As much as everyone in the business world all have come to rely on email, social media, content, mobile web and marketing automation, it all still boils down to a phone call. The IT industry is not an exception; they may be experts in online and software technology, but they still like talking on the phone – especially for business.
IT consulting firms are typically the target for a B2B lead generation campaign. And because they’re in the IT consulting genre, telemarketers can never really persuade them through “technical” words. In short, one has to find another route if they want to get leadsfrom IT people.
Here are three simple but ‘advanced’ steps for you to land that lead:
- Uncover pain. Before the call, you should have a rock-hard understanding of the pain points that this prospect might be having. Try to ask assertive questions regarding the current condition of other businesses in the industry. What challenges are they experiencing? Some prospects would deny their struggles, in which case you need to cite examples of what other particular companies are going through. If you’re able to have them open up to you about their problems, the next steps would be a lot easier.
- Establish value. It’s important to have available resources in your pocket, ready to be pulled out during the conversation whenever necessary. What resources, you ask? Unique value propositions. If a prospect tells you they’ve been having problems with something, make sure you have something valuable to share that addresses that issue, something that could make them realize that you do know what you’re talking about. It’s not just facts and figures; you should be able to send across a message full of insight and expertise.
- Make sure it clicks. Getting a ‘yes’ from a prospect doesn’t guarantee a healthy business relationship. Most marketers can become so focused on ‘closing the deal’ without really taking time to assess whether they’ve found a worthy match. Is the prospect absolutely sure? Will this deal withstand time? Does the lead meet all the criteria set for defining a qualified, targeted lead? If a half-boiled lead is passed on to the next stage of the sales process only to be deemed not good enough, it would have wasted a huge amount of resources. It’s better to tell as early as possible if it’s a winning deal.
