Why Should I Meet With You?

If you want a prospect to meet with you, there better be a good reason--a compelling can hardly live without knowing more reason.

Today’s business world flies at break-neck pace making time the most precious commodity and if a prospective customer is giving up some, he has to get something of greater or equal value in return.

What do you have to give? What is your value proposition? If you don’t know, it’s time to define it.

A prospect will spend time with you if he perceives you have something that will in some way(s), make his life better. You won’t get in the door satisfying a want or need. He can find that satisfaction anywhere. You aren’t the only shop on the block. You do have something that is unique that may entice your prospect to meet though. Figuring it out is the cornerstone of your approach.

Here is a typical approach used by more sales reps than you’d care to imagine:

Good Morning, This is John with XYZ Widget Company and we help our clients streamline production by using our innovative products.

What does that mean exactly? Nothing! Like the blind squirrel finding the acorn, an occasional appointment can be had with this below average attempt, but it sure won’t fill a sales pipeline.

To really attract attention, give examples of what your product does for named clients and how they feel using it. Be specific. Talk about cutting expense, adding more dollars to the bottom line and customer experience. For instance:

Good Morning, This is John with XYZ Widget Company and we have a process that has helped ABC, DEF and GHI companies increase sales by more than 30%. They also cut labor expense by 20% and the managers, like you, received nice cash bonuses and were able to stay home weekends.

Be specific. If you want a prospect to spend valuable time with you, give him a reason—a real reason to do so.

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90% of Some Marketing Budgets Spent on Appointment Setting

By Sally Johnson

It’s important enough to focus on and I can’t stress it enough… Telemarketing is used to set appointments because it works!

Some businesses are so aware of how effective this is that they spend as much as 90% of their marketing budgets to have telemarketers set appointments for their salespeople. Getting their sales reps in front of the right decision maker increases the liklihood of a sale, and businesses know it!

That’s because the sales person is able to have an uninterrupted and exclusive time with the prospect. This undivided attention gives a good sales person the chance to present the features and benefits of the product, answer objections and close the sale. It’s much harder for the prospect to say “no” when they are face-to-face with the presenter.

In fact, it increases the sales rate dramatically and businesses know this. Cold calling is a drudgery compared to having a standing appointment already set for an in-person meeting with the decision maker. Telemarketing is used to set appointments and businesses have found it to be worth the expense.

Sally Johnson has been in the telemarketing business for over 20 years and now enjoys written and researching new industy trends.

8 Powerful B2B Sales Lead Generation Techniques To Help You Reach Your Sales Prospects

By M. H. "Mac" McIntosh, President, Mac McIntosh Incorporated

Most of the fastest growing B2B companies do not rely solely on just one sales lead generation method. Sat Feb 3, 2007

Most of the fastest growing B2B companies do not rely solely on just one sales lead generation method. They have a complete arsenal of sales lead generation tools at their fingertips, that they can use at any given time.Here are my eight proven B2B sales leads generation techniques gleaned from helping over 170 B2B companies reach their sales prospects:

1. Sales lead generation using relationship marketing

Relationship Marketing is the approach underlying all of the "sales-lead-generation-success" methods. Relationship marketing simply refers to cultivating a personal, sales-winning relationship with your prospects. It’s about developing longer-term relationships with customers rather than individual transactions. During my 20+ years of experience in B2B sales lead generation, I've discovered the key to picking up sales others leave on the table is to keep in touch with your prospects via a series of ongoing communications and offers throughout your prospective customers' consideration processes.

2. Sales lead generation through complementary partner referrals

By joining forces with complementary partners, you can instantly multiply your sales lead generation pool and make it easier for companies to engage in doing business with you. Out of all the sales lead generation programs available to you, complementary partner referral programs can generate the highest qualified B2B sales leads.

3. Sales lead generation using search engine optimization and Internet marketing strategies

Business buyers are more sophisticated and getting harder to reach than ever. Studies show that about 90% of business buyers start with research on the Internet, therefore it’s critical to have a well-tuned sales lead generation program that includes search engine optimization (SEO)/Internet marketing strategies to attract prospects at the beginning of their buying cycle.

4. Sales lead generation via telemarketing

Even though many people despise the thought of telemarketing, when executed properly it is a very effective sales lead generation tool. Telemarketing is a personal marketing and sales lead generation technique that offers a cost-effective, efficient alternative to field selling. However, it can be significantly more expensive than direct mail or email. By including telemarketing in your B2B sales lead generation marketing plan, you can reach up to thirty decision-makers a day at a cost of $15 to $20 per contact. In contrast, with field sales you can reach only four or five decision-makers a day at an average cost of $392 or more per contact. Direct mail may cost as little as a dollar, and email is often much less. However, if you consistently prospect and nurture leads via phone, you will consistently generate qualified sales leads.

5. Sales lead generation with email publications

By creating your own email newsletter, you could send out industry news and tips to suspects in your market. Since you will be on your prospects’ minds more often than your competition, eventually, your sales leads will turn into actual sales. If you subscribe to my e-newsletter, Sales Lead Report, you will see an example of an email publication that keeps my name and business in front of over 8,000 people every month.

6. Sales Lead Generation With Direct Mail

There is an entire industry of people like Dan Kennedy, Bob Bly, and Bill Glazer who are dedicated to business-to-business selling through direct marketing. Sales letters can be an excellent sales lead generation method. But, most sales and business professionals do not know how to use this lead generation technique effectively and efficiently.The complaint is a common one among B2B companies that depend on direct mail and direct response marketing as their only sales lead generation program: "I'm sick of spending a fortune to send out thousands of full-color catalogs and direct-mail pieces only to get a measly 1% response rate. How can I cut costs and find a more practical way to get my target market to respond to my direct mail or catalogs?"My clients have found that the best place to start revamping their direct response marketing is by determining who their best customers are, then trying to target their database marketing efforts at companies and individuals who are similar in nature.

7. Sales Lead Generation Using Print Advertising

When done correctly, print advertising can be a highly effective sales lead generation activity. When using print advertising as your B2B sales leads generation method, you must remember to focus your advertising's message on the benefits and applications of your products or services. Then let the layout and design of your ads enhance your company's image. And, don’t forget to only use publications that deliver messages directly to your targeted audience.

8. Sales Lead generation via Event Marketing

Whether you do it live, through the telephone (teleseminars) or via the Web (webinars), seminars and workshops are a great sales lead generation tool. People who attend your seminar have an interest in the information you are presenting and a need for your product or service. The goal: Connect with customers in a meaningful wayBy using these eight proven B2B sales leads generation methods gleaned from helping over 170 B2B companies reach their prospects, you will capture more sales-ready opportunities for your salespeople to turn into new business, meaning greater sales revenue and profits for your company.

_________________________________________________________

M. H. "Mac" McIntosh is described by many as America's leading authority on inquiry handling and sales lead management. He is president of Mac McIntosh Incorporated, a sales and marketing consulting firm specializing in helping companies get more high-quality sales leads and turn them into sales. To request a free subscription to his newsletter, Sales Lead Report, contact him at: Mac McIntosh, Inc., 601 Pendar Rd. North Kingstown, RI 0-2852-6620

Phone: 800-944-5553 or 401-294-7730. Fax: 800-944-5513.

Email: mcintosh@salesleadexperts.com Web: http://www.salesleadexperts.com/

Attributes of Top Telemarketers

There are specific attributes the top telemarketing sales appointment setter’s posses. Without these traits, they fall into the “also ran” pack of telephone callers who will help your business to the extent a blind squirrel finds an acorn.

Using a phone to convey value and set an appointment with a qualified decision maker is a skill that is inherent. Learning it is hard, at best. That’s why enlightened sales management separates appointment setting from selling. The skill sets are very different.

Whether you run an in-house call center or outsource appointment setting here are the traits your telemarketer must have:

1. Intelligent. Not MENSA Society smarts, but knowing the regional difference between Kankakee and Poughkeepsie is nice.

2. Conversationalist. The ability to engage in intelligent discourse about the prospects’ business, hobbies, family or pets.

3. Quick thinker. Must be able to react quickly to the hundreds of verbal curve balls that are pitched every day. The answers are not on the script.

4. Driven. The desire to dial and dial again when most prospects tell you no. Substitute the description Fearless in this category.

5. Meticulous. A carefully constructed note about conversations and follow-up activities is the difference between success and abject failure.

6. Punctual. Time waits for no man. Calls to prospects are carefully planned and coordinated and must be made during assigned periods.

7. Proud. The deep-seated conviction that an entire deal is built on the foundation of the first telemarketing call.

8. Competitive. An innate need to win—to set more appointments and make more money for the company.

Finding top sales appointment setters isn’t easy work. They come in many shapes and sizes and from all walks of life. Use the list above to qualify and put the right telemarketers to work for you. It’ll mean the difference between beating sales projections and struggling to make budget.

The Reality of Telemarketing

Forget what you think telemarketing is and embrace the reality that it is used by the largest companies in the world to introduce new products, gauge customer satisfaction and schedule qualified sales appointments.

Today’s telemarketing is the purest form of direct marketing and direct marketing is the shortest distance between two points for business success. With the overload of messages crashing into consumers, a clear voice that rises above the din must be found. Telemarketing is that voice.

To be sure, there are a few firms that still practice boiler room telemarketing tactics of days gone by. The majority, however, are professional organizations committed to your complete success.

When hiring a telemarketing firm, look for very specific attributes:

• Knowledgeable, well-spoken company representatives

• Expertise in telling your story

• Excellence in building the right list of qualified prospects to call

• No long-term contract

• A non-disclosure, confidentiality agreement

• Clear and understandable campaign reporting

• Open, meaningful communication

• Establishment of goals and measurement tools

• Interaction between your sales and management team and the professional telemarketers

• Pricing that is clear and fair

• The ability to analyze, test and refocus campaigns for your maximum result

If you sell any product or service, and want to put it in the hands of your best prospects, you should use telemarketing professionals. If you have a customer base and want to build loyalty and repeat business you should use telemarketing professionals. The investment will pay for itself many times over and become the centerpiece of your direct marketing strategy.