Overview
Creating a campaign and setting up your outreach sequence is just the beginning—what happens next is where real opportunities emerge. As replies start to come in, managing and responding to them effectively becomes critical to turning interest into action.
With our First Bite Activate service, the campaign and initial outreach is performed for you. Your team is looped in to engage with interested operators as soon as responses are received.
This article covers best practices for handling campaign responses after the Activate handoff to maximize engagement and move leads through your pipeline.
Managing Responses
Once you connect with an interested operator, best practices during the handoff phase are critical for results and closing accounts. Here are some strategies to improve your close rate:
- Respond Promptly: Aim to reply within 24 hours, but immediate responses are best.
- Copy your Activate team member, or BCC.
- Review Email History: Understand the context and past communications.
- Research the Account: Utilize information from First Bite or conduct online searches to gather more insights about the lead.
- Make a Personal Connection: Introduce yourself personally. Mention something specific you know about them, such as:
- "The XYZ on your menu looks great."
- "I celebrated my birthday at your restaurant last year!"
- "I noticed on social media that you work with XYZ local charity, which we also support!"
- "I'm an onion ring fanatic..."
- Keep Emails Concise and Direct: Assume the reader is viewing your email on a mobile device. Be clear and to the point.
- End with a Call to Action: Pose a question that encourages them to take the next step, moving the opportunity forward in the sales cycle.
- Gather Additional Contact Information: If a response includes a cell phone number, take the initiative to call in addition to emailing.
- Persistent Follow-up: Continue to engage with the lead through follow-ups.
- Connect on LinkedIn: Add them on LinkedIn to enhance your credibility and support your sales efforts.
- Brainstorm and Overcome Objections: Collaborate with your team to prepare responses to potential objections. Remember, handling rejections is a daily task, and brainstorming effective responses is key.
- Update the deal stage in First Bite: Deals are used to track the opportunities generated through your campaigns. Maintaining accurate and up-to-date sales stages allows you to assess campaign performance, identify your most popular products, prioritize follow-ups, and uncover additional sales insights.
These practices can help maximize your effectiveness in converting warm leads to committed customers.
Summary
Campaign success doesn’t end with outreach—it begins when operators respond. By stepping in with timely, thoughtful, and personalized follow-up, your team can build real connections that move opportunities forward. With Activate managing the front end, your focus stays on what matters most: turning interest into action and converting leads into long-term clients.