How to Measure Customer Intent to Generate Qualified Sales Leads w/ Steve de Mamiel [Episode 619]

Steve Mamiel, author of The Mongrel Method: Sales and Marketing for the New Breed of Buyers, joins me on this episode.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Steve says the single biggest challenge facing sales reps today is determining who is responsible for the purchasing decision. Today, it is a group of people who make the decision. What matters to them?
• The Mongrel Method was written to suggest a blend of sales and marketing. Processes have changed. Today’s procurement group is more educated on solutions.
• In the last 10 years, the buyer has turned from using the salesperson to using the internet for their information.
• Outbound calling yields single-digit results in leads and sales. It is demoralizing to the rep. Their efforts are better spent attracting customers with inbound marketing.
• Steve replaces personas with a customer intent model — those who have shown signs of having researched and invested time to show they are ready to take action. Focus on those who have started the buying journey.
• Steve measures intent by looking at resources and time, to see that the customer is invested in getting to a solution. He cites Google’s Beacons and Eddystone to track offline behavior.
• If the customer is not investing resources and time, that’s a red flag that they’re not on the buyer journey. Hand it back to marketing to nurture the customer through the process until they’re ready to buy.
• It’s important that the salesperson understand what role each particular influencer plays in the buying decision and what benefits them in the purchase.
• Ask follow-up questions to each question. The first answer is rarely the whole truth. Other stakeholders may have different factors to consider in the purchase.
• Don’t confuse the buyer(s) with the persona(s). There are always individual concerns that motivate a buyer. Sales reps should not go on autopilot. Always listen to the customer. Don’t try to herd them into following the script.
• What value can you bring to the customer at each meeting? What insight and experience can you deliver? What information of value do you hold for the customer?
• Start with the end in mind and work backward. Help the customer visualize what success looks like. Be clear with the customer what decision you are looking for them to make, and what the benefit is to them.