If your company has difficulty finding lucrative sales prospects, think about using a lead generation agency. Nearly half of small to medium-size firms pay companies to supply them with potential customers. This solution provides an efficient way to boost sales, but it only works well when you select an agency wisely.
Experience
Try to pick a lead generation service with relevant long-term experience. The company’s employees must understand a client’s business before they can find suitable leads. Look for an agency that has familiarity with your industry. Depending on your needs, the staff should know how to acquire business-to-business or business-to-consumer prospects.
Can the agency provide statistics on the average conversion rate of its leads? A high percentage means that many prospects make purchases. If you choose a new company without a substantial track record, you might cut costs but face a higher level of risk. You may benefit from researching the founder’s background.
Reputation
There are numerous sites that publish client reviews of lead generation companies. These assessments could help you learn about data quality or customer service. You can also request an existing client’s contact information from an agency. Ask this person about lead quality and conversions.
Capabilities
Find out if a company has the ability to supply enough leads; learn about its staff, offices and other resources. This probably won’t become a serious issue for a small business. However, a poorly staffed agency might have difficulty meeting the needs of a large corporation. It could compromise quality when attempting to do so.
Exclusivity
Ask the agency if it provides exclusive leads or sells them to more than one client. Although they cost more, exclusive prospects hold much greater value. People might be less receptive to your offer if multiple competitors have already contacted them.
Techniques
Discover how each firm acquires leads. Most agencies use social media, content marketing, email, postal mail, pay-per-click ads, press releases, telemarketing or search engine optimisation. Many employ a combination of these methods. Every technique has a different cost and response rate.
If a lead generation agency calls potential customers on the phone, it will probably have better success at gathering business-to-business leads than consumer prospects. Unlike individuals at home, company officials often respond favourably to telemarketing. A phone-based campaign will only perform well if the agency employs callers who speak English clearly and fluently.
Numerous firms continue to utilise email marketing because it frequently delivers excellent results. Nevertheless, you should only choose an agency that uses proper targeting. Certain lead generators still rely on sending unsolicited messages to random addresses. This strategy has the potential to do more harm than good.
Spam Concerns
Some untrustworthy agencies send low-quality leads to multiple clients who unknowingly commit Do Not Call or CAN-SPAM violations when they attempt to reach prospects. If you hire one of these firms, their leads could trigger fines, harm your reputation or cause internet service providers to permanently block your email messages.
Strategy
Certain agencies focus on outbound marketing methods, such as mailing ads and making phone calls to unfamiliar individuals. Others favour inbound promotion; potential customers initiate contact. Although both strategies can deliver lucrative results, inbound tactics tend to enhance the lead quality and conversion rate.
Outsourcing
Ask if a lead generator pays subcontractors to supply some of its prospects. Although this practice isn’t necessarily harmful, it becomes harder for an agency to confirm that the data was obtained ethically. A dishonest subcontractor might utilise malware or deceive internet users into providing their contact information.
Language
If your firm serves customers who speak different languages, consider looking for an agency with a bilingual or multilingual staff. For example, an office supply company in Quebec could benefit from a lead generator that has the ability to communicate with prospects in both English and French.
Receiving Data
Does your business use customer relationship management software? If so, look for a service provider that can directly transfer prospect data to your CRM system. Otherwise, your staff may need to enter the information manually; this increases labour costs and the risk of errors. The data transfer process holds greater importance if you plan to order leads in bulk.
Quality
Remember to focus on quality rather than quantity. You’ll gain much greater benefits from an agency that supplies you with potential customers who have a genuine, serious interest in your product. Try to choose a firm with a willingness to customize its services and meet your company’s specific needs. It should also compile data carefully to avoid sending the wrong information or duplicate leads.
If a lead generator provides a free trial option, you’ll have a chance to evaluate its offerings before you spend any money. You could also maximise quality by selecting an agency with an appointment setting service. Rather than simply sending you lists of contact information, this firm will arrange appointment times when you can speak to prospective customers.
Verification
Determine if an agency takes steps to verify the quality of each lead. For instance, its staff could communicate with potential buyers via email or phone before sending their contact details to you. This helps ensure that prospects sincerely desire your product and actually want someone to call them.
Scoring
You might benefit from choosing an agency with a sophisticated scoring system. This means that it uses various criteria to rate each prospective customer’s level of interest in your business. A person who uses multiple methods to seek information about your service would have a higher score than someone who only fills out one form. The scores could help you prioritize leads and personalize your messages.
Payment
A lead generator may charge for each prospect, appointment or completed sale. The last two options closely link compensation to results, but you can expect to pay higher per-unit fees. Only per-lead pricing is suitable for some purposes, such as attracting new users to a free, ad-supported service.
If you decide to pay for each contact, ask the agency for its definition of a qualifying lead. A firm shouldn’t expect you to accept erroneous contact information or prospects who don’t really want to make any purchases. The same goes for potential customers in locations outside of your service area.
Refund Policies
As you compare agencies, don’t forget to look at their guarantees. Pick a company that promises to provide a prompt refund when leads don’t meet the above-mentioned standards. Online reviews may help you find out if the firm actually honours its guarantee when problems arise.
Client Support
Before you select a company, try to contact its staff with a few questions. Beware of firms that send cryptic answers or take days to respond. Many well-regarded agencies provide personal account managers. They can help you request and customise marketing services.
To sum it up, you’ll benefit from choosing an experienced, capable agency that uses ethical strategies to gather high-quality leads. For the best results, it should also screen each prospect thoroughly and use a convenient method to transfer data to your company.
