The #1 Sales Demon of Q2, and the Trickery to Kill it

Based on our work for CCSI clients, and our ongoing strategic discussions with prospects, a new demon emerged in Q2 that is proving to be a sales obstacle for some organizations. It’s not what you think. It has nothing to do with financial capital, but everything to do with human capital. It’s your….RESPONSE TIME.

The Q2 Reality Check

We are now in that phase of the sales and marketing calendar when the best laid plans are either paying off, or not. A number of you have been going down a path that is intended to support sales pipeline development. So far, those of you who are taking an objective look at the results, and adjusting your tactics immediately are finding the results you need.

Here are some examples of sales situations that B2B sales and marketing leaders are finding themselves in this quarter – and effective ways to respond quickly:

Lead Generation Challenge #1: I planned on having an updated marketing database by now. With daily fires to put out, I can’t find the time or the appropriate resources to do the research to make this happen.

CCSI Solution: If you happen to have email addresses for even a fraction of your marketing database, create and launch an email campaign. This is the fastest way to prioritize your interested prospects, and see your “bounces” – those people for whom you no longer have accurate contact information. Be sure to follow up on your interested parties within 24 to 48 hours after launching the campaign. If you do not have email addresses, conduct a short-term outbound calling campaign. An updated marketing database is the by-product of all CCSI lead generation campaigns. Choose a segment of your list, and try this for 4-6 weeks if you can’t commit to a longer-term campaign.

Lead Generation Challenge #2: I’m not connecting with the right prospects. Either the companies are too small, or the titles we’re talking to are not the people with the need or the budget.

CCSI Solution: Some organizations have chosen to acknowledge that they simply don’t have a targeted database, and have engaged CCSI to develop a list for them. The way CCSI sees it – we are not paid to maximize dials against a flawed list, we are paid to qualify leads for our clients' sales teams. It is ok to throw out a bad list to have a custom one developed for you. With today’s advances in online resources, the process is fast, efficient, and extremely cost-effective. Far more cost-effective and accurate than hiring those college kids on summer break or diverting internal team members.

Lead Generation Challenge #3: I am not finding enough prospects to nurture. With limited budgets, we are simply not in a position to support enough lead-generating marketing programs.

CCSI Solution: In Q2, 2009, it takes diligence and saavy, not expensive marketing programs, to incrementally increase the size of your prospect database. You’d be surprised how much traffic you can drive to your website from LinkedIn profiles, for example. Also blog activity, not only posting articles to your own blog, but posting comments to the blogs of others, can appear in search engine results literally overnight to help prospects find you. This is a great time of year to launch a simple online promotion around a white paper.

Lead Generation Challenge #4: My boss wants me to implement a social media strategy.  I don’t have the time, or the experience to create a social media presence that will help me capture more leads.

CCSI Solution:  Like any other form of marketing, this strategy can be outsourced to the right provider. Unfortunately, there are many consultants out there who are dispensing advice, largely about “what to watch out for” or “what not to do” regarding social media. In the meantime, CCSI is implementing social media tools for its clients right now.

Developing social media is a very natural capability for organizations that are experienced online marketing mavens. It requires a combination of content development, SEO skills, graphic design talent, reporting, lead generation, and a strong understanding of usability. It is also key to integrate the initiative into the overall marketing strategy.  Great strides in social media marketing can be accomplished very efficiently for organizations that have content to leverage, such as white papers, case studies, testimonials, and thought leadership materials. Outsourcing to the right firm can be like hitting the quick start button.

If you can identify with any of the lead generation challenges above, we are here to help you improve your response time to a solution. Please contact me to discuss in more detail:

Kathryn Tito | Director of Business Development & Marketing |  1(800)959-3682 x219

Call Center Services, Inc. is your partner in lead generation and sales conversion. Serving a wide-breadth of clients across dozens of industries, from the world's leading providers of IT products and services to small or mid-sized organizations and start-ups, CCSI has been providing high-conversion sales and marketing services since 1992. 

175 Cabot Street | Suite 440 | Lowell, MA 01854