So how can you be sure your sales leads are the best they can be? The answer is simple: follow some simple guidelines to ensure that every sales lead you generate will be of the highest quality. It would be best if you hired experienced and reliable third-party companies — that specialize in developing quality sales leads.
Lead Generation in Franchise and B2B Sales
By Gary Occhiogrosso – Recognized Franchise Expert and Managing Partner at Franchise Growth Solutions.
Introduction
Lead generation is an essential part of any business’s marketing efforts. If you are marketing a franchise or business opportunity, lead generation is probably a top priority. So how can you be sure your sales leads are the best they can be? There are many factors to consider when choosing where to advertise your franchise opportunity. You want to generate enough leads so that your sales reps have enough prospects to call on each day. The key is having enough quality prospects to follow up with once they’ve been contacted by the sales rep for an appointment or demonstration.
If you’re marketing a franchise or business opportunity, lead generation is probably a top priority. So how can you be sure your sales leads are the best they can be? The answer is simple: follow some simple guidelines to ensure that every sales lead you generate will be of the highest quality. It would be best if you hired experienced and reliable third-party companies that specialize in developing quality sales leads. These agencies generate high-quality B2B sales leads distributed to companies seeking buyers of franchises and business opportunities, as well as other B2B offers. They often maintain close relationships with key decision-makers at Fortune 500 companies, smaller businesses, and entrepreneurs looking for expansion.
First, evaluate where your leads are coming from and if they are producing results.
Evaluate where your leads are coming from. Are they from a reputable source? Are they producing results?
If you’re using a lead generation platform or software, look at the data and make sure it’s accurate. Are they the right type of leads? The right quantity? The right quality?
Common Lead Gen Sources
The top four ways to generate your sales leads most effectively are via online, print, broadcast and trade publications. Each of these channels has its own strengths and weaknesses, as well as advantages and disadvantages that can help or hinder your business.
The first step in deciding which channel is right for you is determining how much budget you have available to invest in lead generation activities. This can be done by identifying the total number of leads needed each month, then multiplying this number by an average cost per lead (CPL). For example: if you need 100 leads per month and a CPL of $100 per lead, then it will cost $10,000 each month just to generate those prospects! The next step is figuring out what kind of ROI each channel provides on investment (ROI). For example: if one type of channel gives a 10% return on investment but another gives an 80% return on investment – which would you choose?
Finally comes the question about which specific platforms within those channels are best suited for generating potential customers who have the highest probability of converting into clients?
Do your homework. Research the media channels thoroughly before investing in any lead generation campaign.
* Understand the audience you are targeting.
* Understand the purpose of advertising and how it will help your business’ bottom line.
* Understand how much you will pay for a campaign, and whether or not you can find a better deal elsewhere.
Once you have done this research, you should be able to make an informed decision about whether or not advertising is worth your time.
Monitor Results
You’ll need to determine who is responsible for monitoring the ad’s results, what kind of reporting will be provided and how often you should expect it.
For example, if your sales team is responsible for monitoring an advertisement campaign, make sure they understand that they are responsible for tracking responses and providing feedback on which ads have worked best (or worst). If you’ve entered into an agreement with a third-party provider that handles all advertising, request regular reports from them so that you can track how well your various campaigns are performing.
Lead Providers – Questions and Due Diligence
* Ask about other clients who have purchased advertising through the company. Be sure to ask for references.
* Ask about other clients who have purchased advertising through the company.
* Be sure to ask for references and testimonials, as well.
* Ask for case studies of work done with clients like yours in the past, as well as feedback from those same clients on their experiences with your prospective supplier or agency partner’s services/products/programs/etc.. (Note: case studies should be written by actual customers; testimonials may be written by either customers or employees).
* Request a list of all current clients so you can check them out on social media (Facebook, LinkedIn) and see what they are saying about the organization(s) they work with most often—and perhaps even reach out directly via social media channels such as Twitter or Instagram if you feel comfortable doing so!
The Heart of the Matter
Sales leads are at the heart of any lead generation campaign so it’s important to choose them carefully. Sales leads are people who have expressed interest in your products or services but haven’t yet made a purchase. They may be considering a purchase now, or they might wait until a later date. Sales leads can come from many places: online ads and search engine optimization (SEO) efforts are two key sources, but you’ll also find them by visiting trade shows and conferences that target your ideal customer base. Lead generation experts recommend using multiple methods in tandem when developing an effective sales strategy because each one has its own strengths and weaknesses—and no one method works best for every industry!
Conclusion
We’ve covered much ground in this post. Follow these tips, create a plan and execute. Lead Gen is a critical component of your successful sales program. For more information on accelerating your franchise sales contact Franchise Growth Solutions, and let’s start the conversation.