There prospect file plays an important role in the business development because it makes it possible to centralize and consolidate all the information relating to potential customers. It makes it possible to collect key data such as name, position, company, sector of activity, contact details, centers of interest, etc.
What is a lead sheet? How does the prospect sheet work and which model should be preferred? What information should be included in a prospect file? What tools to use?
Prospect sheet definition
A prospect file is a document that lists all the information about a prospect. Attention ! This is not just any information. This is the information whose commercial teams of a business need for tfind a digital strategy or suitable commercial and make it take off.
These information collected also help a lot contact segmentation to achieve better results. You got it, the fiche prospect is the tool on which salespeople rely to carry out commercial prospecting.
They find everything there improve customer relations and the performance of marketing campaigns of their business. This model is used both in B2B and B2C. Besides the contact details of potential and existing customerssthe prospect file provides information on the preferences and needs of contacts. This information is established from:
- Of their behavior on a company’s website or vis-à-vis promotional emails that a company sends them.
- Notes taken by the commercial teams following a contact or commercial exchanges between the 2 parties.
To note : the prospect file is to be distinguished from client file or prospect. Indeed, the prospect file reports information relating to a single customer. The file, for its part, contains information relating to several customers or prospects with similar characteristics (prior classification).
The 2 documents are not presented in the same way and their use as well as their visualization are different. This is the reason why it is said that the prospect file is a commercial tool. The prospect file, on the contrary, is a marketing tool. In marketing, we never work on an individual scale, but by segment.
Which tool to develop a prospect sheet?
THE CRM software are the most suitable tools for developing your prospect file.
They help centralize and organize all customer data in one place, making it easier to understand their needs and preferences.
Some even make it possible to supplement the basic information on the prospect with qualitative information such as data on turnover or profitability of the company.
They also offer task automation features, which saves time and reduces the risk of error.
Tracking sales actions, it is possible to keep track of all interactions with each prospect, making it easier to adapt sales strategies based on their responses.
What is a good prospect file?
A prospect sheet is considered qualitative when the data contained in it cumulatively meets the few conditions detailed below.
1. Data accessibility
It is not enough to list the data and add others when the opportunity arises. This is useless.
You have to organize them structure and prioritize them so that their users (sales team, manager, etc.) can easily find what they are looking for without wasting time. It is besides all the interest to gather this information in a prospecting file.
2. Usefulness, relevance and qualification
Of course, there is no point in having a inoperable database. It is necessary that the information provided in this database can guide their users.
And for this to be possible, the data must be relevant, useful and qualified. They can, for example, indicate a behavior, a preference, a need or an intention:
This contact prefers a prospecting by email to one telephone prospecting.
- Such a contact almost always reacts positively to a prospect follow-up email.
- Such CRM strategy and customer prospecting almost always brings the expected result regardless of the profile of the customer/prospect.
- Such a contact is mature enough to be converted.
The list is not exhaustive. But to put it simply, the data available should help users of the prospect file to make the best possible decision. And this, to allow the company to quickly and easily achieve its objectives.
3. Data quality
THE data must be valid, complete, precise, consistent and available timely. Otherwise, they won’t be of much use.
4. Ease of updating
There database must be regularly updated by the commercial teams so that they can remain usable.
The update may consist of a data modification available or in an addition of useful, relevant and qualified new information.
5. Compliance with GDPR
In B2CTHE prospect or customer must first have consented to receive prospecting messages or emails from the company before it sends it.
This consent is manifested by the provision of personal data : e-mail address, telephone number, etc.
The company must, in addition, give him a secure access to your data so that he can modify them if he wants. A company must also give the possibility to unsubscribe from the program when he wants.
In B2Bprospecting by way of business email is allowed. But the client or prospect must be given the possibility of modify your data securely if needed.
It is also necessary that the canvassing is in line with his profession otherwise it will be assimilated to harassment.
See also: What is GDPR? Impacts on emailing
What does a prospect file contain?
A good prospect sheet must provide information on the identity of the prospect, the transactional information or qualification and theprospect behavior history. Find out more about each element in the paragraphs below.
1. Identity of the prospect
In B2Cthe information to collect for a prospect form are:
- Last name and first names.
- Age and sex.
- Mailbox.
- Mail address.
- Phone number.
- Professional situation.
- Hobbies.
- Spending habits.
- Geographical area.
In B2Bthe information that must be completed for your prospect file is:
- Company name and address.
- Business sector of the company.
- Company website.
- Position and position of the contact in the company.
- Telephone number and professional email address of the contact in the company.
- Number of company employees.
- Business results and revenues.
- Company size and number of franchises.
- Known competitors of the company.
- Company partners, suppliers and customers.
The list is not exhaustive. All information that can help make the commercial strategy And prospecting company marketing efficient are welcome. The more a company knows its target, the better the results will be.
2. Qualifying Elements
THE qualifying elements refer to the commercial (transactional) history of prospects. What products or services are they interested in?
How did the exchanges go with the customer service or commercial of the company (at what time or what day) if there was any? Discounts seem to interest them? When was the last exchange? Etc.
All this information makes it possible toidentify sales opportunities (of conversion). With this information, the commercial teams know exactly which arguments to convince.
They can thus put all the chances on their side to achieve the objectives set. Feel free to use a customer service software to help you and your teams.
3. Prospect behavior history
L’behavior history here is analyzed on an individual scale. What time/day does the prospect usually check emails or messages?
How does the prospect behave on the website of the company? How did he react during the previous marketing campaigns launched by the company? What are his interests: has he downloaded resources from the site, a white paper, etc. ?
With this information, the commercial teams know how and when to act to obtain good results.
FAQ – Prospect sheet
We come to the end of the article on the prospect file. We hope that all that has been said can help you better understand what it is about. Now let’s move on to the questions and answers section.
What is the difference between a lead and a prospect?
The difference between a leader and one prospect lies in the degree of maturity in relation to the company sales process.
The lead designates someone who is looking for information about something and who wants know all the solutions offered to him for this purpose.
The prospect, on the other hand, is someone who already knows what he wants, but who cannot decide who to turn to. satisfy his need.
What are the types of leads?
We can distinguish 3 categories of prospects to know:
cold : they are those who might be interested in the products or company services, but who have not yet concretely shown their interest in them.
lukewarm : these are those who have already expressed interest in products and services offered by the company. But they are in no rush to buy them. In other words, they have a need, but it is not pressing enough for them to want to take action.
Hot : they are those who have clearly expressed interest in the products and services of the company. And they are just waiting for a call to action to take action. The company must therefore act as soon as possible otherwise hot prospects will turn to competitors.