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Sales Lead Generation Ideas

Some thoughts and observations on all things business development related. Read on to learn about how to generate new sales leads and create sustainable lead generation activity...

Category Archives: Pay On Results

Hello, Hola, Hallo, Bonjour, Ciao!

April 20, 2011 – 1:28 pm

How many different ways can you say hello? Well there is an estimated over 6000 languages spoken throughout the world, the majority of which are spoken by less than 1000 people. Nowadays most of us take communication for granted and the ways and speed in which we can do so is incredible.

Our multilingual telemarketing service allows companies to gain insight into perhaps previously unattainable markets and gain knowledge on what matters most to foreign companies. In my previous blog post I explained how multilingual telemarketing can help your business grow but I didn’t actually explain how we do what we do. So now I will give you a little insight into our multilingual telemarketing team.

We have a team of full time multilingual telemarketers and also some part time employees, that work as and when we get new campaigns and contracts. Our clients dictate which foreign languages we have flying around in the office and currently we have around 10 but this changes almost every day! It is great working in such a multilingual environment and learning new things every day, not many offices have those kinds of surroundings.

With each language and country that we work on, different challenges arise, especially when it comes to time differences and how our telemarketers find solutions. French, Spanish, German and Italian Telemarketing involves working around smaller time differences, yet they are still significant and rely on an understanding of the countries hours of work and when will be the most effective time to call and actually speak to the right people as its different for every country. As well as working on Pan-European contracts we work on Asia – Pacific and American time specifications. Our Japanese telemarketing relies on our dedicated telemarketers to work from the early hours of the morning to ensure that ...read more

By Becky | Also posted in Multilingual telemarketing, sales leads, Telemarketing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Sales Lead Generation, What I have learn’t in 6 Months…

January 6, 2011 – 5:00 pm

Well it has been a while since I last posted a blog but it has been rather busy here at Qualifa HQ we have expanded our workforce, expanded our service portfolio and are fit to burst out of our Qualifa ‘Dungeon’, the nickname we have fondly given to our Office.

All in all it has been an eventful few months with the ever present Qualifa drive and determination, we are continuing on in our never-ending search for new business opportunities and Leads for our growing client rosta.

I previously mentioned that my position at Qualifa is the first full time role that I have ever had, therefore starting my working life in a start-up company that was only around a year old when I joined has been an invaluable experience. I have witnessed first hand the growing pains that start-ups go through and the key decisions that are made when considering expenses like bigger offices or more staff, which taken at the wrong time can push a company under the profit margin. Qualifa has expanded and moulded its service portfolio around gaps we can see in the market, I know that Lord Alan Sugar started selling cigarette lighters under his Amstrad name and it is now a Global Telecoms company turning over Millions of pounds.

I feel that I have grown with the company as I continue to learn not just about Sales Lead Generation and marketing strategies, but also working environments, my own work ethic and what my own ambitions and plans are for the future.

So I am going to enjoy the ‘Dungeon’ whilst I can as in the next 6 months who knows where I will be writing this blog post ...read more

By Becky | Also posted in Lead Generation, sales leads, Telemarketing, Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Multilingual Telemarketing

December 2, 2010 – 4:45 pm

Communication is arguably something that we take for granted nowadays, we can make telephone calls from the palm of our hand, instant message people whilst on-the-go and call friends and family on the other side of the world without it costing a penny. Yet with all of these communication capabilities language barriers still exist. In English schools the popularity of studying languages is decreasing rapidly, so where does this leave British companies who need multi-lingual capabilities within their firms? The answer is undoubtedly the native multilingual speakers of Europe and beyond.

Multilingual telemarketing is therefore essential in providing a link between you and markets you may have thought you could not access. Each telemarketer we employ can contact key decision makers within foreign companies and discuss your service or product in an informative and eloquent way, so that your company can be represented impeccably to prospective clients in Europe and around the world. It is also important to recognise the different business cultures that exist not just in Europe but globally, our telemarketers are speaking their native language and so have the experience of working and living in these countries and know the most professional way to address prospects. We offer not only professionalism but an opportunity to expand your business in a way you may have thought impossible, and access markets that may prove to have a great need for you product or service.

Qualifa is however at its heart a lead generation company and we are proud to announce the launch of our multilingual telemarketing capabilities. This means that we can offer our skills in lead generation to companies who are again looking to expand abroad and access perhaps previously unattainable markets.

Multilingual telemarketing is therefore not just about speaking a different language or learning how to say ‘one coffee with ...read more

By Becky | Also posted in Appointment Setting, Lead Generation, Multilingual telemarketing, sales leads, Telemarketing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Qualified Sales Leads, What are they?

November 12, 2010 – 9:54 am

A sales lead, is the identity of a human or entity potentially interested in purchasing a product or service, and represents the first stage of a sales process.

Well that’s the easiest part of this blog post done.

The hard part is trying to unpick the word ‘lead’ and establish what one is. After having been working at Qualifa, the smart sales lead generation company, full time for just over 2 months, I can safely say that between different people the definition of ‘Lead’ differs greatly. What some people see as a speculative opportunity, others see as a waste of time. So how can you make sure you don’t waste your time going to bad leads? Answer? Qualify Qualify QUALIFY! I have learnt this a couple of times now and it is hard when you are excited for a client as you believe you have got them a meeting with a top branded UK Company, only to find out that the service or product that your client provides is not quite what they want.  As much as you want a lead to be 100% perfect with the right budget, right size and right ‘name’ at the right time, all this is 100% unrealistic. If you want to utilise the services of Qualifa, a lead generation and telemarketing company, you have to be prepared to go to meetings with prospective clients who you know may not be looking right at this point for your product or service but realise that this is invaluable contact building and relationship building with key members of a company, an opportunity you are unlikely to get otherwise. If you go into that meeting knowing everything there is to know about your company and how your product or service could benefit the prospective client, then there is no reason ...read more

By Becky | Also posted in Appointment Setting, Lead Generation, sales leads, Telemarketing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

New business prospecting, what I’ve learnt about sales lead generation in 3 months…

November 5, 2010 – 7:39 am

Hi, my name is Phoebe and I am currently working as an intern here at Qualifa – a telemarketing company for the Internet era! I started in September and already have learnt so much, not just about Sales Lead Generation, but also social media, SEO, PPC, digital marketing, football – the list goes on!

As an intern I had never worked in a professional business environment before and it was quite a nerve-racking prospect. But with the help and amazing support of the team I started to secure meetings for our clients with major high-street brands and grew to love the sales buzz. There is nothing quite like it and I also adore the friendly competition that exists within the office not to mention our weekly table tennis tournaments, it’s a great place to work and us ‘Qualifites’ are a lean mean sales lead generation team.

Before starting my intern-ship I had never really considered a career in sales, I had not done any business units in Sales throughout my academic life and I am greatly disappointed that more people do not get the opportunities that I have so far experienced in my role here. As Qualifa’s Managing Director James Burton says, “Sales is the engine room of a company”and ultimately Qualifa are helping businesses keep their ‘engine’ running by generating qualified new business sales leads. Sales is generally seen as an extroverts career with the stereotypical sales person knocking at your door trying to sell you cheese graters or something. But I can assure you at Qualifa it is nothing like that and I have learnt so much about the methodology behind sales lead generation. Simplicity is key and I have realised that if you have a good product or service and know a lot about it, then ...read more

By Becky | Also posted in Appointment Setting, Lead Generation, sales leads, Telemarketing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Keeping it short and sweet

October 5, 2010 – 2:57 pm

You want more sales leads? You want more potential clients in your sales pipeline? No access to a telemarketing company or lead generation agency?

Here’s a simply DIY prospecting guide to sending targeted letters via email…

When writing introduction emails to potential new clients, think about how much time the recipient has to read what you are sending. Has a Marketing Director got time to scroll through a page of text? Has an IT Manager got the spare 30 minutes to read that 10 page pdf? No – and you knew that already.

So, make what you draft succinct, punchy and scan readable.

If the decision maker can take a quick squizz at it in 10 seconds, they’ll make a swift judgement on whether they are interested or whether to pass it along to some one who will be. If they have to read too much information they will most likely file it away for another day (so never read it) or worse still delete it.

Follow this format:

State who you are

State what you do/who you work with

State what it is you’d like to talk to them about and why

Provide a ‘call to action’ to close a telephone call or meeting

It really should only be a maximum of three short sentences. Any longer and they can no longer scan it – so cut it down as far as you can.

Some other must do’s are:

Make it personalised

Make it relevant and researched

Don’t cut and paste ‘blurb’ (it stands out a mile when you do)

Don’t attach large files that won’t get opened and might even mean the email gets blocked.

This isn’t email marketing, its electronic personal letter writing and less is most definitely ...read more

By James | Also posted in Appointment Setting, Lead Generation, sales leads, Telemarketing | Tagged , , , , | Comments (1)

Reasons to Speculate on Prospect Meetings

September 7, 2010 – 5:11 am

‘We only want super qualified hot sales leads’ – is what we hear on a daily basis here at our lead generation company. AKA – get us meetings with people who have a need for our product or service and who are ready to buy NOW!

Frankly, that’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. Imagine how hard it’s going to be to find a company that not only needs what you are selling, but who is sat there waving the cheque book waiting for the phone to ring. Hard work, trust us. Fact is, if you are lucky enough to find any of the above they’ll most likely by already talking to suppliers, if not in an advanced state of negotiation on the deal – meaning you’ll be on catch up mode from the start.

So what’s the answer? ‘Speculate to accumulate boy!’ (as my Granddad used to say).

By speculation here we mean that companies looking to build their sales pipeline should research and target their ideal customers and start to network with them and book introductory meetings. There may not always be immediate requirements, but you’ll start the process of being in their thoughts as and when they do have a requirement.

More importantly – GO AND SEE THEM, don‘t just make a phone call. Things happen when you meet with people face to face. Such as:

  • Oh, you provide that service do you? I didn’t realise, we’re interested in a quote for that…
  • You should speak to XYZ company – they need one of those next month…
  • Try speaking to Peter in Marketing, he’s the man with the budget

    More than this, you leave with a new business ‘connection’ that, if used to your advantage should serve you well in the future.

    Make sure you:

  • Get referrals into other people with that company
  • Get ...read more
    • By James | Also posted in Appointment Setting, Lead Generation, sales leads, Telemarketing | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

    6 Reasons Why Outsourced ‘Pay On Results’ Lead Generation Is Easier Than Having An Internal Sales Team.

    June 15, 2010 – 7:37 am

    Some companies we speak to, and in fact nearly all as they mature, will turn to in-house telemarketing and sales lead generation functions.

    Why?

    It’s probably a control thing.

    Most organisations want to shape their own sales destiny, and not leave it in the hands of a third part supplier.

    Natural evolution is another reason. As companies evolve, their professional sales departments need to evolve and grow with them. You need a good ‘internal sales‘ learning ground to breed the next generation of field sales people.

    Past a certain point in their persuasion we can’t stop companies brining telemarketing ‘in-house’. But we can still present the reasons why we think it might not be the best idea.

    Before we can help you understand why outsourced lead generation works, you need to appreciate just how difficult establishing an in-house sales team can be.

    Here’s our thoughts on some of the challenges faced by companies looking to develop internal sales lead generation functions. You’ll see the process poses difficulties and problems right from the beginning.

    1. Recruiting The Right Internal Sales Person

    Okay picture the scene, you decide the way to grow your business is by hiring an internal sales person. There’s just a few hurdles to get over: You’ve got no sales people. You’re not a sales person and you’re not really sure what they should be like.

    Sounds impossible from the start, yes?

    Well it’s the situation most growing technology and digital media businesses find themselves in when they move from relying on word of mouth and referrals to grow onto creating sales with outbound sales and promotion.

    Unless you’ve worked in sales-driven organisations, amongst true sales people, it will be very hard to know what to look for.

    In most situations we have seen, the recruitment process fails to deliver the right amount of quality short listed candidates, normally ...read more

    By James | Also posted in Lead Generation | Tagged , | Comments (0)

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