Lessons from The Godfather: Outbound Telemarketing and Lead Generation

Lessons from The Godfather Outbound Telemarketing and Lead Generation

It revived Marlon Brando’s career, and it launched Al Pacino into stardom. The Godfather has been on top of many lists of greatest films of all time since its release during the early 70’s, and on countless occasions it has been quoted, parodied, and referenced to, cementing its impact on pop culture as a true classic, an almost “perfect” film.

It teaches many valuable lessons in business, family, and life in general, and yes, even in ways unimaginable, it also reflects insights on Outbound Telemarketing and Lead Generation, both essential aspects of survival in the ferocious world of commerce and the growing industrial revolution.

So what does Don Vito and the rest of the Corleone family teach us about Outbound Telemarketing and Lead Generation?

Lesson #1: It’s nothing personal – it’s strictly business.

In the Mafia world, all efforts, even acts of violence and murder, are justified by one’s desire to protect a business or livelihood, and they are not considered personal attacks but merely a business initiative. Similarly, professional telemarketers should also learn to draw the line between his or her duty and whatever personal biases he or she may have as an individual. When conducting Business-to-Business(B2B) Lead Generation and Appointment Setting, the telemarketer simply represents a certain company, and must not go beyond the business’s established values and goals just for personal gain or prejudice.

Lesson #2: Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.

As the Don or the head of a prolific Italian-American family in New York, tough competition is to be expected, not only in business but also in power and influence. That is why Don Vito Corleone spends a great deal of money and effort to make sure he knows the whole lot about anyone or anything that can affect his empire. He has a dedicated group of people whose sole task is to keep him informed on what’s going on out there – who’s in charge, what they want, what they do, and how they do it. On a smaller but comparable scale, a good Lead Generation services provider should also have qualified people, tools and resources to keep the pipeline data sufficient and updated. Likewise, they must also be kept posted on what other providers use as methods to gather relevant information about the target market.

Lesson #3: Make them an offer they cannot refuse.

When making business deals, Don Vito sees to it that both sides have something to gain. He offers financial support, protection and security to a businessman in exchange for sheer friendship and loyalty- things he values the most. Every day, professional telemarketers also talk to CEO’s and Managers proposing potential business partnerships. Using their skill, knowledge and charisma, they must nurture the relationship with trust to establish a strong business “friendship”. They must also be flexible to the needs of the prospect in order to work out a deal where both sides can profit and everybody is happy. The point is to make them an offer they cannot refuse – without resorting to Mafia-like crime and violence, of course.