In 1943 Abraham Maslow published a paper entitled “A Theory of Human Motivation” in his paper he detailed five inherent needs individuals experienced which impact their motivation. These needs are commonly referred to as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and are referenced across the world as a way to understand what causes or inhibits human action.
Oscar Zamorano of HubSpot developed his own hierarchy of needs based off Maslow’s example and what he experienced in sales coaching with HubSpot users. He has granted ClearPivot creative license to use his five questions as a way to illustrate the inbound sales process. The following questions help to shape a proper inbound sales process that can see sales and marketing humming in unison when implemented correctly.
First Order Need: Is Marketing Handing Off Leads to Sales?
This may seem like a basic question, but frankly we’ve seen this issue much more than you would expect. Inbound marketing provides a unique opportunity for leads to come in through a website and at times not be directly associated with the sales department. It is imperative for the inbound process to work for marketing to be handing off the leads that come in through inbound efforts. Once a clear pipeline is setup for handing off leads from marketing to sales then the second order needs can be met.
Second Order Need: Is Sales Following Up?
Once marketing hands off leads to sales, it is important that sales follows up on leads. It is very easy to setup an automation process, but this loses the personal touch a company can provide by following up with a personal email or phone call. This is why a clear pipeline is emphasized. If sales is not equipped with the leads to follow-up, and with consistent delivery of those leads then a consistent follow-up cannot be set.
It is also important to discuss the manner in which sales follow-up is couched. We will talk about this further at the end, but for inbound sales to work this is more than just an email or a phone call. People are looking for sales people that understand their situation and are prepared to provide information tailored to their business. Follow-up is good, follow-up based on inbound practices is gold.
Third Order Need: Is There a Way to Track Leads That Become Customers?
Once you begin following up, you will need a way to track how that follow-up is going. We use HubSpot, but there are several different CRMs that a company can use to track sales. With HubSpot we are able to track the entire process from lead to customer in one software which makes the marketing-to-sales handoff seamless and keeps all of the information for the lead housed in one easy-to-access space.
Fourth Order Need: Is Sales Giving Feedback?
To continue to improve the process it is important for sales to be giving marketing feedback. The feedback loop allows marketing to be continually adjusting in order to deliver leads that fit the company. With feedback from sales, marketing can develop content which speaks directly to the needs of leads and potential customers. When marketing adjusts to sales feedback the quality of leads improves which leads to the overall improvement of the sales process.
Fifth Order Need: Does Sales Have Context?
Finally, are sales given context in marketing. We began hashing out this idea during the third order need and begin to see the need of it in the fourth order need. Really, sales should always have context but at the end of the day this is the final question to be addressed because it really is what hammers home a good sales process. The goal of inbound marketing should be to provide context to sales. Context can be produced through the website, through marketing messaging, and ultimately in the sales follow-up. When sales has context potential leads feel like the company understands their needs and thus creates a higher likelihood of converting.
These are the five parts of the sales hierarchy of needs. Once a company has addressed each of these questions it is following an inbound sales process which sets the company up for long term success. If your company is seeking to implement an inbound sales solution, the first place to start is a CRM. You can learn more about the benefits of a CRM through our content download offered below.
