Whatever your marketing strategy, data is always critical. This goes not just from the very data found within your sales leads but also in the data you needed in order to qualify those leads. And no matter what kind of data you've gotten hold of, never forget the responsibility you have over it.
When it comes to financial services, the information you need for financial sales leads is often highly-guarded. The burden of your responsibility over it is heavy but not heavy in the sense that it should impede your entire sales process. Instead, this weight calls you to understand the sensitive nature of that information. Consider the following questions and see if you're living up to that responsibility:“What kind of information must I start with?”
Today, the number of communication tools used in business has expanded. This is not only because of the new forms of getting in touch but also because many still retain traditional forms of communication despite that. This in turn, increases the amount of contact information you can use. But be warned, one form of contact data can be considered far more personal than the other. For example, between telemarketing and email, prospects could be more protective of either their phone number or email address. Your marketers must have the expertise to discern which one to contact with.
“How should I gather more information?”
Financial management can be a touchy subject for a lot of business owners. If you're aware of this, then you're definitely aware of the trust you first must establish before going any further with a prospect. They won't always entertain your questions even if you ask politely. Avoid being pushy or pesky and time your messages properly. Ideally, it's best to contact them first and give them plenty of time to think about your offer before following-up. You must be patient both in waiting for their response and searching for other contacts.
“Who else gets access to this information?”
You can boast a strong partnership between marketing and sales or even your company and an outsourced marketer. That serves no point if your customers and prospects don't trust the way you both handle their data. Since you know the value of both parties collaborating, then you should know that collaboration includes outlining the responsibilities you have between yourselves regarding your B2B sales leads. If both are in your organization, then you need to make sure that your database is secured, regardless of who has more responsibility over it. If one or the other is outsourced, strictly specify the kind of information you're sharing with them and listen when they specify the limits of what they can legally gather.
Finally, one more way to understand the weight of this responsibility is to simply see things from the customer's eyes. Don't you yourself guard the financial information of your clients as well as your own business? Aren't you also hesitant to share information that could lead to a breach? If your industry expects responsibility when sharing information, then that responsibility should extend to everyone including marketing and sales.
