How To Keep Your B2B Pipeline Bubbling Away

In the dynamic world of B2B sales, the B2B pipeline is the lifeline of your business. You can’t rush sales though. Following up allows your pipeline to remain active and vibrant. This is an art that requires continuous effort and attention. It’s a balancing act that necessitates an ongoing cultivation of existing relationships while actively seeking new opportunities.

A lethargic pipeline can cause your B2B sales to stutter and falter. What’s more, this can take time to reignite. By following the strategies outlined below, you can ensure that your B2B pipeline stays warm and active, ready to convert prospects into deals at any time.

Employ Multi-channel Communication Techniques

Harnessing the power of digital technology is fundamental to keeping your B2B pipeline active. By integrating multi-channel communication methods, you can interact with your potential clients across their preferred platforms – be it through emails, calls, LinkedIn or industry-specific events.

This heightened level of accessibility not only increases your chances of maintaining their interest but also promotes a more personalised engagement.

However, meaningful communication is a two-way street. It’s not only about broadcasting your message, but also being attentive to any interaction initiated by a prospect. Avoid letting responses to queries or comments fall by the wayside. An unresponsive approach can risk cooling the interest of a prospect and consequently dampen the activity in your pipeline.

Leverage Data-Driven Insights on your B2B pipeline

There’s a lot of insight that can be gained by utilising data in your B2B pipeline. You need to get used to the different moving parts to understand precisely what data can mean for your business though. When you get a good eye from data analytics, you can shape your interaction with prospects, allowing you to mould your communication based on their behaviour and preferences. Here’s some key things you should look for:

1. Tagging who responds to your LinkedIn or Email contact (even if it’s a no thank you)
2. Having a threshold to count opens and clicks e.g. 5 clicks in the last 30 days
3. Tagging whether they read your content, like your posts or sign up to your free talks
4. Tracking revisits to your site, which pages and for how long

How do you do this? Most platforms like Sales Navigator, Email Platforms or Google Analytics actually offer thresholds or scores which provide their opinion on warmth of leads. Metrics can offer a reliable estimation of your prospective sales, equipping you to plan and strategise more effectively.

However, remember that data is only as valuable as your ability to interpret and apply it. Using it wisely can help keep your B2B pipeline active and potentially yield lucrative outcomes.

Practice Consistent Follow-ups

The importance of regular touchpoints in preserving the vitality of your B2B pipeline cannot be overstated. However, it’s not just about ticking the follow-up box but ensuring each interaction is meaningful and enriching for the prospect. From offering invaluable insights to resolving any issues they might be facing, each interaction should amplify their value perception of your offering.

Navigating the tightrope between persistence and annoyance is crucial. Ensure your follow-ups are courteous and constructive rather than invasive or overwhelming. The approach should be one of offering assistance and creating rapport rather than pushing for a sale. Remember, the aim is to cultivate a warm, trusting relationship that can eventually be leveraged into a successful sales conversion.

Additionally, rather than relying on automated responses, consider the benefits of personal engagement. Manual follow-ups can demonstrate your genuine interest in your prospects and their needs, positioning you not just as a vendor but as a trusted partner. Ultimately, consistent, meaningful follow-ups can be a powerful tool to keep your B2B pipeline healthy and active.

Try Manually Following Up Instead Of Automating

While automating certain processes can indeed streamline operations, a one-size-fits-all approach might not serve your B2B pipeline well. In particular, once you reach a certain level of relationship with a prospect, automated follow-ups can sometimes feel impersonal and actually go against you.

Instead, consider the merits of a more personal approach. Handcrafted, tailored follow-ups can demonstrate your genuine investment in each prospect, heightening their sense of value. This fosters a more authentic, trusted partnership, significantly increasing the chances of your prospects advancing through the pipeline.

Homework for you: Take all of your previous lost quotes and send them a manual, personalised message via email or LinkedIn. You’ll be surprised on the results!

n.b. It’s worth reiterating this because when we said manual, you might have heard (manually copy and paste). We didn’t mean that. We meant that you actually write out a unique, relevant message to each of your lost quotes. Give it a go with 50 of your lost quotes.

Remember, your prospects are individuals, not mere revenue streams, and treating them as such can make all the difference in maintaining a healthy, active B2B pipeline.