4 Telephone Lead Gen Tactics That Really Work

There are rarely silver bullets or short cuts that will get your foot in the door with prospects. However, we’ve discovered a few tactics that have produced results for our clients—and many business development reps would say they defy logic. 

1. Leave a Voice Message 

We’ve seen clients land big sales from returned phone calls. Here’s the trick: Only leave a voice message when you know you have the right decision maker. Make the message short and compelling, and give the prospect a reason to call back. 

When you leave your phone number, speak slowly and clearly. Even though your goal is sales, don’t sound like a sales rep. You can even add in a few filler words—’um’ or ‘well’—to make your message sound less scripted. 

2. Respond to ‘Send Information’ Requests 

Many qualified appointments have come from sending emails with additional information. About a third of these appointments have resulted in sales. 

The trick is to avoid sending information as your first option. In fact, shy away from it routinely. But when it’s the only next step a prospect offers, seize it. 

Only send information relevant to the prospect. Before you send, let the prospect know you’ll be following up later to get feedback. Even attempt to set a date and time for that follow-up call. 

Differentiate yourself by sending an interesting attachment or making a unique offer. Keep your message short—just one or two paragraphs. Then be dogged in your follow-up process! 

3. Call 10-20 Times 

We’ve set dozens of appointments after the twenty-fifth call. 

The secret here is identifying the top-tier prospects you want to reach. Develop a plan to connect with these individuals by calling them consistently, even if you feel like you’re being intrusive. Leave voice messages periodically, but not on every call. 

4. Reconnect with Uninterested Prospects 

VSA has various clients whose products are up for renewal every few years. Several others target firms whose decision makers are not ready to purchase. 

For every prospect who first said no, about 20 percent set an appointment 6-12 months later. 

Try to learn as much as possible about the prospect’s current provider, and find out when the contract is up for renewal. Learn something about the prospect’s business to project when they might be ready for your service. Then plan a call two months prior to the date when the prospect might be interested in speaking. 

Be persistent in your attempts to get in touch and reference prior conversations. 

If no one but you is leaving messages, you set yourself apart. If you are persistent with your follow-up, you also differentiate yourself. Often it’s the extra effort that helps you get through to decision makers and win sales. 

Looking for more tactics to help generate leads? Reach out to VSA today!