by 
By Lisa Kirschner
In the B2C environment, most customers tend to do a bit of online research before actually placing an order, and the same is equally true–if not more so–with B2B customers.
This means that–even if your company uses marketing automation tools that allow you to identify potential customers and provide you with insight into the goods or services in which they are interested–you could risk either scaring them off or letting the lead go cold if you don’t time your follow-up communications just right.
In the same way that you might check with your spouse before ordering something for your home online, corporate decisionmakers often need to seek approval or discuss with others before placing an order–even if the value of the order isn’t huge. Calling a B2B prospect within a few hours of the prospect’s visit to your website, therefore, is unlikely to generate a sale.
In terms of the best time of day to follow up, experts believe that after 3:30 p.m. is most productive, because even though customers might not actually place an order at this time, they are generally more open to arranging a telephone appointment for the following day. Perhaps surprisingly, Mondays are the worst day of the week to follow up and Fridays are far and away the best.
Timing, as they say, is everything, and that is never truer than in the world of online B2B marketing!
Warm regards,
Lisa Kirschner
Managing Editor, Content 911
Managing Director, Flair Interactive Services Inc.
