The Ultimate Guide to Re-engaging Old Leads in Industrial B2B

The Ultimate Guide to Re-engaging Old Leads in B2B Sales

If you are a sales or marketing professional in the B2B industrial world, you know how challenging it can be to generate and nurture leads. The manufacturing industry is complex, competitive and constantly evolving, and your prospects may have long and unpredictable buying cycles.

But what about the leads that you already have in your database? The ones that showed some interest in your products or services, but never converted into customers? Are they still worth pursuing, or should you focus on finding new leads?

The answer is: it depends. Some old leads may have ultimately gone cold and lost interest in your offerings, while others may still be open to hearing from you and learning more about how you can help them solve their pain points. The key is to identify which old leads are worth re-engaging, and how to do it effectively.

In this blog post, we will share some key ways to re-engage old leads in B2B manufacturing, and how IndustrySelect can help support your mission along the way. 

Segment your old leads based on their behavior and preferences

Before you start reaching out to your old leads, you need to segment them based on their behavior and preferences. This will help you tailor your messages and offers to their specific needs and interests and increase your chances of getting a positive response.

Some of the criteria you can use to segment your old leads are:

• The source of the lead (e.g., website, email, social media, trade show, etc.)
• The type of lead (e.g., marketing qualified lead, sales qualified lead, etc.)
• The industry segment and sub-segment of the lead (e.g., automotive, aerospace, food and beverage, etc.)
• The size and location of the lead's company
• The role and decision-making authority of the lead
• The stage of the buying cycle of the lead (e.g., awareness, consideration, decision, etc.)
• The last interaction or activity of the lead (e.g., email opened, website visited, demo requested, etc.)
• The level of engagement and interest of the lead (e.g., high, medium, low, etc.)

You can use a CRM system or a marketing automation tool to segment your old leads based on these criteria. Alternatively, you can use IndustrySelect's advanced search features to find and filter leads by industry, location, size, contact information, sales volume, employee count, and more. You can then export these leads to your CRM of choice. 

Update your old leads' information and preferences

Another important step before re-engaging your old leads is to update their information and preferences. This will ensure that you have accurate and relevant data to communicate with them effectively.

Some of the information and preferences that you may need to update are:

• The contact details of the lead (e.g., name, email address, phone number, etc.)
• The company details of the lead (e.g., name, address, website URL, etc.)
• The product or service interest of the lead (e.g., what they are looking for, what problems they are trying to solve, etc.)
• The communication preferences of the lead (e.g., how often they want to hear from you, what channels they prefer to use, what topics they want to learn about, etc.)

You can update your old leads' information and preferences by:

• Asking them directly via email or phone
• Sending them a survey or a feedback form
• Tracking their online behavior and actions
• Using IndustrySelect's verified and updated database of 460,000+ U.S. industrial companies.

Re-establish trust and rapport with your old leads

One of the main reasons why some old leads go cold is because they lose trust and rapport with you. They may feel that you are not providing enough value or relevance to them, or that you are not listening to their needs or concerns.

To re-establish trust and rapport with your old leads, you need to:

• Remind them who you are and why you are contacting them
• Acknowledge their current situation and challenges
• Provide value-added content and resources that address their pain points
• Show empathy and understanding for their goals and aspirations
• Ask for their feedback and opinions on your offerings
• Respect their time and communication preferences

By doing these things, you will show your old leads that you care about them and that you are not just trying to sell them something. You will also build credibility and authority as a trusted advisor in their industry.

Offer incentives and urgency to your old leads

Another way to re-engage your old leads is to offer them incentives and urgency to take action. This will motivate them to move forward in the buying cycle and overcome any objections or barriers that may be holding them back.

Some of the incentives and urgency that you can offer your old leads are:

• Discounts or free trials on your products or services
• Limited-time offers or deadlines on your promotions
• Exclusive access or invitations to your events or webinars
• Testimonials or case studies from your satisfied customers
• Guarantees or warranties on your products or services
• Comparisons or benchmarks with your competitors

When offering incentives and urgency to your old leads, make sure that you:

• Align them with their needs and interests
• Highlight the benefits and outcomes of your offerings
• Create a sense of scarcity and fear of missing out
• Provide clear and compelling calls to action
• Follow up and remind them of your offers

Use multiple channels and formats to re-engage your old leads

Another best practice for re-engaging your old leads is to use multiple channels and formats to communicate with them. This will increase your reach and visibility and cater to their different preferences and learning styles.

Some of the channels and formats that you can use to re-engage your old leads are:

• Email marketing campaigns
• Social media posts and ads
• Blog posts and articles
• E-books and white papers
• Infographics and videos
• Podcasts and webinars
• Phone calls and voicemails
• Text messages and chatbots

When using multiple channels and formats to re-engage your old leads, make sure that you:

• Coordinate and integrate your messages and offers across different platforms
• Personalize and customize your content and delivery to each segment and persona
• Test and optimize your performance and results on each channel and format
• Use IndustrySelect's comprehensive contact information and export options to reach your prospects via email, phone, or direct mail.

Leverage referrals and social to re-engage your old leads

Another effective strategy for re-engaging your old leads is to leverage referrals and social from your existing customers or partners. This will boost your credibility and reputation and influence your prospects' decision-making process.

Some of the ways that you can leverage referrals and social channels to re-engage your old leads are:

• Ask your satisfied customers or partners to refer you to their network or peers
• Feature your customer success stories or case studies on your website or blog
• Share your customer reviews or testimonials on your social media or email
• Display your customer logos or badges on your landing pages or ads
• Showcase your industry awards or certifications on your website or blog
• Join or create online communities or groups related to your industry or niche

When leveraging referrals and social networks to re-engage your old leads, make sure that you:

• Target the right audience and industry for your referrals and social proof Highlight the specific results or benefits that your customers or partners achieved with you
• Encourage your customers or partners to share their honest feedback and opinions about you
• Reward or thank your customers or partners for their referrals or endorsements
• Use IndustrySelect's detailed company profiles to access social links and connect directly with your prospects. 

When leveraging social channels to re-engage old leads, also keep in mind not all platforms are equally effective for different generations and sectors.

Older generations prefer Facebook, while millennials might reply via direct messages on Twitter. According to a Pew Research Center survey, Facebook is the most popular social media platform among adults aged 50 and older, with 68% of them using it.

On the other hand, millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996) are more likely to use Twitter, with 40% of them saying they use it. Moreover, millennials tend to prefer direct messages over public posts, as they value privacy and personalization more than older generations. LinkedIn is especially popular among small businesses and SMEs, who use it to showcase their expertise, network with potential partners and clients, and generate leads.

Nurture and follow up

The final step for re-engaging your old leads is to nurture and follow up with them until they are ready to buy. This will keep you top of mind, build trust and rapport, and move them closer to the sale.

Some of the tips for nurturing and following up with your old leads are:

• Plan and schedule your communication frequency and timing based on their behavior and preferences
• Provide value-added content and resources that educate, inform, entertain, or inspire them
• Address their questions, objections, or concerns with relevant information or solutions
• Monitor their engagement and interest levels with analytics or feedback tools
• Identify their buying signals or triggers with lead scoring or qualification methods
• Ask for the sale when they are ready, willing, and able

When nurturing and following up with your old leads, make sure that you:

• Don't spam them with too many messages or offers
• Don't pressure them with aggressive sales tactics or pitches
• Don't ignore them if they don't respond or engage with you
• Don't give up on them if they are not ready to buy yet
• Use IndustrySelect's CRM integration features to sync, track, and manage your lead nurturing activities

Conclusion

Re-engaging old leads in B2B is no doubt a challenging task--but it can be rewarding as well! By following these key strategies, you can revive the interest of your prospects, provide value to them, and convert them into customers.

However, re-engaging old leads is not enough. You also need to find new leads that match your ideal customer profile, target market, and value proposition. That's where IndustrySelect can help.

IndustrySelect is the ultimate B2B sales intelligence tool for finding and connecting with U.S. manufacturers. With IndustrySelect, you can access verified and updated data on 460,000 U.S. industrial companies and one million executive contacts, 40+ data points per company, 30+ search filters, CRM integration features, email marketing tools, sales training resources, industry news alerts, technical support and more. See for yourself how IndustrySelect can drive real results for your business by setting up a no-obligation demo account, loaded with 800 free company profiles.