One of the most common obstacles agencies face when implementing free marketing assessments is spending a ton of time creating the report just to lose the deal.
To avoid leads leaking from your lead gen funnel, here are three tips to help you turn more free marketing assessments into closed-won deals.
Conduct a Full Debriefing
While a detailed report or dashboard is a solid starting point, it’s wise to conduct a full debriefing of your results to truly gain customer buy-in. As you deliver a marketing audit, schedule a call to discuss your findings, suggested action items, and your agency’s pricing.
Here are some things you can do to increase the odds of this debrief going well and your agency landing a new client.
- Prepare a detailed agenda. Outline the main topics you’ll cover during the call.
- Gather all relevant data. Ensure you have all the data, reports, and dashboards ready and accessible during the call. This will allow you to reference specific findings and answer any questions the prospect might have.
- Practice your presentation. Go over your findings and suggested action items beforehand so you can present the information concisely and confidently. For instance, you might want to start with a summary.
- Be transparent about your pricing. Provide a clear breakdown of your agency’s pricing models.
- Ask for feedback. Allocate time at the end of the debriefing for the prospect to ask questions and get feedback. This can not only help you address potential objections, but it will also make the prospect feel like they are bought in.
- Suggest next steps. This is sales 101. However, by the end of the debrief, you should have some next steps or action items already lined up. This will keep your conversation moving and help keep a deal from stalling out.
- Follow up with a summary email. After the call, send a recap email highlighting the main points discussed, along with the next steps.
Address Objections in your Summary Email
It’s unlikely that a lead will convert as soon as a marketing audit is delivered, especially if you are selling to a midmarket or enterprise company with multiple decision-makers.
That’s why it can be helpful to use your follow-up “summary” email to not only highlight key points from the audit but also address the most common objections, like:
- Budget concerns
- “I can do this myself and don’t need an agency” mentality
- Skeptical about your findings/recommendations
- Bad past experiences working with agencies
- Concerned about lack of trust and transparency
- Overwhelm
- Concerns about your agency’s expertise
By addressing these concerns head-on, this can help build trust and confidence in your agency’s expertise, results, and work ethic.
Circle Back with Previous Results or Case Studies
Finally, to encourage leads to become new clients after you deliver a marketing audit, remember to also provide previous marketing results, case studies, or testimonials from your other clients. Providing social proof can often be the deciding factor for organizations seeking a new marketing agency.
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The way your agency follows up after a free marketing audit is as important as the assessment itself. That’s because it’s the bridge between identifying opportunities and forging a successful partnership.
While a free marketing audit offers valuable insights, it’s the subsequent steps—clear communication, showcasing past successes, and addressing concerns—that truly resonate with prospects. By refining your follow-up strategies and understanding your prospects’ perspectives, you can turn more initial assessments into long-lasting client relationships.
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