You’ve made the decision that your business needs help attracting, converting and to some extent nurturing sales leads. When researching online for lead generation companies, the question of whether to hire an outside lead generation company is one that confronts many businesses who might otherwise consider doing this in-house.
61% of marketers rank lead generation as their number one challenge. Lead generation can be a daunting task. According to Hubspot, these same marketers consider generating traffic and leads to be their biggest challenge. Which is why 53% of marketers spend at least half of their budget on lead generation, states a source from BrighTALK.
Lead generation is not something you want to leave to chance. Hiring a lead generation company can make sense for a B2B business because they are focused solely on lead generation, have valuable industry expertise and can save your team time rather than trying to do this in-house. There are a variety of lead generation companies out there, but in summary here are the six biggest reasons to hire the right lead generation company to do it for you:
Lead generation companies talk to the right people
Good lead generation is speaking to the right people at the right time, and it comes down to having the right contacts and the right data. Lead generation companies have access to databases with millions of business contacts covering a range of industries. Data specialists can determine which leads are qualified much more quickly than your own staff could.
They prioritize with lead scoring
An experienced lead generation company will have proven methodologies that they can put to work on your case. Sales leads scoring is one of these techniques which can save a lot of time by not talking to people who aren’t as likely to convert.
They shorten the sales cycle
By having nurtured business leads sent to you the focus on your end is firmly on selling, and the timeline to do so is much shorter. Time is money, and you will be saving plenty of it by having qualified B2B sales leads sent directly to you.
They improve your company’s web presence
Many lead generation companies can assist with a digital marketing strategy that includes websites and landing pages, content marketing and blogging, email marketing, SEO and website optimization for inbound leads, digital advertising campaigns, LinkedIn lead generation campaigns and more. These efforts help potential customers find you more easily through a web search. Eventually, those prospect can be turned into leads and possible customers.
They can lower your costs
Developing a hiring and training program is costly. Sometimes it makes more sense to engage a lead generation company that is specialized and already has the skilled staff. Hiring a company to find leads frees up resources for other tasks. It eliminates the time and effort required to recruit and train staff.
They allow you to focus on your product or service
Whatever area of B2B your business operates in, one thing will ring true: it’s the Unique Selling Proposition USP of your company that generates revenue, and it’s the USP that you need to focus on. It’s the asset you possess which can’t be bought elsewhere and where you should focus your staff’s energies and resources. Outsourcing to an agency allows you to do just that.
How to find the right lead generation company
Before choosing an agency, it’s important to do your research. If possible, scan reviews for lead generation companies, testimonials, and ask for referrals. Ask your shortlisted candidates questions about their processes, tools, and whether they have their own CRM software that will be able to integrate with your B2B CMS for a seamless experience.
While using a lead generation company will cost you money, it saves your business money too. So, unless you want to pay the true cost of generating your own leads, consider passing on the hidden costs to the experts.
You still have reservations about using an external B2B lead generation company? Worried they’ll make a couple of calls and leave it at that? Well, it might surprise you to discover that not only will they deliver results, but they’ll deliver them in a variety of ways. Lead generation companies may specialize in one area, but often they’re multi-faceted experts who can cover all the following services:
• Email marketing
• SEO/SEM
• Social media
• Appointment setting
• Event promotion
• Content marketing and PR for media opportunities (articles, interviews, podcasts, blogs with industry publications that target your buying personas)
In the B2B world, an individual sales lead or a sale can be worth a lot. That said, it’s important to put thought into the customer journey pre- and post-sale.
Perhaps, a winning B2B lead generation campaign customized for your company and industry is in your future?