If a prospect replies to your message - consider it a success. Now you can start a dialogue and convince him to your offer. However, replies can be divided into 3 broad groups: positive, neutral and negative, with each requiring a different approach.

These are the messages with the highest chance of closing a deal. However, that doesn’t mean the warm lead automatically becomes your client. If you focus on lead nurturing, meaning that you work on building a relationship with your prospect at every stage of the sales process, you’re much more likely to succeed. This process should include comprehensive answers to every question, providing additional materials and reminders before a demo.

Please check this article to find more information on managing positive replies!

(e.g. when a prospect raises doubts, says your product might be interesting but is not sure if it is a good fit for their company, etc.)

These messages are something you can work on as well but you need to put in more effort. Check your prospect and the profile of the company on LinkedIn, visit their website and write personalized answers. A few good ideas are to give an example of a similar company that is already your successful client, provide case studies applicable for a particular prospect and to show some relevant statistics. Don’t forget about sending follow-ups in case your prospect stops replying to you.

Don’t ignore these replies without any reaction from your side (except for “unsubscribes” and overly aggressive ones). If someone replies that they’re not interested right now, or they’re now focusing on other business activities, set up a task in your CRM to follow up with these prospects in a few months or a year from now. If your prospects say that they’re already using a similar product, you can show your advantage against your competitor. Maybe they will decide to move to your services when the contract with your competitor expires.

Please check this article to find more information on managing negative replies!