Are Your Lead Generation Efforts Failing to Produce Results?

Nothing is more disappointing than working hard to develop a lead generation program only to be rewarded with few, low-quality leads, poor appointment setting results, and a lack of closed sales. If your lead generation efforts have failed to meet your expectations, the first thing you need to do is identify what mistakes you are making and work to correct those mistakes. Fortunately, this is not difficult to do.

The failure of most lead generation programs stem from many of the same problems. Once you pinpoint these problems, it isn’t hard to make the necessary adjustments to get your program going in the right direction.

• You are calling on the wrong prospects. While everyone would love to land only huge accounts, in most cases, this isn’t realistic. If you are a public relations professional, chances are you need to contact more, smaller companies that are looking for PR assistance. That’s because large companies will likely have a public relations department in-house. It’s important to remember that multiple, smaller accounts can be just as lucrative as one or two big accounts.
• You aren’t getting in touch with the decision maker. A little research is all it takes to turn this problem around. Always find out before you place a sales call who has the purchasing power. If you begin your telemarketing efforts by asking who you need to speak with, you can expect to be shut down immediately by the dreaded gatekeeper.
• Your opening sounds unnatural or overly scripted. Sales and telemarketing calls are sure to fail when you sound like you are reading from a script. Experts estimate that you have approximately 10 seconds at the beginning of each call to make an impression. Make those 10 seconds count by sounding engaging and relaxed. Also remember to keep your introduction short and to the point.
• You aren’t getting exclusive leads. Don’t risk being one of many companies calling on the same prospects. This often happens when you hire a cut-rate lead generation service. If you are going to work with a lead generation company, make sure that you partner with one that has a proven track record of providing leads that produce superior results.

In today’s fast-paced sales environment, time is money. That’s why you must constantly monitor your lead generation efforts so that you can do more of what is working, and less of what is keeping you from closing sales!