In a recent Marketing Interactions blog, Ardath Albee asks: “[W]hat happens when the frequency and recency of a lead’s engagement stalls?” Often, B2B marketers will roll these leads into a “general” touch campaign, she reports, “with the intent of keeping [their] company in the lead’s mind so that when something changes, they can re-engage.” But is that the best first response when a good prospect turns quiet? Albee doesn’t think so. Non-responders fall into two distinct groups, she says, and each requires a different outreach:

If the lead is a Sporadic Responder, answering some touches, but not others, Albee suggests taking these actions:

Look at the content they are still responding to, then ask yourself, “What similarities exist between the lead’s content choices?”
Given those answers, determine if you “can you create a 1-to-1 interaction that enables you to learn more.”

If the lead is a Non-Responder, she suggests contacting them and asking specific questions, such as:

Has your position in the company changed? To ___?
Was [this] project put on hold?
Did you already solve this problem? How?
Did our content cease being of value to you? Why?

The Point: When leads turn quiet, it’s time to talk. “If you’re seeing a growing percentage of people retreating from your communications, perhaps something has shifted in your marketplace that you’ve missed,” Albee concludes.

Cheers, Skip

Source: Marketing Interactions.