Lead generation is the lifeline of your business.
Without qualified leads, you’re wasting valuable resources trying to sell in the dark. There are hundreds of different lead generation companies and services on the market today. But not all of them deliver quality leads. As I’m sure you know, 1,000 qualified leads are much more valuable than 10,000 random email addresses.
Whether you’re launching a startup company or have a well-established business, every organization needs customers to survive. The right lead generation service can deliver what you need to make your business thrive. In this article we will share with you five powerful strategies for choosing a lead generation service that delivers quality results…
#1. Get referrals
If you’re considering working with a lead generation company, ask your peers who they recommend. If possible, get in touch with previous clients to find out what they think of the service and whether their results were worthwhile. The best lead generation companies develop long-standing relationships with clients rather than trying to make one-time sales. This ensures that clients will be willing to provide solid references whenever necessary…even if they decided not to work with the company again for some reason or another.
What Should You Look for?
Search for reviews on review sites like Google+ Local, BBB (Better Business Bureau), Trust Pilot, Yellow Pages & Yelp! Also read verified customer reviews on merchant websites if they are available. If it’s a new company, see if they have references you can contact who they’ve worked with in the past.
#2. Ensure multiple service options & flexible terms
The best lead generation companies offer clients various ways to purchase leads and different types of services. This flexibility ensures that your campaigns will provide maximum results and value for each dollar spent…and won’t cost you more than what’s necessary…or not deliver the same level of results as other programs would if they were used instead.
They should be willing to work with you to create a custom package that meets all of your needs without forcing you into an expensive contract or pre-determined monthly budget. What Should You Look for?
Look for options to pay per lead, pay per call, pay per conversion…or some variation thereof. You should also look for flexible terms that allow you to cancel at any time without penalty.
Make sure there aren’t extra charges related to the leads you’re purchasing (i.e. setup fees, termination fees, etc.). If they do charge fees, find out how much it will be and compare them to similar companies in the industry…some of them may be cheaper than others even though they offer similar services with proven results.
#3. Assess their experience
The best lead generation services help businesses get more ROI from their marketing dollars. It’s the only way they can make a living and continue to provide clients with quality services in the future. This means that, in addition to providing leads, they should provide support throughout the entire sales process to ensure that your campaigns are running smoothly at all times…
and that you’re receiving maximum results for each campaign. Don’t just take their word for it – ask them how many years they’ve been in business, who their client list consists of, how long it usually takes for new leads to start calling after being contacted to verify they’ll be available when you need them.
Make sure lead generation services have been around for at least 3 or 4 years. This will give you an idea of how reliable they are and how well they tend to run their business (i.e. if they can’t manage a company for more than a few years, what does that mean about how they’ll be able to help your company grow in the long-term?).
Get details on some of their previous clients and call them yourself to verify that they’re happy with their services (and get details about the results they’ve received from using this service).
#4. Conduct telephone interviews
It’s important to find out exactly why companies need leads, what type of leads are best for their industry, who provides these leads, etc…to