B2B Lead Generation Programs without Nurturing Prove Unsuccessful

Posted by JasonB on September 22, 2009

I’m a partner in a company that provides B2B lead generation and our program does in fact use the phone as a primary tool in developing potential business opportunities for our clients.  As a business owner, with the nature of my business aside, I avoid solicitation calls like the plague.  Why?  Not because I don’t want to hear about an offer, or a potential solution, but because I’m busy making decisions about operating my business.  I’m a decision maker, that’s what we do, and if you catch me with a call you better have a good intro-pitch to keep me listening.  But catching me on the phone is a rarity and, generally speaking, other methods of contact are more effective.  I know my situation is typical of most decision makers and, for that reason, if your prospecting program does not include a long term strategy to nurture leads, it will fail.

Consider this: if you “spray” (a lot of calls in a short period of time) a group of prospective targets, you will only reach a real decision maker 5-10% of the time.  This isn’t due to the quality of the telemarketer but rather, connecting with a real Key Decision Maker (KDM) is a big challenge.  They’re simply not taking calls and are too busy making important business decisions to focus on other things.  So the question arises:  How do you connect with the 90+% targets your telemarketing missed?

1. Message Delivery: A successful B2B lead generation program can use the phone, but should also deliver compelling messages while maintaining awareness over a long period of time.  Since telemarketing is generally used as a short term campaign, effectiveness of the phone can quickly become insignificant if used as the only source of communication in approaching key decision makers.  Once you have identified a prospect, you’ll often notice that they don’t usually respond to calls – so how do you successfully get your information in the KDM’s hands? To increase the chances of your message getting seen, not only should it stand out amongst the clutter of your competitors, but it must be expressed in a variety of formats.  Consider a combination of various communication outlets such as email, web video, and direct mail to effectively express your message.
2. Timing: You could sit a prospect down in front of an IMAX movie about your service, but in today’s economy, if they’re not in a buying cycle you’re wasting your time and resources.  KDMs today are thinking about two things: bottom line and new solutions for increasing company profitability.  Because of this, when your target is interested in new opportunities, the company that is top-of-mind stands the best chance of receiving acknowledgment.   To remain top-of-mind you must touch a prospect 8-12 times per year.  A nurture program is essential to advancing any area of B2B lead generation as it allows for a continuous, and structured, flow of communication.  Think of it this way; nurturing is like holding a prospects hand throughout the buying process, a constant reassurance of your company’s presence in the marketplace.  However, for a successful nurture program, sending the same message 12 times a year should be avoided.  Mix it up with different messages and formats.  If you connect with a prospect via the phone, and it doesn’t result in an appointment, the following messages should reflect the information gathered during that conversation.  Expressing an understanding of where your prospect is in the buying cycle, and adjusting communication accordingly, will keep your company in the forefront when the KDM is ready to purchase.
3. Social Media: Speaking of buying cycles, did you know the KDMs visit social websites MORE than corporate websites to find information about a solution or company?  This occurs even more when KDMs are in the early stages of the buying cycle and are searching for information about their particular business needs.  By blogging on a social site, or using a web video, you can successfully position your company as a needed informational resource.  This allows you the opportunity to not only persuade your prospect to follow your input through a series of compelling messages, but nonchalantly creates an open door for relationship cultivation.

I hope this post gives you some food for thought when considering prospecting and nurturing to generate B2B leads.  As usual, let us know if we can help, and please subscribe to our blog for future posts on ways to find new business for your business.