Successful Lead Generation Part 2 – How to Select the Best B2B Lead Generation Company to Work With

With ambitious goals come big checklists, and the need to partner with solution providers you can delegate certain tasks. The benefit of doing this is not only the fact that you can move faster and make better use of your resources, but that everyone involved in achieving your aim can now be held accountable for their part of the project. With accountability comes increased chances of landing closest to the moon as possible, if not directly on it.

This, and several other factors, may have prompted you to consider hiring a B2B Lead Generation Company (sometimes also called B2B Lead Generation Vendor). But how do you know who to hire?

4 Things to Look for in a Potential Lead Generation Company

The obvious step at which to start is to do a market survey and find out the B2B lead generation leaders that are being talked about. Based on your allocated budget, you may then start reviewing individual profiles of prospective lead generation agencies.

1. Experience: how long have these guys been in the business? While software and programs will help you out, the ’leads’ that we are trying to generate are people. Only sound experience can take you anywhere close to understanding people and their psyche. While trying to gauge a vendor’s experience, look at past lead generation campaigns, clients, etc.

2. Expertise: Here, you must enquire about the kind of leads generated, specifically the proportion of the different types of leads (MQL, HQL, SQL, CCL, and Appointment). Another detail that can give insight into a lead generation agency’s expertise is their B2B contact data. Where did they collect the data from, or through what channels and by what means? Finally try and gain clarity about how good they are at understanding a prospective lead’s intent. This will help convert MQLs into the subsequent types of leads.

3. Outreach: The most significant thing you are looking for here, which will directly impact your lead generation campaign, is the different methods the vendor is planning to use to create the leads he is promising to deliver. It is best to look for an agency that will give you a marketing campaign that makes judicious use of all types of marketing, viz. email marketing, telemarketing, as well as social media outreach. However, only the best B2B Lead Generation companies, the truly knowledgeable ones, will be able to suggest the proportion in which you must invest in all of the above, depending on what it is you are trying to achieve, and in what time-frame.

4. Quality Assurance: Ultimately, it is the number of viable leads generated that matter the most. So look for a vendor who is willing to take up responsibility of not just the number but also the quality of leads he is promising to generate for you.

Alternatively, you can contact the good folks at the TechConnectr Marketplace. TechConnectr has conducted extensive research on 5 dozen of the leading lead generation solution providers and is happy to share their findings.

MQL = Marketing Qualified Lead. A registrant who meets the required demographic criteria – company size, country, industry, and job function and level

HQL = MQL with additional qualifying questions answered

SQL = Sales-Qualified Lead (or SAL – Sales-Accepted Lead). The MQL prospect shows enough intent and the sales team accepts the lead as worth their time as an opportunity

CCL = Confirmed Call Back Lead. The prospect has agreed to take a call from your sales team (but no specific appointment is set)

Appointment = The qualified prospect agrees to take a call with the sales rep at a specific date and time.

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