by Erika Cannon
[email protected]
Many of our prospects want a guarantee that Prospecto will find, develop and nurture new customers for them. After all, there are lead gen companies that guarantee that you will talk to a certain number of qualified, ready-to-buy prospects a month. (How’d that work out for you – really?)
Think about that. Companies that expect a third-party lead generation company to deliver ready-to-buy leads are setting unrealistic expectations for their vendor, and setting themselves up for failure. It’s impossible for a third-party vendor to qualify and pre-sell your product or service – that’s what your sales team is for!
You’re as likely to find a person who immediately wants to buy from you as you are to find a unicorn.
If they really are looking for prospects who are ready to buy, I suggest they fire their sales team.
What should you expect from a lead generation partner, then?
- A database of new prospects that weren’t already in your database. This is where the primary value lies: how many new companies can they get you in front of? And those prospects should:
a. Be the right person for you to talk to
b. Know who the right person is
c. Open your emails on a regular basis
d. Not unsubscribe from your content
2. Increased visits to your website. Research shows that 57 percent of the buying decision is made before the sales person even starts the conversation, because the research has been done online. They can’t choose you if they haven’t been to your website.
3. Consistent and persistent communication with your contacts. This is one of the most valuable services a lead gen partner provides. Persistence will put you in the right place at the right time.
4. A mechanism or platform to see who has responded and who’s been to your website, so you can determine when it’s the optimum time for your team to reach out to individuals. No one wants to be qualified by a third-party vendor these days. But it’s important your sales team spends time calling interested prospects.
When engaging a lead gen partner, keep your standards high, but your expectations realistic.
