2 min read
When it comes to tracking leads and opportunities, we’ve noticed a trend among the advisors we serve.
One group is using multiple tools to track their leads and opportunities. But these systems are often disconnected. You have to log into one to find a lead’s contact information, another to record an opportunity and yet another to track your activity.
The other group finds this process so frustrating, they don’t track leads at all.
Either way, leads are falling through the cracks. Opportunities are missed. And advisors are wasting precious time trying to piece together information recorded on the backs of notebooks, in cobbled-together Excel sheets or on Post-it Notes stuck to their computer monitor.
We want to show you a better way.
When you combine the robust data and lead-tracking capabilities of ForceManager 5500 with the networking functionalities of LinkedIn, you’re able to streamline the entire sales and marketing process.
Here’s how to use this powerful combination of tools to build and manage your entire pipeline.
ForceManager 5500 comes pre-populated with robust 5500 data and plan reports from ERISApedia, our exclusive data provider. The reports are updated monthly, ensuring your team has the most up-to-date data publicly available.
These reports include all of the information you need to build your prospecting list, including each sponsor’s 5500 form, operational benchmarking score and the name of the plan administrator. Built-in maps of all the plan sponsors in your state allow you to also find sponsors by ZIP code, region or neighborhood.
Use these powerful features to identify at least 50 leads. We suggest sorting them into three segmented prospecting lists. For example, you could organize leads by ZIP code, industry or total assets — or any combination of factors. Doing this empowers you to hone your messaging to the specific problems each segment may be facing.
From this master list of 50 leads, the next step is to qualify at least 35. Industry experts say this is the magic number when it comes to prospecting.
To streamline the qualification process, it’s time to open up LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is the world’s most popular social networking tool for professionals. It features more than 500 million users, including many (if not all) of the 50 leads you found through ForceManager 5500.
Once logged in, your first goal is to make sure you’re targeting the right person. On LinkedIn, you can validate that the lead is still the plan administrator. If not, a quick search of the company’s employees will help you find others who may directly or indirectly work with each organization’s retirement plan.
After your lists are finalized, you can use LinkedIn’s engagement features to contact plan sponsors and move them through the sales cycle.
Here are three ways to do just that.
Send an invite to connect. The beauty of LinkedIn is that it’s a B2B platform. Most people are here to promote their business, find potential clients or customers and nurture their leads. Many users expect to be contacted by vendors and are willing to accept an invite.
Post valuable content. Once someone is a connection, the updates you post on LinkedIn will automatically appear in their news feed. Use this opportunity to share engaging content that’s of interest to your ideal prospects.
Use targeted ads to stay top of mind. LinkedIn’s advertising tools help ensure you’re staying front and center with your target market. You can use text and video ads to promote industry- or location-specific campaigns. Advanced targeting features ensure you’re always in front of your ideal prospects.
Back in ForceManager 5500, our activity tracking features make it easy to manually record all of your LinkedIn outreach, as well as your phone calls, videoconferencing meetings and in-person interactions. Use the built-in voice-to-text technology to create opportunities, record notes and set follow-up reminders. You can also conduct video calls directly from the app.
Now, instead of using Post-it Notes and Excel sheets to manage your pipeline, all you need is LinkedIn and ForceManager 5500.
Ready to simplify your entire sales process?
