All Things Sales

[malcolmminor]

Client Development Services, is worth looking into.  http://www.reachmorerevenue.com/

[mikeg09]

This can be very successful when done correctly.  Contact us for more information.

http://www.insidesalesconnect.com/

[Poppycock]

Only worth doing if you can find a firm and a telemarketing person with genuine knowledge of the industry you are selling into.

Hard work and tenacity aren't going to get you results if the person is not credible.

You've also got to consider the damage you are doing to your brand by being represented by anyone less than as good as money can buy.  You might get a few meetings if a typical telemarketer strong-arms someone into it but how much collateral damage have they done and how could you possibly measure it?  People who think less of your brand as a result of a poor approach won't ever tell you.

My firm for example specializes in just financial services technology (investment and retail banking, hedge funds and that sort of thing).  If we suddenly started doing medical or government we would be out of our credibility zone.

[raychang1]

I have mixed opinions about this and dependent on who can best represent your firm.

I have a strict belief that selling starts on the first impression.

Thus, if you want to outsource, the folks that are doing the work must have you company's personality mixed in.

At the same time, depending on what types of products you are selling, that may not matter.

I actually had a chance to talk to a firm like this and copied my contact's information.

Lee's a great guy and his company is pay on performance, which I like.

Yet, it was way too expensive for a small firm like our.  Perhaps, if I was still at IBM, I could afford him.

Lee Levitt
Chief Sales Officer
Blog: www.thoughtsonselling.com
Web: www.baoinc.com

[terryoehrke]

I tried an outsource lead generator.  I handed over 500 leads and worked with them on a script and just ran a test for about 3 weeks.  They went through 150 contacts, setup 4 meetings but in the end we didn't get any business from the 4 meetings and it cost us $900.

I'm still stiring with the same question.  I don't want to spend my time cold calling but at the same time I don't want to waste my leads by having an inexperienced person trying to give the contact enough information to setup a meeting.  We're an Internet and Mobile Marketing Agency.  Our world is not widely know and it's far from a cookie cutter/widget product.  It's a custom solution for each client based on their business needs.

I haven't found the answer yet but I wasn't impressed with my test and I'm more worried about the damage to the 146 contacts that they called but didn't equate to a meeting.  Right now I'm back to making my own calls and setting up meetings.  Obviously knowing the business means my close ratio for a meeting is 4 to 5 times better than what they did in the test.

Good luck.

[peteyflow]

funny how everyone here is trying to promote their company. cheers

[ElectricMark]

Depends on what you consider a lead.

[aardvark]

The answer is no.  I have worked for the last 5 years for companies doing lead generation.  The qualified lead or appointment is so much stronger and more likely to be a potential sale when it is done by in-house staff.  The concentration of outsourced lead generation is on the volume of appointments set not so much on the level of interest of the IT manager. 

Sure, you can hire a company that promises big results.  But at the end of the day what matters is closed sales. 

People in the IT space do not want to hear elevator pitches from lead generators.  Through interruption marketing you cannot expect significant results.  Through persistence over time, you will see results.  Especially in IT with changes daily, one has to re-examine a lead generation campaign constantly.  After all, the need for keeping a pipeline full is not for a limited time.

Aardvark

[a60490guy]

I've had a very positive experience with outsourced lead generation.  It is important to choose your outsource partner very carefully.   Some firms are nothing more than "call centers" while others are outsourced "inside sales" firms that will staff your program with individuals who have the appropriate skills.  You will want a firm that will dedicate trained individuals to your program throughout its duration and not just anyone who happens to have a pulse.

[PVCATBACKER]

Avoid call centers. Stick with boutique firms that utilize virtual reps. You get more experienced and knowledgeable callers with sales backgrounds, and should be more cost effective. Take a look at Green New Business or Straightline Strategies.