Small Business
The Most Effective B-to-B Sales Processes for Small Businesses
The small business mentoring organization SCORE has gathered statistics that report on which sources are providing small businesses with the best business-to-business (B2B) sales leads and what percentage of leads convert to each stage of the sales funnel
Apr. 28, 2015
The small business mentoring organization SCORE has gathered statistics that report on which sources are providing small businesses with the best business-to-business (B2B) sales leads and what percentage of leads convert to each stage of the sales funnel.
The infographic also gathers data on the most effective sales practices for small businesses including the average number of sales calls made a day, the average response time to a web-based prospect, and how many customers choose the vendor that responds most quickly.
Best Leads Still Come From Traditional Approaches
According to data presented visually in the infographic, 39% of the “best” sales leads come from outbound marketing which include the practices of inside sales and telemarketing. The next most effective method is attending events including trade shows and webinars, followed by online (search and testimonials), media (radio and TV) and social media.
Most Sales Leads Do Not Continue Down Funnel
On average, the ratio of dials that lead to a conversation is 30:1. From there, those conversations that lead to an appointment are 3:1. Finally, the ratio of appointments that lead to an opportunity is 3:1.
Persistence and Timeliness are Key
The infographic also reveals that the average small business salesperson makes 50 calls per day and takes 39 hours to respond to a web-based inquiry. And promptness pays off: 30-50% of sales go to the vendor that responds first.