4 Key Stages of Lead Nurturing

Written By

HBI Communication Helga Bailey GmbH

Tired of your emails being thrown in the trash folder? Increasingly, audiences perceive branded content as sales ads or altogether irrelevant.

But what if there was a way for brands to deliver content that audiences actually looked forward to engaging with?

Lead nurturing is a way of connecting with potential and current customers by delivering valuable and relevant information at different steps in the buyer’s journey. It’s all about providing the right information at the right time, with the ultimate goal of customer retention.

HBI PR & Marcom explain what the lead nurturing funnel looks like:

Category 1: Inquiry

In this stage, the user has a need and collects information on how to address that need. It is important to pique customers’ interest in your service at this point.

Category 2 & 3: Marketing Qualified Lead / Sales Accepted Lead

To move through these categories, the customer needs a personal connection to the product or service and an explanation of added value. People start as a Marketing Qualified Lead, meaning that they are actively looking at your site for a solution. As you nurture this lead, they move on to become a Sales Accepted Lead and are ready to talk with your sales team.

Category 4: Sales Qualified Lead and Closed Won

Lead nurturing post-purchase is often overlooked but equally as important. This is a time to share recommended products with the consumer and continue growing the relationship.

Where does lead nurturing occur? Outside of email, lead nurturing can take place in a phone call or chatbox. The key is to use a channel that facilitates continuous communication to keep prospects moving through the funnel.

Get more insights on the lead nurturing funnel inthe blog from HBI PR and Marcom.

HBI PR & Marcom have over 30 years of experience and specialize in communications around technology products making them specialized in communications around technology-related topics for over 30 years. They have extensive experience in traditional PR, social media, marketing and seminars and have worked with a huge scope of companies ranging from start-ups to global groups and local SMBs. Some of the world’s best-known brands entrust their communications to HBI’s expertise. The agency strives to introduce and establish emerging companies selling innovative products or services in the German-speaking market. Today they support customers from the whole area of technology – business-to-business, consumer electronics and industrial IT. They also have clients in other sectors, such as consulting, hospitality, healthcare, engineering as well as transportation.