Exploring New Business Lead Generation

There is a common misconception that appointment setting is part of the sales staff’s responsibilities. It can be. But a growing number of companies choose to single out appointment setting as a separate stage of the sales cycle. What’s the point? There are two factors why it is smart:

• Sales reps make more deals if lead nurturing and appointment scheduling is delegated to appointment setters.
• B2B decision-making requires personal interactions. Appointment setters are not pressured to make deals and can add a human touch by establishing personal relations with leads and nurturing them into a purchase.

B2B appointment setting provides a transition between an engagement and a deal when leads are nurtured and qualified. As a result, the sales staff don’t spend their time on appointment booking and back and forth messaging. Instead, they receive top leads and focus on deal closing. To allow their sales teams to work at full capacity, businesses can outsource appointment setting to a b2b lead generation agency.

Whatever your situation is, we want to share our experience in how to choose a business lead generation and appointment setting agency that will go beyond dumping lists of outdated, unqualified leads for upfront fixed pricing and will be as interested in your sales results as you are.

Pitfalls When Outsourcing New Business Lead Generation

The most typical problems of lead generation have been around for some time and certain solutions have been developed for them. However, it depends on the specifics of your business whether the solutions fit the bill and can be applied to your unique situation.

Pitfall: B2B sales lead lists

We are not talking about non-reputable internet lead companies that resell non-exclusive lists and, if they are pressed to explain why so many email addresses are non-existing or outdated, claim it a ‘fat-finger error’ and accidental typing mistakes in company names and web addresses. However, it is not uncommon for B2B sales lead lists and databases to include either exhausted leads that are uncooperative and reluctant to interact or irrelevant business sales leads that fail to match your ICPs.

Solution: databases by subscription

Nowadays many databases offer subscriptions, which means that you not just buy b2b leads but also have access to databases with regular updates and up-to-date information. Subscription rates start from $10/month (Fundz) for unlimited exporting and views well into $4900/year (ZoomInfo) and higher (DiscoverOrg). However, a better solution is to hire a lead generation agency that will build a leads list for you from scratch. Then you can expect each lead to be top quality according to your standards and requirements.

Pitfall: pay per appointments

The problem with the pay-per-appointment pricing model is that B2B leads need more nurturing and relationship building than, say, B2C leads. If a lead generation company sells meetings to you, there is a possibility that they will overlook many qualified leads that are simply not ready to make a purchase right now but have potential to do it after you address their objections, work with their pain points, or simply reach out later.

Solution: pay per sales

Pay-per-sales is an effective pricing model in the field of new business lead generation and appointment setting because the client (you) only pays for the actual purchase. However, make sure that the agency you choose is trustworthy and has no hidden costs.

Pitfall: loss of reputation

If a business outsources some part, or all, of lead generation and appointment setting to an unscrupulous agency, failure to monitor the work process can result not just in poor copy or pushy messaging but in a negative impact on your business reputation. Even if it’s just your domain reputation damage, it is unpleasant and takes days and months to restore.

Solution: Opt for a partner and a reputable one

If you make a wise choice and find a marketing agency that wants to be your partner in lead generation rather than just a third party vendor, your business reputation is protected. Applied at the small-scale level, reputation protection refers to using top-notch software to avoid email deliverability issues. At the large-scale level, a reliable lead generation agency is highly interested in its own reputation and provides transparency on all levels.  

Checklist for Choosing a Trustworthy Appointment Setting Agency

There is a handful of factors that reveal a reliable agency able to be a good partner and perform well at all levels.  

The agency carefully studies your Ideal Customer Profiles, your value proposition and your potential customers’ feedback.

The agency is ready to invest their time to investigate leads’ profiles, looking for best matches between ICPs and their needs and pain points.

The agency is clear and open about fees and commissions and offers transparent paying schemes, with no hidden costs and a money-back guarantee.

The agency offers their help in optimizing your existing lead generation strategies, such as optimizing the website and landing pages, etc.

You can find testimonials and published reviews about the agency. It is a good sign when agencies are not reticent about their partnerships and clients. Those who have been on the market for some time have left their digital footprint and you can study it and make your own conclusions.

The agency has definite and clear lead generation strategies and methodologies. Look at the Solution or Services sections on the website.

The agency has top software. Nowadays lead generation is technological. It requires the newest tools to compete and provide quick results. The agency needs a right mixture of tech-savvy-ness and a human touch.

Ready to Make your Choice?

Being in a constant need to generate leads, many companies are well aware of benefits of outsourcing either lead generation altogether or at least appointment setting. We suggest you to outsource appointment setting as a bridge between marketing efforts and sales. 

 Outsourcing appointment setting can be a powerful incentive for your business that will boost your sales.