Try this foolproof, underrated strategy with crazy high ROI

TL;DR there's a simple, dead cheap way to reactivate 'failed' deals from the past. I deployed this with two clients and it got them crazy results.

Hi again, it's me

I noticed a pattern in all of the clients I've EVER worked wit, validated it with fellow entrepreneurs around me and in a recent project I delivered. No, two recent projects. Both were absurdly successful. I want you to do the exact same thing in your business.

In this newsletter:

• Why 'failed' pipelines aren't actually failed

• How to reactivate in the simplest and cheapest of ways

• The exact framework that turned cold leads into hot prospects

This week's truth bomb

Most founders are focused on generating new leads. It's just more sexy to think about funnels, conversion and traffic - but it's also amplified by the gazillion playbooks and strategies you can find on social channels.

During recent Wisdom Workshops I keep uncovering the blind spot in sales opportunity: the 'failed' sales pipeline.

What the h3ll is happening in your CRM?

One of the founders that I spoke with had a full-force lead gen strategy. They had a strong and heavy focus on Sales Nav, targeting leads by job title and company size, crunching data.

I like that. It's brazing. If you master Sales Navigator and use it to target the right audience in the right way, it's a GOLDmine.

But the issue was that the same company had an issue with lead quality and the length of their sales cycle. People they spoke to were either not the decision-maker OR not ready to jump the wagon.

Of course, failed deals are a disappointment. Deal with them, then move on. Because failed deals are actually a huge opportunity too. 
 

When I dug deeper, this is what I found:

• More than 60% of failed deals never got proper follow-up

• Around 30% weren't ready then (but might be now)

• Roughly 10% had budget issues (that may have changed)

Think about it: market conditions change, budgets shift, and problems evolve. Yesterday's 'no' might be today's yes.

How to prep your 'failed' sales pipeline

If you'd want to look at your 'failed' sales pipeline, here's what I would do:

• Analyze your sales conversations. Look for the exact words that your buyer used to describe the situation right before they started to look for a solution. This is how you find sales and marketing messaging that resonates with your audience.

• Map these to your ideal client: how was their job, their role, their impact affected by that situation This is how you find your audience's motives, pain points and the urgency to say yes.

• Link that back to your services: what is the hidden benefit of the features and specific approach you bring? This is how you find your product/market fit: WHY your solution is THE solution.

In simple words. You have to HOVER over your current approach, put the spotlight on the right elements and connect the dots. Hit that brake. Look for depth. 
 

If you have no one in-house who can help you with this: HIRE SOMEONE WHO CAN before spending thousands on marketing or sales tactics that build on blind spots.

(Spoiler alert: it's costly)

How to reactivate said pipeline

If you got that first part right, I suggest you follow these steps to reactivate the people who previously said no to you OR ghosted you OR are just gathering dust on your mailing list:

• Pull up your CRM and your subscriber list or any other source

• Filter for leads from the past 24 months

• Do a quick browse on LinkedIN, their website

• Sort by probability, urgency, or deal size

• Check their last touchpoint - was it email? a phone call? a demo?

• Find their current office address

• Send them a highly targeted letter with a goodie, in a box. MAKE IT FUN. Make it stand out.

• Follow up in a few days

My clients had raving success with this. One of them got 2 high-ticket clients with an order value of 60k per lead from one campaign that cost him less than a 1000 euros. Another got 8 good quality leads before even launching her campaign (she dropped a few mysterious lines in her newsletter and BOOM - leads).

From my trenches

Getting marketing and sales right is SO rewarding. Because filling up pipeline fixes most of the issues that keep your business stuck. Even a capacity issue can be fixed with good messaging: the better you are at explaining your value, the easier it is to attract the right people.
 

In my own business, I'm continuously analyzing the effectiveness of my sales, my marketing, my lead quality, my hidden opportunity too.
 

What I've noticed is patterns. When I hover over my business I can see patterns. Patterns I can influence by pivoting.

From issues with my offer (which i fixed by looking at patterns) I moved on to an issue with my lead quality (which i fixed by looking at the patterns). Then my challenge was in sales (which I am fixing by looking at the patterns). 

I love issues with sales. They are the easiest to fix. You have traction. You have the language. Sales problems are a good thing to have :) You get better at sales with every 'failed' sales conversation. 

That's why the strategy that you read in this newsletter has such phenomenal ROI. 

This week's final words

Don't skip the sales pipeline. Make sure to market to those that you know needed you in the past - and connect with them again. 

If you're ready to work with me

Here's how I can help you:

• Wisdom Workshop: let me tailgate your terror. I'll show you exactly what the issue is in your current marketing and sales. Deep insights and recommendations included. 

• FeedbackFuel: Get the exact messaging framework, fully developed persona and content strategy that resonates with your target audience. 

Curious if this could work for you? Let's chat!

Take care of yourselves!

-Desirée