List Building
What’s a sensible way to build a prospect call list? Last week this question came up…from a Marketing Direct prospect in Florida.
His specialty is SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Before the recession advertising agencies payed him $5000 per month to optimize websites. But the recession forced him to retool his marketing plan. His new target is small business owners willing to spend $500 per month for his SEO service.
But how and where to get a prospect list? My advice was simple. Here it is.
- 1. Start list building with small steps. A highly targeted list of perhaps 100 or 200 prospects can work wonders. Whatever you do, do NOT get talked into a big list purchase for your market testing. EXAMPLE : Business owners buying books on SEO might be a good starting point. To that list add business owners attending seminars on SEO.
- 2. Boost your inbound SEO prospects via ppc (pay per click).
- 3. Test cold call to prospect list of perhaps 100 names. Include former clients…those not now active. Telemarketing done with the right personal touch is a great way to renew relationships with lapsed clients and build your customer base. Have ready for follow-up to these prospect an email letter. This letter emailed immediately after first call. Then, perhaps ten days later, follow-up call. From 100 prospects, consider two to five conversions @$500 ea. Then consider follow-up email to rest of list. Then a third call by phone to convert.
Whatever you do, you’ll need email follow-up letter.
Also consider this letter sent via regular snail mail. But the key is consistent follow-up by phone to your call list. This list can be a 100 name database. For testing, don’t get talked into buying a large list of prospects. Start small…and gradually expand your call list..but only when conditions warrant growth.
Another tip: Win support of your sales team at the very beginning of this program. Make telemarketing their partner — an additional sales tool and NOT a threat to their job security. Prove it quickly. If your telemarketer gets a “hot lead” on which a field rep needs to follow-up on immediately, he or she can leave message for that rep…and rep can be in touch with that account the same day.
Likewise, have field reps contact your telemarketer when cross selling lead develops. This gives field rep more time to develop new accounts and increase sales of their bread and butter accounts. Also, this dialog expands product knowledge of customer database for telemarketer.
That’s pretty much it. Nothing fancy. Just a simple way to get off the launching pad…without spending big bucks to get airborne.
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