you could get blacklisted without even knowing it.

• Millennials and Gen Z prefer to avoid phone calls – Millennials already make up the majority of the workforce. And their younger counterparts, Gen Z, will soon overtake baby boomers in the workforce, too. According to a study by Sky Mobile, 75% of Millennials prefer to avoid phone calls, and 26% of Gen Z “actively ignore” phone calls. This means that today’s workforce is less likely than ever to answer business calls.

6 Tips For Successful Sales Calls – How To Increase Your Answer Rates

Phone-based outreach may be more difficult in today’s business environment. But that’s a double-edged sword! Since it’s harder, fewer companies are using it as part of their prospecting plans – and a well-developed phone strategy can help you stand apart from the pack.

But what can you do to maximize your chances of business results? Here are a few tips that can help you cut through the noise and get more people to pick up the phone.

• Look into branded caller ID – First, we highly recommend asking your phone provider about branded caller ID. With this feature, you can display the name of your business and even your logo to a prospective customer.
  Your call won’t simply show up as an “unknown number,” which will make it harder to ignore! According to the TNS survey referenced in the beginning of this blog, 78% of survey respondents are “more willing” to pick up the phone if the caller ID shows a brand name and/or logo.

• Find qualified, interested prospects – Weeding out low-quality prospects is a good way to avoid wasting time on unanswered or unproductive calls. Who is more likely to answer your call – someone who entered their phone number into a form on your website, or someone whose number you found in a third-party prospecting list? Focusing on “hand-raisers” who have already shown interest in what you have to offer is sure to boost your success rate.

• Go for quality over quantity – If you make hundreds of calls per day, your number is much more likely to be marked as spam, compared to if you made just a few dozen calls per day. So again, it’s best to focus on chasing high-quality prospects than it is to call hundreds of people who may not even be interested in your B2B products or services.

• Avoid bad calling habits – Along with high call volume, other things can cause you to get flagged by phone companies – and annoy potential prospects, too! You should avoid double and triple dialing, hanging up immediately, calling after business hours, or making a lot of very short-duration calls. 

• Call at the right time of day – According to Phoneburner, the best time of day for a cold call is between 10 AM and 11 AM. Most people are in the office, aren’t on their way out for lunch, and are the most likely to pick up the phone.

• Leave a voicemail – You may think that voicemail is dead. But that’s not the case! In fact, this is a great way to connect with a potential prospect, even if they don’t answer your call. 67% of Americans will check a voicemail from an unknown number. So leave a brief message with information about yourself, what you have to offer, and how a prospect can get in touch with you.

• Develop a multi-channel prospecting approach – If someone doesn’t answer their phone, don’t just call again. Send a text, shoot them an email, or see if you can connect on social media! Using a multi-channel prospecting approach is the best way to maximize your chance of engaging with a prospect – even if they're not picking up the phone!

Improve Your Call Success Rate With Our B2B Prospecting Services

At Incept Grows, we’re specialists in multi-channel B2B prospecting. With our services, we can find the best prospects in your industry, pass them on to you, and streamline the sales process. Cut out the busywork, forget pre-made prospecting lists, and turn to the experts. 
When we’re on your side, you can focus on what you do best – selling your products and services and growing your business. Want more info? Give us a call at 330-994-1349 or schedule a consultation with our team online.

5 Reasons Why You Should Be Using A B2B Prospecting Company

B2B sales aren’t always easy. It takes time, effort, and quite a bit of cash to build up a list of prospects – and to move them down the sales funnel until they convert and become paying customers.

So if you’re looking to streamline your operations and do more with less, you may want to consider partnering with a B2B prospecting company. Why? There are lots of reasons, but in this article, we’ll take a look at the top 5 benefits of outsourced B2B prospecting.

1. Avoid Wasting Time And Money On Pre-Made B2B Prospecting Lists

If you need to find new prospects fast, you may be tempted to buy an “off-the-shelf” prospecting list. There are plenty of companies that sell lists of emails, names, phone numbers, and other contact info. But guess what? These lists are almost always junk.

Pre-made lists often lack the elements that make up a good B2B prospecting list.(link the previous blog post) They're not targeted specifically to your industry, may have outdated info, and may not include high-value “decision-maker” prospects like managers and executives.

Simply put, using a pre-made B2B prospecting list is a waste of time and money. On the other hand, working with a B2B prospecting company means that you can get a truly customized, high-quality prospect list – and get better results.

2. Target The Right Customers Every Time

A B2B prospecting company can use tools like an ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) and buyer personas to make sure that they target only the right customers for your business – people who work in your target industry, have problems that can be solved by your products and services, and who will have a genuine interest in what you have to offer.

Not only that, but a B2B prospecting company can often help you get past “gatekeepers” and reach decision-makers. For example, your B2B prospecting can handle the process of calling receptionists and offices and obtaining the contact info of higher-up executives and managers.

3. Spend Less Time Prospecting, More Time Selling (And Closing)

Your sales department isn’t called a “prospecting department.” If you’re in sales, your job is to sell your products and services – to close deals and keep your company growing. Chances are, you’re not a big fan of poring over company directories, browsing LinkedIn pages, and trawling through other web pages for contact information.

That’s exactly what a B2B prospecting company can do for you. Incept Grows can take these tasks off of your team’s hands and provide them with all of the contact info they need to make real connections with prospects. Your sales team can spend more time… selling!

4. Outsource Appointment Setting And Follow-Ups

B2B prospecting companies can even offer outsourced appointment setting and follow-up services. Again, this is another administrative task that you can outsource to streamline your sales process. 

You and your sales team won’t have to spend hours sending Google Calendar invites and following up with prospects. Instead, you can spend more time studying each prospect’s role, industry, company, and other info. This extra prep time can be very valuable when winning over potential customers.

5. Get Detailed Information About Each Prospect

Speaking of prep, B2B prospecting services are very effective at finding detailed information about potential prospects. Unlike your in-house sales team, B2B prospecting companies typically have access to large data platforms with information about prospects that may not be publicly available.
This means that you can get access to valuable information that can set you apart from your competitors – all without paying a high price for a data platform. You’ll get full access to the information you need to turn prospects into leads, and to turn leads into paying customers.

Ready To Get Started? Learn More About B2B Prospecting Services From Incept Grows

From B2B prospecting to list building and appointment setting, we do it all at Incept Grows. We work hand-in-glove with your sales team to design a personalized strategy that’s tailored to your industry, goals, and brand messaging. Want to learn more? Book a free consultation with us online, or feel free to give our team a call at 330-994-1349 for more info.

What Makes A Good B2B Prospecting List? 5 Elements Of A Winning List

No matter the size of your sales department, what you have to sell, or what industries you serve, building a great B2B prospecting list is absolutely critical to your success. With the right prospecting list, you can save time by avoiding low-quality leads, connect with decision-makers more quickly, and sell your products or services more effectively. But what sets a great B2B prospecting list apart from a low-quality list? In this blog we’ll get into the details.

1. Aligns With Your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) And Buyer Personas

First, your B2B prospecting list should align with your Ideal Customer Profile, or ICP. As the name implies, ICPs are businesses that are the most likely to be interested in – and to benefit from – the products or services you sell. An ICP is usually based on metrics such as: 

• Industry

• Yearly revenue

• Budget

• Number of employees

• Size of customer base/market share

• Geographic location

While ICPs describe an entire company, buyer personas are more granular. They are used to identify a specific person who may be interested in your product or services. Buyer personas usually include demographic and professional information such as:

• Age

• Gender

• Income

• Job title/level of seniority

• Time spent at a company

• Professional goals

• Pain points

Together, ICPs and buyer personas help you make sure you reach the right companies and the right individuals. If you exclusively sell car parts in Nebraska, why would you bother sending an email or cold-calling the owner of a motorcycle dealership in Pennsylvania?

By making sure that your B2B prospecting list aligns with both your ICP and buyer personas, you can dramatically increase response rates and boost your chances of a sale. Not only that, but your sales team will spend less time chasing down unqualified leads.

2. Focuses On Hand-Raisers Who Are Actually Interested In Your Company

“Hand-raisers” are prospects who have indicated that they're interested in your company and what it has to offer. Maybe they’ve interacted with you on social media, come across one of your blog posts, or signed up for your email newsletter. Hand-raisers should always be a top priority when building a prospecting list.

Why? Because they have already shown interest in what you have to offer. Unlike interacting with a prospect through a cold call or a cold email, these people have shown an interest in your products or services. If you can identify people who are experiencing the pain point that your company can solve, you’ll dramatically increase your success rate.

3. Includes Up-To-Date Info With Multiple Contact Methods

This may be a bit obvious, but it’s important to note. Among the many other issues with buying a B2B prospect list from a third-party seller, one of the biggest problems is that it may be outdated. Phone numbers change. Employees leave. Offices move.

When you buy a B2B prospect list, you may have no idea whether or not the information is accurate. You and your sales team will waste time calling disconnected lines, emailing nonexistent inboxes, and crafting sales messages to abandoned LinkedIn profiles.

That’s why it’s important to build your own list, or to work with a company like Incept Grows. With up-to-date info and multiple contact methods, you can maximize your chances of reaching a potential prospect.

4. Targets Decision-Makers Who Have The Power To Take Action

Whenever possible, your B2B prospecting list should target decision-makers at each organization or company. These are the people who have power to make buying decisions – administrators, executives, managers, and so on. The specifics may vary a bit depending on your line of work.

Targeting these people directly helps you reduce the time you spend speaking with junior-level employees and administrative workers who do not have the power to make a buying decision.. Of course, it may not always be possible to reach a decision-maker directly, but that should always be your goal!

5. Includes Background Information To Help You Connect With Prospects

Beyond things like their title and workplace, it also helps to add a little more info to your B2B prospecting list that helps you make a better connection – particularly if you’re cold calling or cold emailing a prospect.

For example, if you find information about their alma mater on LinkedIn or find out that you have a mutual connection, this is a great icebreaker that you can use to start a deeper conversation. This may seem like a small thing, but it can really help you win over difficult prospects in the long term.

Don’t Just Buy A B2B Prospecting List – Get The Best ROI With Incept Grows

The best B2B prospecting lists aren’t just bought. They're created by pros like the team at Incept Grows. If you’re looking to expand your reach and need a prospecting list, you shouldn’t settle for an “off-the-shelf” list. We offer custom list creation services for a variety of different industries.

With our help, you can focus on making sales and connecting with potential customers – while we focus on creating a list of high-quality, qualified, and interested prospects. Interested in learning more? Schedule a consultation with our growth team online, or feel free to give us a call at 330-994-1349 to connect. 

Potential Challenges and Solutions to Outsourcing Lead Generation

Outsourcing lead generation can be a strategic move to focus on core business functions while still driving growth through a steady influx of qualified leads. However, while outsourcing lead generation offers several advantages, it also comes with its fair share of challenges and considerations. We have listed 10 points of concern that should be considered when discussing about outsourcing lead generation: 

1. Quality of Leads: 

   • Issue: The outsourced provider may not fully understand your target audience or deliver leads that don't meet your criteria. 

   • Mitigation: Clearly communicate your ideal customer profile and regularly review and refine lead quality criteria. 

     Related Post: MQL V. SQL: HOW BUSINESSES SHOULD DEFINE B2B LEADS

2. Data Security and Privacy: 

   • Issue: Sharing sensitive customer data with an external party can pose security and privacy risks.

   • Mitigation: Implement stringent data security protocols, conduct due diligence on the outsourcing partner's security measures, and use secure communication channels. 

3. Communication and Alignment: 

   • Issue: Lack of alignment between your brand messaging and the outsourced team's understanding may lead to inconsistent communication with potential leads. 

   • Mitigation: Provide detailed brand guidelines, conduct regular training sessions, and maintain open lines of communication to ensure a unified message. 

4. Hidden Costs: 

   • Issue: The initial outsourcing agreement may not cover all potential costs, leading to unexpected expenses. 

   • Mitigation: Clearly define the scope of work and discuss potential additional costs upfront. Regularly review the agreement to address any changes. 

5. Dependence on a Single Provider: 

   • Issue: Relying solely on one outsourcing partner can be risky in case of service interruptions or unforeseen issues. 

   • Mitigation: Diversify lead generation strategies and, if possible, work with multiple outsourcing providers to mitigate the risk of dependency. 

6. Cultural and Language Differences: 

   • Issue: If the outsourcing team is located in a different region, cultural and language differences may impact the effectiveness of lead generation efforts. 

   • Mitigation: Choose outsourcing partners with a strong understanding of your target market and a proficient command of the language used in your campaigns. 

7. Lack of Control: 

   • Issue: Outsourcing means relinquishing some control over the lead generation process, and this may result in a perceived loss of oversight. 

   • Mitigation: Establish clear communication channels, set expectations, and regularly review performance metrics to maintain a sense of control and accountability. 

8. Turnover and Training: 

   • Issue: High turnover rates in the outsourced team can lead to disruptions and require frequent training of new personnel. 

   • Mitigation: Select outsourcing partners with a stable workforce, and ensure comprehensive documentation and training materials are provided for seamless transitions. 

9. Regulatory Compliance: 

   • Issue: Different regions may have varying regulations concerning lead generation, and ensuring compliance becomes challenging. 

   • Mitigation: Stay informed about relevant regulations in the target markets, and work with outsourcing partners who prioritize compliance. 

10. Measuring ROI: 

    • Issue: It can be challenging to accurately measure the return on investment (ROI) from outsourced lead generation efforts. 

    • Mitigation: Establish clear performance metrics and reporting mechanisms. Regularly assess the effectiveness of the outsourcing partnership against your business objectives. 

Overall, success in outsourcing relies on thorough research, clear expectations, and ensuring continuous alignment with business objectives. With the right approach, outsourcing can be a powerful tool for driving business growth and success.