If you’re in B2B or SaaS lead generation, you must know how difficult it is to close a deal successfully. B2B lead generation is tedious due to longer sales cycles, complex decision-making, and higher order values. Due to this extended process, various leads can leak out of your pipeline or may be left behind because they didn’t qualify or were simply unresponsive. But are they really lost?

A typical B2B company goes through 12-24 months⁽¹⁾ to start generating positive ROI - of course, this number can vary depending upon your marketing efforts, but you get the gist.

So, given the amount of time and effort you've spent contacting these leads, you should not give up completely before checking in for one last time. Sure, there can be leads that are honestly not interested, while others may just need a little more nudge or push. Regardless of the case, you cannot let go of lost leads by assuming that they are not interested in buying your products simply because they didn’t reply to your emails or disappeared after taking a trial or signing up for a demo.

In this article, let’s dig deeper to understand what a lost lead is and how to reconnect with these leads to revive your sales pipeline and close more deals.

So, let’s get started!

What is a Lost Lead?

A lost lead is simply a lead that didn’t turn into a customer - despite many follow-ups and marketing emails.

For example, a lead signed up for your SaaS product’s demo and seemed enthusiastic about its features. However, after a couple of weeks of follow-up emails and calls, the lead somehow stopped responding to your messages.

In this case, the lead can be considered a lost lead because, despite initial interest and engagement, they ghosted you (literally).

Why do you lose leads?

Now, there can be multiple reasons why a lead disappears or becomes unresponsive.

When it comes to lead generation, it is integral to understand that not everyone who inquires about your product necessarily looks forward to buying it. Sometimes, they just want to collect information about products like yours and compare them with your competitors.

However, just because they don’t want to buy ‘Now’ does not mean they will ‘Never’ buy (unless they explicitly tell you that). There could have been other reasons, too, for why a lead becomes lost.

A few of them are listed below:

• Lack of interest or need: Sometimes, leads may not convert because they weren't genuinely interested in the product or service or they didn't have a pressing need for it.
• Competitive factors: A competitor may offer a better deal, more features, or a product that better meets the lead's needs, leading them to choose the competitor over your offering.
• Poor communication: A lack of clear communication or misunderstandings during the sales process can lead to lost leads.
• Timing: The timing might not be right for the lead to make a purchase. They could be in the midst of other projects or facing budget constraints that prevent them from moving forward.
• Price concerns: The lead might find your product or service too expensive compared to alternatives, or they may not see enough value to justify the cost.
• Product fit: Your product or service might not align perfectly with the lead's needs or preferences, leading them to look for alternatives that better match what they're looking for.
• Poor customer experience: If the lead encounters difficulties or frustrations during the sales process, such as slow response times, unhelpful customer service, or a complicated purchasing process, they may choose to abandon the purchase.
• Lack of personalization: If the sales approach feels generic or impersonal, leads may not feel valued or understood, leading to disengagement and lost opportunities. Personalizing interactions based on the lead's specific needs and preferences can significantly improve conversion rates.
• Irrelevant content: Providing content or information that doesn't resonate with the lead's interests or stage in the buyer's journey can result in disinterest or even frustration, causing them to disengage and ultimately become lost leads.
• Wrong audience targeting: Targeting leads who are not within the appropriate demographic or who have no use for the product or service can lead to lost leads. It's essential to ensure that marketing efforts are directed toward the right audience to maximize the chances of conversion.

When to consider a lost lead a dead lead?

Recognizing when to stop trying to re-engage with lost leads is crucial for efficient resource allocation and maintaining a positive brand image. Continuously reaching out to leads who have shown no interest for an extended period can be seen as intrusive or annoying, potentially damaging your relationship with them.

Here are a few signs that indicate it may be time to stop trying to re-engage with a lost lead:

• No response over an extended period: If a lead hasn't responded to your attempts to re-engage over a significant period, such as a year or more, it's likely that they're no longer interested in your product or service.
• Indication of disinterest: If the lead has explicitly expressed disinterest or requested to be removed from your mailing list, it's essential to respect their wishes and cease further attempts to re-engage.
• Change in circumstances: If you're aware of significant changes in the lead's circumstances, such as a change in industry or job role, and there's no longer a clear alignment between their needs and your offering, it may be time to stop trying to re-engage.
• Negative feedback or reactions: If previous attempts to re-engage have resulted in negative feedback or reactions from the lead, continuing to reach out could further sour the relationship and harm your brand reputation.

Nurturing lost leads - 7 tips to reconnect

1. Personalize your outreach

Personalization is essential for the success of your email marketing campaigns, especially in a crowded marketplace. Personalized emails have better conversion rates as compared to non-personalized ones.

Various industries ranging from e-commerce to healthcare, are now using personalized content to build brand awareness and earn customers.

For SaaS businesses, personalized outreach goes beyond mere customization; it involves understanding leads' pain points and positioning your brand as the solution. However, many leads may be left behind due to a lack of personalized communication. This is your opportunity to identify and reconnect with these leads. So, if a lead has stopped responding to your emails - the first thing you should check or try to improve is your messaging.

2. Share valuable content

Effective email marketing is incomplete without valuable content.

Beyond the immediate goal of closing a deal, your email marketing campaigns should also be focused on providing customers with genuine value. By offering resources such as ebooks, research guides, articles, and infographics, you can position your brand as a trusted source of industry knowledge and a solution to the specific challenges your leads are facing.

For instance, if we're promoting a time-tracking solution for employees, sharing insightful articles and ebooks on the importance of time-tracking and its correlation with employee productivity can capture leads' attention. Research indicates that this approach fosters a positive brand image and increases engagement.

Even if a lead has not responded to your emails recently, if they are still subscribed to your content, you should focus on providing more valuable content to them - focused on educating them on a particular topic/subject related to your product/service. It is a good way to stay on top of their minds whenever a need to purchase the product arises.

3. Share new features/product updates

Another strategy to re-connect with lost leads is to share new features or product updates. By assuming that their initial disengagement may have been due to a lack of specific features or offerings, you can use these updates as a compelling reason to reconnect.

Highlight the value-added features or improvements in your product to reignite interest and prompt them to reevaluate your solution.

For instance, if you’re a SaaS business and you’ve recently launched a new feature, be sure to reach out to your old leads, with the new information. It can encourage them to explore your offerings once again.

4. Track trigger events

Trigger events are basically actions that your leads can take via your website, email communications, etc. For example, someone visiting your website can be a trigger point; someone downloading a resource can also be a trigger point, and so on.

Tracking trigger events can help you rekindle relationships with lost leads. While a lead may seem lost initially, tracking their interactions can provide valuable insights into their changing interests and intentions. You can monitor the emails or communications sent to lost leads and observe any subsequent actions they take.

For instance, if a lead who had previously shown little interest suddenly downloads a resource from our website, it signals a potential shift in their mindset and presents an ideal moment to reach out and offer assistance. Similarly, if a previously disengaged lead starts opening our emails again, it's a positive indication of renewed interest and provides an opportunity to reconnect.

Check out 15 Sales Follow-Up Email Templates to Boost Your Revenue by 95%

5. Automate follow-ups

Automated follow-ups are essential for efficiently managing and re-engaging lost leads. However, attempting to track and follow up with lost leads manually can not only consume valuable time but also increase the risk of missed opportunities.

Instead, you should consider leveraging automation tools like Smartlead to streamline the follow-up process and minimize leaks in your sales pipeline.

Smartlead, as a cold email outreach tool, offers robust features for automating follow-ups in email campaigns. Users can schedule multiple follow-ups at specific intervals, such as after 10 days, 15 days, or a month, depending on their needs.

Additionally, the ability to set reminders for unresponsive leads ensures that no potential opportunity slips through the cracks.

By embracing automation, you can efficiently manage and track every lead while optimizing your go-to-market strategy for improved conversion rates.

6. Take a feedback survey

Taking feedback surveys from lost leads is crucial for gaining valuable insights into why they lost interest in your product or service. Understanding the reasons behind their disengagement is essential for continuous improvement and refining your sales strategy.

You can send them short, concise surveys with straightforward questions to gather feedback on their experience with your brand and identify areas for enhancement. Some of the questions you can include are:

• What initially attracted you to our product/service?
• What ultimately led to your decision not to move forward with a purchase?
• Were there any specific features or functionalities lacking in our product/service?
• How would you describe our pricing in relation to the value offered?
• Is there anything we could have done differently to meet your needs better?

Armed with this information, you can now tailor your approach to address these pain points and better meet the needs of your leads.

7. Be mindful of the timing

Creating a sense of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) can be a powerful technique for re-engaging lost leads and prompting them to take action.

When reconnecting with these leads, consider offering limited-period deals or exclusive offers presented in a personalized manner. By leveraging FOMO, you can instill a sense of urgency and drive leads to act quickly before missing out on a valuable opportunity.

However, don't be overly pushy.

Respect their time and preferences, and understand when the right moment is to present such offers.

For instance, a lost lead who has recently returned to your site and downloaded a product features guide is likely showing renewed interest and may be receptive to a time-bound offer.

If budget constraints are a concern, consider making entry easier for them by providing flexible payment options or discounts.

It's crucial to tailor offers based on the actions and needs of each lead rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach.

Reconnecting with Lost Leads: Automate Follow-Ups with Smartlead

Lost leads are not closed doors; they represent opportunities for re-engagement and conversion when approached strategically. By implementing the tactics discussed above, such as personalized outreach, sharing valuable content, and creating a sense of urgency, you can effectively nurture these leads back into your sales pipeline.

However, it's essential to strike the right balance between persistence and respect for our leads' time and decisions.

Smartlead offers valuable tools to assist in this process, enabling strategic planning of follow-ups, tracking of engagement metrics, and setting reminders for timely outreach. To witness the power of Smartlead in action, sign up for a free trial today and discover how it can help you unlock the potential of your lost leads.