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B2B Sales Leads: What Can You Expect?

Mar 3, 2014 | Lead Generation

We talk to companies almost every day about potential lead generation programs, and most want to know what they can expect.  How many B2B sales leads will they get? Can we set appointments on their calendars?  How qualified will the leads be?  How will they learn about appointments/leads?  What kind of information will they receive?  What background do our B2B Appointment Setters have?

These are all very valid questions, and most are easy to answer.  The most difficult answer to provide is the number of B2B sales leads we will generate.  VSA has been offering B2B prospecting services and lead generation for over 10 years to all sorts of industries, for all kinds of products and services, targeting different geographic areas – even internationally.

It is certainly not for lack of experience that we cannot project in advance the number of sales leads; on the contrary, it is precisely because of our experience that I know never to promise a specific number.

I remember back in 1985 when I worked for American Express who hired some of the most creative and cutting edge advertising agencies.  We would create direct mail pieces and try to guess which mailer would generate the highest response.  I learned back then, there was no way to tell!  If there was, the advertising industry as it stood then would be obsolete and we would never need to develop and test new packages.

It’s the same with B2B Prospecting Services.  Many potential clients become frustrated and do not hire VSA because I cannot promise them the number of leads they are looking for.  Some other agency eventually makes that promise. Often, these same companies return to us the following year with complaints about the firm they chose.  My motto is under-promise and over-deliver.

More importantly, however, I can commit to the service you will get from our B2B appointment setters.  I can tell you how we plan for and execute our programs.  And I can tell you that our leads will be qualified, and that you will not be locked in for months of service.

Here’s what you can expect working with VSA:

1)    We will prepare thoroughly for your program, and our callers will know how to talk with your target market and represent you credibly.
2)    Our appointment setters speak grammatically correct English and are accent-neutral.
3)    We will assign the best callers to your program, and those who are underperforming will be taken off your program.
4)    You will see reports on a weekly basis that show the number of opportunities we’ve produced as well as leads we are cultivating for you, including the number of emails we’ve sent for you, the number of voice messages we’ve left etc.
5)    We will notify you every time our callers create an appointment, and provide as much background information as possible about the appointment.  If you’ve given us certain qualifying questions to ask, we’ll document the responses to these, also.
6)    We will partner with you, communicate with you, and minimize any surprises.  Our goal is to be part of your organization during the time we’re working with you.
7)    VSA will not take your money unless we believe we can produce at a level that is required to achieve your ROI; we do not provide guarantees.

Most companies are happy to work with a B2B prospecting firm that is honest, reputable and will do what it takes to get the greatest number of leads.

If an agency commits to you that they can produce a specific number of leads, without having worked with you in the past, I would really probe them about the basis for their projections and then take that projection with a large grain of salt.