It’s just part of the sales funnel. At one time or another, every salesperson has experienced a prospect who agreed to attend a product demo and then doesn’t show up for the appointment.
Most businesses should aim for a no-show rate of less than 20% — and of course, even lower is better. There are a number of best practices to follow that can help your teams hit that goal, such as scheduling the demo as soon as possible, rather than a few weeks out, and sending reminders via email and text message.
If you’ve still been experiencing lackluster attendance rates, though, it might be time to incorporate e-gift cards as an incentive. Not only is it simple and effective, it’s also worth the cost in the end, since your sales reps aren’t wasting all that time.
Here are some pointers on how to make your strategy to offer e-gift cards as successful as possible.
BHN Rewards now integrates directly with Salesforce! Contact us today to learn how to arm your sales reps with streamlined demo incentives.
Once you’re on your prospect’s calendar, remind them about the kind of e-gift cards they can choose from for participating in the demo. Include the information right in the calendar invite and the reminders that are sent before the scheduled demo. Keep it simple with something like, “Don’t forget, you’ll get a $100 gift card of your choice for attending our scheduled demo!”
To close the sale, your prospect needs to know you keep your word. Sending promised e-gift cards immediately after the demo helps build your reputation for rewarding customer engagement and brand loyalty. It’s also another touchpoint you can use to remind them that you’re available to answer any questions.
It’s important for prospects to feel like you know them. Personalizing the incentive with a message thanking them by name for their time will help foster your budding relationship. In addition to using their name, you have the chance to include product benefits or special offers that are most relevant to them, which can help get your sale over the finish line.
READ MORE: Sales Playbook for Using Rewards to Engage Prospects and Customers
Ensure the reward is recognizable by sending it from the email address of the sales rep who did the demo. When the reward comes from that rep, it strengthens the individual connection and hopefully will lead to a signed contract or at least another conversation. An incentive management platform like BHN Rewards allows you to change the email sender and address — which is never spoofed — for each campaign.
Sending demo rewards for the entire sales team could put a rather large burden on your ops specialist or administrator. But it’s also difficult to expect each rep to learn yet another new technology (they already use an average of 10 to close deals!) or — worse — to leave them to their own devices and let them order direct from the retailer. Instead, look for a rewards tool that can integrate directly into the platforms you already use. That way, each salesperson can send their own e-gift cards from within the CRM, and team leaders can control and track individual budgets.
A rewards management tool that integrates with your CRM is also helpful because it enables you to see in the activity log when the e-gift cards have been delivered and redeemed. So if you still haven’t closed the sale, you can check whether your prospect opened and claimed the reward. If they haven’t, send a reminder for them to do so, and include a message saying you’d love the opportunity to connect with them to understand where they are in the decision-making process.
Check out our case study with Weave, a software provider that used BHN Rewards to simplify its incentives program and increase demo attendance!
BHN Rewards puts the power of digital rewards to work for marketers, researchers, and HR managers. Don't forget to check out all the great content in our Resources section!
BHN Rewards puts the power of digital rewards to work for marketers, researchers, and HR managers. Don't forget to check out all the great content in our Resources section!
