How to Spot Buying Behavior in Non-Responsive Leads

Consider the following scenario and the current customers' buying behavior:

You're having a busy sales day when you receive a request notification. Naturally, you phone the client's number as soon as possible. Although they appear to have just completed filling out the form, they do not pick up. You become frustrated and wonder if following up with them is worthwhile.

Is it a worthy effort if they don't want to respond?

I've been there before. I once created a lead-generating page and drove traffic using paid traffic sources I am familiar with. Many people viewed my sales video and took the time to fill out a form with all the essential information (phone, email, name, and website), but when I contacted them to ask them questions or offer them advice, they did not respond (most of them).

So I did what any salesperson would do: I sent a follow—up email. Nothing! 

I sent another message. Nothing again!  I called them again. They apologized and stated that they would evaluate my communications as soon as possible. But nothing changed. I emailed once more. 

Nothing. It was pretty aggravating since I assumed I had lost somewhere my emails in the middle, which was not the case.

I had to devise a few communication tactics that had a high possibility of yielding a response to find out. As a result, it helped keep my colleagues and me from wasting time.

Before we go into what worked for me, let's look at some of the likely reasons you aren't getting a response. ‍

Why aren't potential buyers picking up your phone?

1. Turning online to buy.‍

More of your prospective customers are turning online to buy. They want to buy quickly and with as few steps as possible. According to a recent LinkedIn study report, the following B2B purchasing pattern has emerged.

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2. Less time spent speaking with suppliers.‍

According to Gartner, another of the primary ways buyer behavior has lately transformed is that buyers now spend only a tiny fraction of their time speaking with suppliers.‍

3. Buyers' intentions shift quickly.‍

Waiting too long to contact prospects gives them time to research and choose another vendor.

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What are the four types of buying behavior?

There are several types of consumer purchasing behaviors classified as follows:

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1. Extended Decision-Making 

Extended Decision-Making occurs when customers purchase a high-priced item. What should you do if you're thinking of spending four figures on a designer handbag?

Of course, before making your final buying decision, you perform some in-depth research about the purse. Because it is a high-end handbag, the financial risk of purchasing it is substantially higher than if it were a regular bag. 

Said, a designer fashion item is not something you would buy every day. Thus, you spend more time evaluating the product's appearance and functionality and how you feel after acquiring it. You might also seek help from family and friends or read product reviews on the internet.‍

2. Decision-Making Capacity‍

Consumers encounter local decision-making in limited decision-making. It simply signifies that this product's diversity or the availability in the market is little.

You like this pair of sunglasses with white frames and yellow-tinted lenses, for example. However, this design of sunglasses is only available from two companies.

Sunglasses from the brand "X" cost 195,-. Yes, it is a lot of money for a single pair of sunglasses. However, the other sunglasses available, from the brand "Z," cost 365,-, which is significantly higher than the sunglasses sold by brand "X."

If you have the budget, you buy brand "X" anyway because you have little choice. Even if they are pretty expensive, you want this fashionable pair of sunglasses.‍

3. Habitual ‍

Our purchasing habits heavily influenced our daily schedule. We give little attention or consideration to purchasing an inexpensive and widely available product.

For example, you buy new socks regularly. Because you lose them all the time, or they always have holes in them, or you constantly run out of socks, or you keep buying the one pair of socks that costs the least amount of money. It's almost become a habit for you.‍

4. Buying Habits that Seek Variety‍

When there are evident variations between products inside established brands, you engage in this form of purchasing behavior. As a consumer, you might wish to try out a similar product from various manufacturers.

To give you an example, you might feel compelled to purchase a simple white t-shirt in a variety of styles from various stores. Just because you don't want to wear the same white t-shirt every day doesn't mean you can't change things up once in a while. The t-shirt is pretty reasonable everywhere, so getting three or five of them should not be a problem. 

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ALSO READ - Alan Turing: The Once Obscure Father of Computer Science

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When Buyers Go Cold, Here Are 5 Approaches to Consider‍

1. You're out after three rounds of outreach.‍

You're out after three flurries. Buyers expect sellers will pursue them until the end of time. Sellers who do this struggle because they spend too much time chasing ghosts.

If a buyer becomes unresponsive, try three rounds of outreach before going on. Matches begin when you are concerned that the buyer has gone cold.

You should leave a voicemail and email in each round. Many sellers cannot buy close deals because their email is misplaced in their spam folder and only discovered months later.

It would help if you strived to resonate analytically and emotionally in the first two rounds. You will not receive a reaction if your communications do not elicit emotions such as hope, desire, or fear.

In the last round, inform them you will no longer be contacting them. Buyers, once again, expect you to pursue them. When they realize you're leaving, the dynamic shifts. This last message frequently evokes a response.‍

2. Restate the value proposition.‍

Almost everything can lead the buyer to lose interest and shift their attention away from you. Consider sending:

• Case studies from customers in similar sectors and situations. 

• Customized ROI analysis—something that will appeal to the buyer.

• Offer to interact with your other prospects to learn about their experiences.

It's also not only about sending. It's also a matter of asking. You may say something like:

 3. Break the fourth wall.‍

An excellent sales narrative describes the buying process, the buyer's needs, the impact, and so on. However, it is possible to ask the buyer directly about what's on their mind if they seem unusually silent.

4. Talk to your champion.‍

If you know somebody at the company who might fill you in and offer help, ask them. Place responsibilities in the hands of capable people and trust them to utilize their judgment to meet the goals. Effective delegation maintains your company's optimum production and encourages team members to come up with new ways to meet business goals.‍

5. The final outreach involves reversing direction.‍

If your first two rounds fail, finish by reversing direction. Reversing the course has an unexpected effect: it shows the end of your quest. Most buyers expect vendors will pursue them indefinitely.

When you’re done chasing, you usually get a reaction. Loss aversion is a powerful motivation. If the buyer is interested in what you offer, sending the reverse email, voicemail, LinkedIn message, etc., will arouse their fear of loss.

Should You Give Up on a Lead?‍

Certain leads will remain unresponsive despite your best efforts. While you can reactivate many of those leads, there comes the point when there are better leads on whom to focus your time and resources.

There will come a time when you must whittle down your list of potentials and begin hunting for leads who are your target market.

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RELATED READ - The Best Strategy When Dealing With Unresponsive Leads

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Final Note‍

The terrible reality is that certain leads will remain unresponsive despite your best efforts. While many of them can be reactivated, there comes a point when it becomes clear that there are better opportunities on which to focus your time and resources.

You'll need to filter your list of possible leads at some point and start looking for leads that fit better within your target market.

It may be time to let go of potential customers if you haven't been able to reengage them, if they haven't visited your website, answered your texts, or seen your emails despite repeated attempts to renew the dialogue.

That does not imply that you must proclaim them legally dead. You don't need to send them a "last chance" email to get them to react once again. Simply let them know in that final email that you'll always be available to speak with them if their position changes, and then move on to the other prospects who are more attentive to your efforts.