As hard as it may be for you to accept, not every consumer needs your product or service. Try not to get too disappointed though because when it comes to B2B lead generation, encountering rejection is pretty common. However, there are instances where customers reject your company and offerings even if they need and want products or services similar to yours. Stick around to learn how to prevent rejection from occurring and proactive steps your organization can take. 

What word do you think is the most disheartening word salespeople receive? The most common answer is ‘No’ because it hinders their path for conversion. According to one source, nearly 92% of salespeople confirmed they quit trying to make a sale after being told ‘No’ four times from prospects. 

Unfortunately, rejection that occurs within the sales process not only immobilizes salespeople, but it also adversely impacts their performance. As a result, a company’s overall revenue generation and growth are likely to be in  jeopardy.

The first steps to handling rejection

There are various ways to prevent rejection from occurring or at least to lessen its intensity. It’s important for every sales team to understand the following points:

• What prospects want to hear
• When the right time is to contact prospects 
• How to effectively nurture prospects throughout the buying cycle

By using intent data, companies can help their sales team answer all the above questions and more. Intent data provides insights into prospects’ purchase intent. It also enables brands to identify when prospects are actively looking to purchase their products or services or when they’re at least considering. Fortunately, there are several ways in which  intent data can help reduce B2B sales rejection.

Here are three impactful ways where intent is effective in reducing B2B rejection while leading to more conversions.

Identify In-Market Accounts or Prospects

For starters, nearly 45 percent of B2B marketers reported that locating target accounts or prospects in today’s overcrowded market is one of their most critical challenges. One prime solution to this challenge though is the use of B2B intent data, which includes information about prospects’ digital movement, insights into their purchase intent, and online research behavior. 

By using B2B intent data, brands can build a flawless view of their prospects’ pain points, buying reasons, topics searched, intent velocity, and other account information. Brands can also nurture prospects further in order to move them down the sales funnel. That way, a dedicated sales team can contact leads, drive conversions, and eliminate the chances of rejection.

Reach Prospects In Zero Moment of Truth (ZMoT)

Additionally, when it comes to B2B transactions, there’s no direct path to purchases. Marketers may find their leads ready to make a purchase, but then they might drop out and change their mind at the last minute. The reasons for this change of heart can be endless. A few examples though include moving to a different role, priority changes, and/or no longer having a need for a brand’s products or services. 

To avoid rejection at the last moment, tracking prospects from the moment they interact with a company’s  website for their products or services is imperative. This specific moment is known as the Zero Moment of Truth (ZMoT).

Furthermore, real-time intent can support an organization by providing real-time insights into a prospect’s needs, location, and problems. By using these types of insights, brands can make themselves more available while also presenting their solutions in front of prospects in the critical moments when they are most likely to make a purchase.

Nurture Prospects Throughout the Buying Cycle

Nowadays, most prospects are incredibly busy and have plenty of options to choose from regarding products and services they wish to use. If brands don’t tend to the prospect’s needs and wants right away, they’ll likely move on. Hence, understanding prospects’ real-time problems, presenting relevant solutions, and nurturing them throughout the buying journey should be every B2B brand’s top priority. 

Fortunately, intent data can help in this regard. By uncovering prospects’ purchase intent and gaining insights into their real-time requirements, interests, goals, and objectives, intent data enables companies to create more personalized content and even develop customized solutions. The use of intent data can also encourage companies to foster long-lasting relationships with prospects, nurture them throughout the buying journey, and convert them into sales-qualified leads.

At this point in time, it’s not uncommon for people to compare sales to the game of poker. It’s difficult to win every hand, but with the use of intent data, players can definitely increase their chances of winning. At the end of the day, the main goal is for brands to understand prospects’ problems, offer tailored solutions, reduce the occurrence of rejection, and convert as many prospects into buyers as possible. In which ways will you utilize intent data moving forward? Check out this Anteriad article for some guidance and useful tips to keep in mind.