I’ve been around sales for a while—though, truth be told, I’ve rarely called it that.
At the Department for the UK, I spent a lot of time convincing UK companies to enter the Indian market by using UKTI services. At the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA), it was about telling the Dutch story—strategic location, talent, and tax—without sounding like a brochure. And in my consulting work today, it’s about identifying mutual fit, often between two parties who haven’t even imagined working together yet.
But it’s only recently that I’ve started thinking more deeply about sales pipelines. I’m not referring to sales pipelines in the traditional sense, but rather in the context of a personal inquiry into why certain conversations succeed while others fail.
The Nurture Phase: The Bit I Didn’t Know I Was Skipping
Looking back at my UKTI days, I was good at attracting attention—emails, events, first meetings. We’d talk to founders across sectors, showcase tailored decks highlighting opportunities in India, and often receive warm nods. That was the “Attract” stage, and I now realise it’s just the beginning.
What I failed to grasp then was the importance of nurturing. I assumed that if the information was strong, companies would follow up. But deals, especially cross-border ones, move slowly. Without structured touchpoints—like value-added follow-ups, thoughtful nudges, and relevant insights—that early momentum just fizzles out.
Now I treat nurture as a phase that needs as much design as any pitch. It’s not about pestering; it’s about staying relevant.
Channels That Brought Surprises
In the early part of my career—during my short but intense stint in direct sales—I had to walk into businesses, unannounced, and pitch. It taught me humility, but also this: you never know which channel will work unless you try several.
Back then, it was foot traffic. At NFIA and Markets and Partners, the lead generation was more diversified, with some originating from trade shows, some from LinkedIn, and others from traditional cold emails. The best ones? Frequently, the most effective leads were those who had perused a brief blog post or recalled a checklist we had distributed several months prior.
I’ve come to believe that every sales pipeline needs multiple lead sources:
- Inbound: newsletters, articles, webinars
- Outbound: personalized emails, cold intros
- Referrals: partners, ecosystem networks
- Paid: sponsored content, remarketing
You don’t need all at once, but you can’t rely on just one either.
LinkedIn as a Conversation Starter
For years, I treated LinkedIn like a digital resume. But once I moved into consulting, I began using it as a space to subtly attract and nurture leads—not by pushing services, but by reflecting on themes like global capability centres, expansion readiness, or trade corridors.
The transition from a static profile to a personal sales page was crucial. A post can spark conversations. My profile begins doing silent work while I sleep.
Here’s what worked:
- A headline that speaks to value, not job title
- A featured section that highlights proof and tools
- A weekly cadence of thoughtful posts—questions, frameworks, or even a lesson from a tough call
It wasn’t a funnel. It was a front porch. And it invited the right kind of knock.
Lead Magnets Without the Marketing Speak
I always thought “lead magnets” sounded very… well, salesy. But in hindsight, I’ve used them for years. At Markets and Partners, we had a simple PDF called “5 Mistakes Companies Make When Entering the Netherlands”. It was downloaded, printed, and even brought into boardrooms.
In my current work, it might be a short readiness checklist, a case summary, or even a curated briefing note I’ve built from field insights. These small things create entry points. They do the attract work without pressure.
What I’ve found useful:
- Checklists = immediate utility
- Short reports = credibility
- Webinars = trust-building
- Private communities = long-term relationship
You don’t need a full ebook. You just need to solve a micro-problem your audience cares about.
Metrics I Now Pay Attention To (And Some I Don’t)
Earlier, I tracked volume—how many meetings, how many contacts. But over time, I’ve learnt to look at quality indicators in the pipeline:
- How fast am I responding to new leads?
- Are follow-ups relevant and personal?
- Which channel brings leads that convert?
A Harvard Business Review article I read said leads contacted within 5 minutes are 9x more likely to convert. I tested it (by accident once), and the results were noticeable. But even more powerful than speed was tone—a thoughtful follow-up, not just a templated reminder, often led to deeper dialogue.
Now I log what matters: conversions per channel, average time to close, and post-call follow-up quality. It helps me tune the pipeline instead of just measuring its flow.
The Long Game of Follow-Ups
I’ve learnt in investment promotion that deals often take years, not months. I’ve had companies resurface after 18, 24, even 36 months. What stood out to them? We ensured our presence remained constant.
Follow-up isn’t just polite. It’s the quiet act of building trust over time.
My rhythm has shifted:
- Day 1: Thank you + next step clarity
- Day 3–5: Share a related insight or tool
- Day 10+: Circle back with a question
- Ongoing: Stay visible, stay helpful
Some of my best clients today came from threads that began long ago—and grew without urgency, but with relevance.
Final Thought: Still Figuring It Out
Building a sales pipeline isn’t about slick tools or automation. It’s about the human rhythm of attention, timing, and care. Like a riverbed, you don’t build it once. You keep shaping it as the flow changes.
Sometimes what seems like a hot lead goes quiet. Other times, a dormant contact revives with an opportunity you never expected.
If there’s one thing I’m sure of—it’s that this work is still teaching me. And maybe that’s the real pipeline: not just leads flowing toward outcomes, but lessons flowing toward better questions.
