Since so many firms try to do lead generation in-house, it is useful to share some facts from NNC Services white paper. (Click the link to see the original post.)

There are some challenges and problems with in-house lead generation:

• Lack of follow-up on events and telemarketing — in-house resources are rarely, if ever able to follow up on a consistent and effective manner.
• Feedback from the market is not used – A deep understanding of customers is needed for effective demand generation.  But in-house resources almost never do the level of research needed for optimal results.
• Incorrect targeting — Not talking to the right level means poor results.  However, most in-house resources stop their research when they find an interested executive.  Often this executive is a dead end.
• Using a unique channel – This is one of the biggest problems with in-house demand generation.  They tend to rely on single tactics, such as email campaigns or telemarketing.  Since everyone else is doing the same thing, there’s too much noise to be heard and few leads emerge.
• Leaving it to the team’s junior – Leaving the activity on the sales team’s newcomer is one fatal mistake since the time spent in inappropriate meetings with the wrong prospects often results.

If there are problems with doing demand generation in-house, what are the advantage of bring in an outside firm like Find New Customers?

This white paper makes the point that you do not get more leads from outsourced demand generation, but you get much better leads that are likely to close.  After all, closed business is what we all need.

Here is why:

• Clear client profiling. Lead generation experts use multiple methods to find out every bit of useful information about a prospect and to draw out a complete picture: likes/dislikes, need and behaviors.  These specialists also understand how customers buy, so they translate your selling process to the customer’s perspective.
• Correct Targeting. Outsourced experts ensure you talk to the person(s) who make the buying decision — through deep research.
• Qualified Leads. You don’t waste time on a meeting with someone who hasn’t expressed a clear need for your products or services, or who lacks the budget to purchase them.  You only get meetings with people who understand what you are selling, need it and can afford to buy it.
• Follow-up and feedback. All opportunities are followed up until they become qualified leads or are determined not to be valuable. Also, the outsourced lead-gen team has the ability to use market feedback to get more leads.
• Multi-channel approach. A good lead gen partner will use a complex mist of lead generating channels — including networking, online and off-line, as well as social networks.  This significantly improves the results of the campaigns.
• More confidence. It takes 6 months to a year to consider if an in-house team member is qualified and producing results.  By comparison, you can usually evaluate an outsourced lead generation resource in a month or two.

Conclusions:

An outsourced lead generation partner can can deliver better sales leads than you can, at much lower cost, with reduced risk and increasing your opportunities for improved fiscal results.  3 months of lead generation outsourcing brings you the same results as 12 months of in-house lead generation.

We love comments! We also invite you to share this article by clicking the buttons below.

Jeff Ogden, the Fearless Competitor, is President of Find New Customers “Lead Generation made simple” and author of the famed white paper, How to Find New Customers.  He’s been called the guru of lead generation and Find New Customers helps businesses execute lead generation programs to excel at acquiring new customers.