Advantages of start-ups working with a sales lead generation service
Established firms have a rich history of either cold calling or using other direct marketing actions (i.e. direct email, surveying prospects) to stay connected with their current customers as well as potential customers. Sales and marketing professionals at these companies have spent years studying their target audience, identifying prospects and measuring the best days and times of the day to contact prospects. If they have hundreds of customers, they could get access to volumes of data, direct feedback from customers that helps them determine the best actions to take to close more sales.
This generally is not the case with start-up businesses. Instead of leaning on data gathered from years of cold calling and other direct sales methods, start-ups turn to general research materials. Additionally, enthusiasm and foresight of the founders of start-up businesses isn’t always enough to generate and/or increase sales, which is a reason why start-ups are incorporating the support of a sales lead generation service into their sales campaigns.
Other challenges that start-ups face is learning how to conduct sales discussions with prospects, particularly business to business (B2B) prospects. The Next Web puts it this way, “Startup founders often have a sense of idealism – they have identified an excellent solution to a pressing problem in the market, and they want to get in front of as many potential customers, partners and funders as possible, as quickly as possible, but they don’t necessarily think of themselves as “sales people” and they don’t want to be identified with stereotypical ‘pushy sales tactics.'”
To become more comfortable and confident while conducting sales discussions, owners of start-ups can contract with a sales lead generation service to complete cold calling. During cold calling campaigns, specialists at the sales lead generation service can ask targeted questions so start-ups get answers from potential customers that uncover lesser known truths. For example, sales lead generation service specialists could find out specific types of products or services prospects want to drive their own businesses forward.
Sorting, ranking and nurturing leads are other action items a sales lead generation service can provide. Companies don’t have to be large to achieve this. In fact, The Next Web shares that, “This sorting and ranking process can be done as simply as using a spreadsheet to keep track of which sales leads are most promising/highest priority. Then, once you have your sales leads sorted and ranked, you need to “nurture” them – not with one single cold call, but with a series of contacts to build a relationship and offer value along the way, even if it doesn’t immediately lead to a sale.”
Lead service from Teleark also focus on building a conversation with leads instead of pushing for a sale. This allows start-ups to strengthen their brand, especially in the eyes of the right prospects. It also allows start-ups to continue to communicate with potential clients as well as continue to build credibility with clients, before and after initial sales are made.
