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4 Key Points in Increasing B2B Sales Leads Conversions

4 Key Points in Increasing B2B Sales Leads Conversions

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Sometimes marketers would get to thinking that a prospect’s decision to perform an action – say, make a purchase or subscribe to a newsletter – solely depends on that person. The notion is that marketers could only go as far as presenting options and information to prospects, and the rest is up to them.

On the contrary, there are things B2B marketers could do to help increase their chances in converting ordinary prospects into sales leads. The very core of lead generation is in the ability to persuade people to commit to something, and this mission entails deep understanding and methodical approaches.

Vann Morris, Director of Buying Behavior Studies with MLT Creative, shares a post at mltcreative.com on what 4 controlled steps marketers need to take in order to boost B2B sales conversions. She calls it B2B Marketing Science:

Step 1: B2B Buyer Persona

Sure we all want a free iPad, but that may not be the thing that will persuade your prospects to convert to a lead on your website.  You have to know what their pain points are, what their needs are, what can help them, etc., and buyer persona interviews are the key to finding all those things. So before you do anything, you simply must develop your buyer personas.

Step 2: Use That Info Immediately

Once you develop your b2b buyer persona, immediately begin using those buyer personas to guide your CTAs and other marketing promotion. You must keep the momentum going – do not put them down, or like so many others before you they will simply end up on a shelf.

Step 3: Keep it Simple

Research shows that when people receive multiple persuasive attempts at once – sometimes as little as 2! – it can significantly lower their chance of conversion.  So know what they want to hear, and say it in a persuasive manner – but only say it using one persuasive method.

Step 4: Use Emotion

We all like to think of ourselves as rational human beings, but research has found that the majority of our decision-making is subconscious and emotional.  So when you are strategizing how to persuade them, consider using an emotional appeal in order to reach the most salient factor that could affect their conversion.  (And again – you will find out what could appeal to their emotions through your buyer persona interviews.)

Read the entire post at MLT Creative

Let Your Instincts Help In Generating Sales Leads In Singapore

Let Your Instincts Help In Generating Sales Leads In Singapore

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When it comes to generating sales leads in Singapore, we are often interested in the numbers, the statistics, of your business prospects. You want to be successful in your B2B lead generation campaign, so you need the facts clear, no doubts or misgivings. However, even the smartest or the most accurate data may not be a good measure for profits. Sometimes, the best business solutions come from what your instincts are telling you. In that case, you must nurture your instincts well. Let it become a useful aid in your decision making. In any case, you should cultivate it. To do that, you might want to take note of the following tips:

  1. Heed your interests – your instincts are hard-wired to what interests you. If you feel like singing, and you really are driven to sing, this is your instincts telling you that you are on to something. Your instinct is actually passion, in another form. What you love to do will define what your instincts will tell you to do.
  2. Give your everything – every instinct, in order to be effective, requires that you fully dedicate your efforts to make things happen. Basically speaking, you have to put in a lot of work. Well, this is a good thing, come to think of it. If you want to follow what you feel is right, like some new B2B lead generation tactic, you will find a way to get it done, no matter what obstacles or challenges lay in your way.
  3. Be involved with your idea – as mentioned previously, your instincts are defined by what you love to do the most. By getting immersed in the world around of our ideas and dreams, we get to gather knowledge and plans that can help us, either now or later. What is nice about this is that others cannot say you have no idea how your plan works. You are actually living it already.
  4. Go against the rules – while this advice is definitely not for everyone, it does hold some merit for the ones that need it. Remember that the business environment changes over time, maybe even faster now. This means that whatever rules you follow today are following the trends of the past. If you want to make a difference, you have to create rules that are applicable today. For example, using social media and B2B telemarketing together to make things happen.
  5. Be ready to change – the only thing that never changes in this world is change itself. Your business ideas and plans will also change, depending on how the market sees this. What may seem to be a winning product or service may not be so interesting now. All you can do is to be ready to meet with the change. That is how you survive in today’s business environment.

As marketers in Singapore, you should also count on your instincts to tell you what to do. Sure, this might be hard to believe, but your instincts can really help you in your B2B lead generation efforts.

Take Your Time And Win More Sales Leads

Take Your Time And Win More Sales Leads

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In the fast-paced business world of Singapore, especially in the B2B lead generation, if you are too slow in looking for sales leads, then you will get beaten by your competition. It’s true that when you say sales, it’s always a numbers game. However, the problem is you might be going too fast.

If you are targeting SMBs or even big companies, making 200 calls per days is not an answer to get hold of your prospects. Why? Many decision makers have stopped answering their phones and direct them to voicemails – which are deleted soon after you’ve left a message, especially if they know it came from a salesperson.

In my 10 years of experience as a salesperson, I’ve discovered that it is important to take your time to nurture and build the relationship with your prospects to win them and convert them into loyal customers.

Here are 4 ways to win your prospects the right way.

Research

Before sending an email or make a call to your prospect, make sure to research about your prospect and the company that you’re going to call. Find out;

  • What type of industry they’re into
  • The products they are selling
  • The services they offer

In order to identify the possible issues or problems, they might encounter within their organization and prepare for a solution on how to solve them.

Related: Utilize Customer Profiling and Buyer Personas to Achieve Revenue Goals

Create a more personalized message

The only way to capture the attention of many decision makers is to create a personalized message – be it through email, blog post or call that they can relate into.

Related: 40 B2B Sales Email Templates for Every Situation [Free PDF]

Help them understand that they have a problem

Many prospects failed to realize they have a problem until someone pointed it out. So how do you keep decision makers discover they have a problem? Ask about their current setup.

For example: You are selling accounting software. You can ask your prospects the following for them to identify and discover they have problems that need to be fixed.

  • What accounting software are you using?
  • How long have you been using it?
  • How do you record and process your accounting transactions – accounts payable, accounts receivable and payroll?
  • What functionalities would you like to have in your accounting software? What areas in your accounting process that need improvement?

Turn their weakness into your strength. Provide solutions to your prospect’s problems.

After they’ve agreed they have a problem. Let them know that problems need to be solved. The goal is to empathize and let them know they can count on your to provide solutions and solve their problems. How? Focus on the benefits of your product and what you can do that can help them solve their problems.

Building relationships with your prospects take time especially if you’re aiming to win their trust. Having the right strategy as to when to reach out to them, what to say and how to do it is the best strategy to nurture them and convert them into sales leads.

Reasons Why Sales Leads Leave Your Business

Reasons Why Sales Leads Leave Your Business

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Marketing is no reassuring profession. Basically, you can do a lot of things here in order to generate sales leads, but there is no assurance that what you do will get you the results you want. Even when you already have a face-to-face meeting with prospects during a B2B appointment setting campaign, this does not mean that you will have the deal. A lot of things can go wrong along the way, and of these, maybe the most to blame could be you. Yes, YOU. You are the one variable in marketing that can mess up everything in your campaign. And do you know where you can make a mistake? It is in customer service.

Truly, customer service plays a key role in business, be it in marketing or in after-sales. You see, when you make your customers happy, they become more receptive to whatever business you are bringing them. They are pleased with the service, so they expect that whatever you bring their way will also make them equally pleased. This is the nature of customer service, and this is the one that you cannot make a mistake in your B2B lead generation efforts. Do it wrong, and they will leave your company. But really, what will make your customers leave you, anyway?

  1. Deception – lies and dishonest practices may be able to bring you the results you want in the short-term, but this will certainly not do well with you in the end. Better be honest when you are going to sell to them, especially when it is through a telemarketing campaign. You have to protect your reputation and image, so you be honest.
  2. Rudeness – customer service is all about making your customers happy and respected. If you are rude to them, they will feel like that you do not value them. When they feel that, they are more likely to move to the next company that can provide them that.
  3. Incompetence – ever experience going back, again and again, to customer service, for the same problem? When that keeps happening to your customers, they become less satisfied with the level of service that you are providing. Remember, you are there to help make their lives easier, not more complicated.
  4. Inflexibility – overly rigid management rules, poor warranty terms, unchangeable old sales policies, etc. are just some instances of inflexibility that can cause customers to leave you. Now, we know that the customer may not be always be right, but you should know that you ought to heed their needs, to the best of your ability. Sometimes, bending the rules a little bit can help you bring the B2B leads that you need.
  5. Tardiness – be it in the delivery of products or service, or even arriving late in a meeting, can be a reason for your customers to leave you. You see, time is gold, and your customers value their time very much. Do not waste it.
Generating Sales Leads Why Questions need to be Open-Ended

Generating Sales Leads: Why Questions need to be Open-Ended

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One of the most basic tasks of professional telemarketers is to uncover information from prospective clients that may lead into business opportunities- in short, sales leads. But along with that task of lead generation is to also maintain an atmosphere of openness and trust, which deviates from the usual, transactional and heartless survey-esque style of telemarketing. Leading them into a cyclone of inquiries and not letting them talk much may have them lose attention and eventually lose interest with the call.

The opening spiels and introductions are usually harmless. What could be detrimental to the success of the telemarketing call are the questions that follow. Asking wrong (or too many) questions may force  clients to end the conversation. If they do decide not to end it, oftentimes they’d just refuse to give out anything.

So the goal is clear: Earn their trust. Avoid the survey style of questioning.

And how do surveys usually sound? A barrage of yes-or-no questions.

Business-to-business (B2B) Outbound Telemarketing and Lead Generation require skills in questioning and extracting information. The way to make them perceive the call as a normal conversation is to engage them to do the talking. Obviously, close-ended questions won’t give them much liberty to expound on specific aspects of the answer they would have. To make them respond predictably and systematically only eliminates the “personal” touch of the dialogue and kills the momentum that’s needed to sustain the life of the conversation. Instead, ask open-ended questions, like “How does your current IT operation work?” or “What services do you need in your next campaign?” Sometimes, even non-questions could work, as long as they allow the prospect to elaborate certain details, like “Tell me about the challenges you’ve had in your department.”

Although telemarketers need to obtain specific information from prospects (statistics, dates, technical details), engaging them in a meaningful exchange of words is still worth the distance and can benefit on the bigger picture. For one, prospects would feel comfortable and not feel harassed. Letting them vent their opinions and grievances can make them feel appreciated and important. This established relationship may be very useful in the future, especially in Appointment Setting. Also, one would find that a thorough discussion may elicit more information than expected, because it involves personal perspective and emotions. By earning their trust, they will often offer the information that was targeted in the first place, and it will have been done without sounding like an interrogating robot.

That is why these days, Outsourced Telemarketing service providers now focus on “humanizing” the telemarketing experience. Companies assign the task to external professional companies to do their telemarketing for them, which are dedicated to generate quality leads and appointments. Aside from training their agents to be product-competent and articulate, they also make sure that they know how to “talk like human beings” and go as far as befriending prospective clients. And open-ended questions are the first step to revolutionizing the telemarketer’s tarnished facade. By now putting more emphasis on the person rather than on the business, they’re not that bad to talk to.

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The Three People You Need In Sales Leads Marketing

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As a business owner, you certainly want to make a presence in all aspects of your operations. You have the energy and the determination to make your marketing and lead generation processes succeed. Still, there will come the time that you lose steam, feel sluggish, or simply run out of ideas to propel your firm forward. When this happens, it can pose a serious stumbling block in the continued success of your company in generating qualified sales leads. But it does not have to be a serious handicap. If you have done your homework right, then you would know that your business will need at least three people to keep things going even when you are no longer around. And these are:

#1 The Visionary

This is a person who can visualize the direction of the company 5-10 years from now. Well, they may not be able to foresee what to do the next day, but you do need someone with long-term plans.

#2 The Strategist

A visionary sees where your business can go, but it takes a strategist to plan that path out. This is also the person responsible for communicating the vision to those below the business ladder.

#3 The Tactician

Basically, this person stands in the frontlines, putting the strategist’s plans into effect. If the plan does not pan out right, then it is the tactician’s job to make the necessary deviations to reach the desired goal. They can use various marketing tools like social media or even telemarketing, ensuring the success of their campaign.

The success of your business and its appointment setting processes depends largely on these three people. If make the right hires, then generating B2B leads will not be that hard anymore. Of course, it helps if you can alternate between yourself and them, just to make sure everything is on the right track.

A Graphic illustration of a man on a telephone call while using computer

Improve Your Appointment Setting Call Handling

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In any appointment setting campaign, calling B2B leads prospects on the phone is a normal activity. After all, identifying business leads and nurturing them for future conversion is not something you can do simply online. Either you talk directly to your prospects or, if not possible, use direct communication tools for it, like telemarketing, as an example. But since we are talking about calling prospects, we need to be good in handling it. So, how will you go about it, then?

First, you should plan your campaign carefully. All lead generation campaigns that fail lack the proper planning in their processes. If you want to be effective in attracting the attention of prospects, you need to prioritize learning what makes them tick. And that requires lots of planning.

Second, build rapport. Banter with them, if you know them already. If not, show them the necessary courtesy and go straight to the point.

Third, inform them of your call. Either by email or another business call, you need to tell them beforehand why you are calling in the first place.

Fourth, ask good questions. You need to know what exactly your prospects are looking for in the first place. Asking them good questions will give you clues about what you can actually offer them.

Lastly, do not waste their time. Time is precious, and you as a marketer should understand that. It is the same thing with your prospects. As a rule, the less time you need to spend in order to tell them your purpose, the better.

These are just some tips that you can follow in order to be more effective in handling calls for sales leads. Will there be anything else you can add?

keep happy sales leads in three ways

Keep Happy Sales Leads In Three Ways

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Be it customers or suppliers, you are always in need of new B2B leads. How else would you be able to handle the competition in today’s market? This is a challenge that a lot of marketers are concerned about whenever they conduct a lead generation campaign. It can be even trickier if you have to deal with both the supplier and buyer ends of your business. So, how do you manage it? How can you ease up the pressure on your appointment setting team, letting them focus more on winning more prospects?

It can all be summed under one word: happiness.

To put it simply, you have to make buyers and suppliers happy. And this is how you do it:

  • Your suppliers can be partners – when you value the relationship with your suppliers, it becomes easier for you to negotiate with them. They will feel vested in your success, since a successful business would mean a repeat customer for them.
  • Follow industry standards – no matter how much you want to reach your sales leads bottom line, you have to make sure that you are following the standards of your industry. This will not only ensure consistent quality, even your customer service will be better.
  • Empower your team – giving your telemarketing team the freedom to deal with prospects as they see fit will help you gain better results. As long as they follow your general guidelines, you will be fine.
Need More Sales Leads Dispose Of Garbage Content

Need More Sales Leads? Dispose Of Garbage Content

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Yes, you read the title right. Despite what pundits are saying all the time (now, I wonder what happened to them?), content still plays a key role in generating sales leads for your business in Singapore. It can come in many forms, like a simple tweet, Facebook post, a video, a webinar, or a blog article. There are great ones, as well as really bad ones, but as for the best of these lead generation tools, you will notice a similarity in all of them: the best ones have the best content. Now, more than ever, you need to keep your content fresh, helpful, and direct to the point. And here are the reasons why:

  1. More and more marketers understand the power of content – yes, be it the information written on an email or the main points enumerated during a telemarketing call, if you use the right kind of content, then you will attract more B2B leads. That is the truth.
  2. More marketers are competing now in terms of content – since they now understand the power of content, a lot of marketers will be fighting each other to release their content first. If one succeeds, you can be sure that others are not far behind.
  3. More content is needed – if last year, a press release or white paper is enough to last a year, then expect that this will not be enough today. In fact, if you want to stay on the same level of productivity last year, you need to release a whitepaper every month. For every persona that your company has.
  4. More marketing tools are becoming content-powered – email, web advertising, search, social media, all these disciplines have to depend on the quality of their content if they want to cultivate interest during their appointment setting campaigns. This is the first step they need to generate more B2B leads.
  5. More efficiency is being made in terms of information dissemination – with the development of new technologies and platforms in which to share and disseminate information, a lot of marketers today can send more content with the same budget.

What does this say about content marketing and its future? Perhaps one word can best explain it: flood. Yes, it will be a deluge of content. Maybe it is happening now, what with the virtual information overload we have now. So, what should we do about it? How can we get an edge over the competition?

The keyword here is quality. You need to create and share quality content. It is no longer enough to just share the latest market figures to your business prospects. You now need to present it in an engaging and entertaining manner. True, the data is still the same, but you need to make it more interesting. Cultivating interest is crucial in your lead generation campaign in Singapore.  Without it, you will not get anywhere near generating any sales leads.

Quality is important, there is no doubt about that. Not just in the products or services you offer, it also includes the content you share with others.

Three Ways To Grow Your Sales Leads In Singapore

Three Ways To Grow Your Sales Leads In Singapore

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Singapore is certainly a country with unlimited business potential, and a lot of investors and entrepreneurs are interested in it. Think of the various selling possibilities that you can take advantage of. Still, there is the challenge of actually getting your firm a business deal or two. That is the reason why an outsourced lead generation agency is needed. After all, generating B2B leads requires some marketing skills that only a handful of entrepreneurs have. Think about appointment setting, a more involved form of generating sales leads. You need to take note of some important pointers to grow B2B leads:

  1. Look at your current customers – remember, your previous customers can become your new customers, so make it a point to include them. It is especially helpful if you are using telemarketing since you can communicate better.
  2. Use the referral system – you will be surprised to know how many opportunities you can get for your campaign when you ask for referrals from your current customers. After all, they would be the first to know if anyone needed something.
  3. Make your offer clear – this is one common fault for many marketers. Too often, they would tell prospects about business offers that may not sound to have any value at all. That is why it comes as no surprise how difficult it is to generate B2B leads.

Yes, you can grow your business in Singapore. Even if you do not have the skills or experience to follow the three marketing pointers, you can always outsource the work to a good lead generation firm.

rear view of a businessman on a phone call

The Need For Telemarketing In IT Managed Services

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If you are an IT managed services provider in Singapore, and you want to get more clients to come in, you will need a way to grab their attention. This is the reason for you to conduct a lead generation campaign. But you have to be sure that you are choosing the right way to do it. Depending on whether you have a marketing team or not, perhaps an appointment setting service is your type. In this case, it will also be necessary look for ones that can use a variety of communication mediums, like social media or telemarketing. This is all for the sake of you generating sales leads.

Of course, the idea of outsourcing the work can raise the eyebrows of a few of you out there. Still, this is a necessity. As IT professionals, you may not be familiar with the intricacies of calling prospects on the phone, so you might not be able to handle the task. If we put this in the Singaporean perspective, it will be better to just leave the job to professionals who know how to generate B2B leads better. There are other factors to be considered, like cost and efficiency, but the important point here is that generating sales leads requires professional help. Of course, you still have to choose which B2B leads generation service provider you should be working with.

There are plenty of them around, but you can be sure that only a few of them will need what you have. Good appointment setters can help your IT managed services to grow.