http://marketingsource.com/articles/ Articles at marketingsource.com Articles Library en-us http://marketingsource.com/articles/telemarketing/insights-into-hiring-the-right-b2b-telemarketing-firm.html http://marketingsource.com/articles/telemarketing/insights-into-hiring-the-right-b2b-telemarketing-firm.html Wed, 01 May 2013 14:02:34 -0500 Successful companies know that having an experienced management team is absolutely critical to the success of any campaign. They are the life blood support to the callers. They coach, train, motivate, and control quality and performance standards. Finally they provide ongoing communication and strategy refinements with their clients. Make sure you fully understand a company's management structure. Proactive communication is crucial to keep you in the loop of activities on your program. Make sure to ask the provider how often and accessible the management staff is at all times.

2. Caller Experience
Obviously caller experience is a critical component for a successful campaign. Maturity and professionalism are key, especially with B2B marketing. Avoid companies that hire young kids to represent your company. There are different levels of caller experience required depending on the complexity and level of difficulty of your campaign. The Company should provide pricing options that directly coincide with caller talent needed for you to be successful.

3. Exclusive Dedicated Callers or Not
Physical brick and mortar call centers typically use multiple callers working on multiple campaigns. They typically use predicative dialers that are filled up with several programs and read off of scripts. Avoid using traditional call centers. They may be ok for B2C campaigns, not so much for B2B. The company should offer you the ability to have your own dedicated callers that specialize on your program. However with that said, this option should also coincide with the number of calling hours you commit to. A dedicated agent usually requires 5 hours a day of work. If you choose a smaller block of hours, it is likely that your agent will need to work other programs as well to earn a living.

4. Structure and Process
A reputable company should have a clear and concise on-boarding and implementation process. There should be a clearly defined company structure. You the client should have a clear expectations on the daily operations of your program from training, launch, and ongoing operations. The company should not only be able to communicate this to you, but should be able to give you documentation for your reference.

5. Fees and Pricing
Reputable companies charge between $20-$30hr if they use USA based or Canadian callers. Good companies should have an option for performance based incentives and hybrid plans. The fees you pay a provider should directly coincide with the talent level of caller needed to make your program successful. If you don't need the cream of the crop because your program is simple and straight forward then you should not have to pay the same rate for that caller. It is understandable to want the best price for your campaign. However, you can bet that the less you pay the company then something has to give for them to still make a profit. It is usually the callers pay and that caller is the one representing your company. You are hiring people, not purchasing tangible goods where price can be haggled. It is important to understand this. Remember your Return on investment is what matters, not what you save upfront. The saying you get what you pay for is more accurate than ever when dealing with people resources.

6. Pay for Performance
Although this may sound great to you, you need to be aware of the logistical implications for the company to run such a program. Very few talented callers if any are lining up to work on this basis only. Even if the company can get some, they will generally force leads to get paid and jeopardize the reputation of your company. Turnover is very high and the program usually never gets off the ground. Additionally because of all the many variables such as your value proposition, target market, decision maker title, geographic market, etc. make it very difficult for a company to predict exact results. However, a fair approach to this is to have the company conduct a small performance benchmark pilot on an hourly basis. Upon completion of the initial pilot, the provider should be able to accurately quote you on a per lead basis because they have obtained a true performance benchmark from the metrics achieved during the pilot. This also solves the problem of finding talented callers willing to work your program because they to know what they are able to produce from the pilot. Of course you may also want the option of staying at the fixed hourly fee as most companies will charge a premium for a Pay per result basis if they offer it at all.

7. Guarantees
In all reality a legitimate company can't make any true guarantees on results. There are too many variables and market conditions to make such claims. Avoid any company that can magically tell you what you should expect. Sure, reputable companies should be able to give you some ballpark estimates based on their experience, but they should be estimates, NOT guarantees. If a company is guaranteeing you specific results, then more than likely you are guaranteed to lose your money. These companies are looking to make a quick buck with your hard earned money. Run the other way and fast. They will make a chunk of money, destroy their reputation, then go out of business and resurface under a different company name. However, with that said it is certainly reasonable for a company to guarantee you the ability to cancel the program at some point and receive your money back for time not used.

8. Minimum commitment and realistic expectations
A reputable company should be forthright in giving you realistic expectations. They should not be afraid to tell you what is real and what is smoke and mirrors. Your trust in the company should be at the top of their priority list. B2B Telemarketing works very well, but you must understand it is a process that takes time to develop. Getting through to the right decision maker, sending follow up collateral, following up, etc. If you only commit to a very small amount of hours, then you need to expect a very small amount of results. In our expert opinion, anything less than 40 hours is not a true measure of what the program will do for you. It's amazing how many times companies will purchase a tiny block of hours, see little or no results and then say telemarketing does not work. You must be realistic and the company you work with should be able to tell you the time commitment needed to properly pilot your specific program.

9. Gimmicks
Beware of any company that makes claims such as double your sales, guarantees results, pushes too hard, or is using some gimmicky sales language on their website or collateral. More than likely this is how they will represent your company. They are probably looking to make quick money by taking yours. Run away and fast! These companies come and go by resurfacing under different names. Don't be fooled. Check to see how long the company has been operating under one particular name. Reputable companies are focused on the long term success and want your ongoing business.

10. Refund Policies
All reputable companies should provide you with an easy to understand refund policy. Avoid them like the plague if they have no policy in place.

11. Reports
The company should be able to offer you reports that contain all performance metrics not just results. You need to see how many dials per hour they are doing, leads per hour, number of requests for information, emails sent etc. You should never have to pay for reports. The more reputable companies have invested in an online system where you are able to log in and see detailed reports on your campaign. Ask them to show you the system and how it can be customized for your needs.

12. Brick and Mortar or Virtual
Folks, this is not the 80's anymore. Technology has made it very easy for companies to utilize remote callers very effectively. We believe this model is vastly superior to a brick and mortar model. You don't have to pay for their overhead, such as cubicles, computers, lease fees, telecom, etc. They still need to make a profit so they probably have to pay their callers less. Virtual companies do not have a limited labor pool, therefore they can hand select talented callers from across the USA and Canada. Their callers are much happier and more productive because they are not sitting in traffic commuting to a stuffy boiler room call center. They are not distracted by other callers sitting next to them. Your prospects don't hear call center noise or predictive dialer delays. They will argue to death to defend their outdated business model because they have way too much overhead invested in it to lose it.

13. Offshore or NOT
If you are trying to sell your product or service in North America, you should always avoid offshore companies such as those in India or the Philippines. You should always use callers who reside in the country you are selling to. The only exception that has proven to work is USA or Canadians selling into English speaking Countries such us the UK and Australia. Yes there is no question that offshore companies are cheaper. However, you will almost always be throwing your money down the drain if you choose to hire them. Not to mention the substantial communication barriers you will face.

14. Call Center or Business Development Firm
After the Federal Do Not Call regulations came into existence many traditional call center "boiler room" types had to switch their focus to B2B as they observed B2C business dry up. One day they were setting appointments for home improvements or selling magazine subscriptions and the next day they were calling CEOs and business owners. How is that possible? The skill sets required for a successful B2B program are completely different than those of the B2C world. Professional B2B service providers understand and embrace the specific skill sets that are necessary in a qualified business level telemarketer. For example, while being able to establish rapport with a decision maker is very significant in business it is even more important to stimulate interest and establish credibility within a short period of time. The company should understands that business acumen needs supplemented by good questioning skills.

15. Experience and reputation
Do your homework. There are many companies that pop up in the industry making ridiculous claims and guarantees, only to take your money and go out of business. They usually resurface under a different business name. Check the company's references if you are seriously considering moving forward. Check their Better Business Bureau rating for any complaints. Experience and reputation are everything when choosing the right company to represent yours.
]]> http://marketingsource.com/articles/telemarketing/the-test-telemarketing-package-has-no-guarantee-on-the-box.html http://marketingsource.com/articles/telemarketing/the-test-telemarketing-package-has-no-guarantee-on-the-box.html Wed, 01 May 2013 13:59:18 -0500
When anyone purchases an automobile for example, the recipients are typically awarded a power train warranty or some other form of guarantee that the vehicle will do well by the consumer. Why is that? The reason is because it has been tested, crashed, driven, altered, revised, scrutinized and evaluated from every angle. It may have even taken several years to accomplish that task. Telemarketing is similar in many aspects. You have to formulate an idea, embrace processes, follow proven methodologies, add a little vision, test some approaches, fine tune the messaging and evaluate the results to find out what is working and what is not. Do you think the automobile industry would even put a vehicle on the car lot and slap a guarantee on it without the aforementioned testing? Of course not! What makes you think your outsourced telemarketing partner should have the ability to know the results before testing your products and services appropriately? What makes you think they can predict how the person on the other line will react before actually testing it? Even if similar telemarketing has been done for companies comparable to yours there are still so many variables and unknowns that need to be tested for your specific program. What size businesses are most receptive to our sales message? Who is the decision maker? What is the sales cycle for a large or medium business versus a small business? Are we calling in the South or Northeast? What verticals truly need this new product or service? Is there a different value proposition and approach for a CFO compared to a Director of IT in the software industry? What will their objections be? Is the price point reasonable? Did I procure the right database? You now see the point.

What we really need is one of those crystal balls to see exactly what will happen. Telemarketing companies could just pretend to have no shame in telling people whatever they wanted to hear to bring in new business and close more sales. Wait a minute, many do just that! These are the same companies that turn and burn their clients for a quick buck with no focus on long term partnerships. They are telling people what they want to hear. Fortunately there are some, not many, but some that are very professional with integrity focused on keeping you as a client for the long run. These are professionals who know that honesty is best for client longevity and trust. When a company can accurately level set a prospective client, it can formulate reasonable expectations. The fact is that any type of marketing comes with risk. If there were guarantees on results in marketing, then all businesses would be successful and prosperous. No one knows the outcome for certain. If a company can guarantee you a sales appointment for ever hour of the calling effort and does not deliver, not only will they lose you as a client but they will have damaged the reputation of their company. It is disheartening to see how many people place more value on an arbitrary number or “guaranteed” result over conducting an actual test to determine and learn “the things we magically should have already known.” Every healthy, strong and long lasting business relationship requires honesty and trust. Do not fall for any marketing company that makes Guarantees. ]]> http://marketingsource.com/articles/telemarketing/avoid-mistakes-outsourcing-telemarketing-efforts.html http://marketingsource.com/articles/telemarketing/avoid-mistakes-outsourcing-telemarketing-efforts.html Wed, 01 May 2013 13:56:46 -0500
Beware of 100% pay for performance arrangements. Don't give in to the NO RISK temptation. When providers are compensated for quantity instead of quality, you can imagine what happens - the quality of each lead drops, as quantities rise - and your in-house sales team has to work twice as hard to weed out the "garbage leads". You want a provider to SELL your product or service? People who work for free will turn over fast if money is not made quickly. These type of arrangements fail the majority of the time due to constant turnover, recruiting, poor management, re-training, and re-ramping. No real momentum or business continuity is ever established. Finally and most importantly, your companies reputation will be adversely effected due to the lack of professionalism. Contact a Business Development Advisor for more information.

Realistic Expectations. Many sub par providers of this service will tell you just about anything you need to hear to make the sale. They make a living turning over clients with cheap rates and small tests. Why? Because they gain more sales. Your provider should want to know your business in detail and listen to your objectives. An honest provider will tell you what is realistic within a certain amount of hours. There are many variables, so its not feasible for any provider to tell you exactly what to expect. However, they should give you a realistic depiction of ramp times and potential production. They should come up with a customized strategy recommendation for success. A good provider should be focused on how to maintain a long term partnership. Contact a Business Development Advisor for more information.

Training prior to starting the program. - Good providers will want you to be directly involved with the training. After all it is your business and you know it best. Preparation is key to success. A good provider should be able to take your marketing collateral and create an initial calling script for training and ramping. Talented callers will not read a script word for word. The script should be nothing more than a training tool and reference until they have it down.

Caller Talent. - How do you want your company represented? Avoid hiring providers that use high school, college, inexperienced or off offshore callers. While young people may be good for business to consumer programs, A good B2B company will have mature, experienced professionals representing your company.

Be aware of your service provider's quality control system. The last thing you want is for your existing customers - your revenue generating customers - to have a bad impression of your company because of relaxed quality standards. Good providers have a professional management staff with a solid infrastructure. Consistent feedback and communication between management, callers, and client is crucial for mutual success. What types of reporting and database access does the provider offer? Is it online and fully accessible to you? Contact a Business Development Advisor for more information.

Look for professional communication and management. A business development company should be giving you regular updates, and have data available to you on demand - not having this could be a warning sign that the data isn't there at all. Consistent feedback and communication between management, callers, and client is crucial for mutual success. Does the provider offer you the ability to be involved in the program and speak directly with the callers? Contact a Business Development Advisor for more information.

Beware of companies offering short tests (less than 50 hours). The profitability & success of a campaign cannot be judged in such a short period of time. If you choose a provider based on the results of such a short test, you may end up getting "short changed" in the long run. This is equivalent to you hiring an internal person for just over one weeks worth of work. Pipelines take time develop. Anything less than 50 hours and you are probably just wasting your money. Contact a Business Development Advisor for more information.

Find out the exact location of the agents working for your service provider. Offshore agents aren't usually held to the highest quality standards, and the communication barriers they create can reduce the effectiveness of your campaign - actually costing you money in the long run. While costs may be appealing, quality will most likely lack severely and cost you more money and the reputation of your company. Contact a Business Development Advisor for more information.

Avoid companies who charge less than $25/hour for their services. All companies have to profit somewhere, and if they don't charge enough for their services, you can be sure they will cut back in other areas - such as employee quality and training, equipment, and consultation time.
You can see how important it is to not only know what you're outsourcing, but exactly who you're outsourcing it to. Contact a Business Development Advisor for more information.

Lists and dials per hour. Good providers will be educated on the best list resources for your particular program. They can typically provide you with or assist you in procuring the nest list. Don't make the mistake of thinking the more dials per hour, the better. That is a big misnomer! EX> Lets suppose you are selling a sophisticated software application and need a company to properly qualify the prospects for you. If a provider tells you they can make 30 dials an hour on average, that's 2 minutes per call! How is it possible to effectively have a quality conversation with a prospect in 2 minutes? Its not. These are usually "telemarketing agencies" that use predictive dialers. Essentially they are just burning through your valuable lists of contacts and letting Quality slip by the wayside. A professional organization is focused on the quality of the lead or sale. Therefore they should be able to give you a realistic idea of the average dials per hour for your specific program. Contact a Business Development Advisor for more information. ]]> http://marketingsource.com/articles/telemarketing/the-illusion-of-pay-for-performance-telemarketing.html http://marketingsource.com/articles/telemarketing/the-illusion-of-pay-for-performance-telemarketing.html Wed, 01 May 2013 13:55:15 -0500
Nathan Lewis, A Senior Business Development Advisor for Grindstone Inc. Shares the following: All marketing efforts embrace a “ramp-up” period. If your company is paying for results alone you can bet the telemarketing agent is being paid the same way. If immediate success is not achieved it is proven that the quality will suffer due to “pushing” through leads and appointments that are not properly qualified. The result: Your sales executives are chasing down prospective clients that were never truly interested. Worst case scenario, your salesperson shows up for an appointment only to find that the prospect has no idea who you are or why you are there. Naturally, this lack of quality leads to call agent replacement which will now require additional training and more ramp up time for those new agents. Worst case scenario, many pay for performance call centers will simply add agents and increase call volumes to satisfy minimum quotas without thorough training. Now your company’s visibility and integrity is jeopardized by representation that is not symmetrical or up to the professional standards that you have worked so hard to create. Let’s face it, the reputation of your company is critical to growth.”

Companies looking to have success in outsourcing must select those vendors with solid management infrastructures; appropriate recruiting measures and capable systems and technologies to execute professional Business Development efforts. These qualified vendors work on hourly rates because they have adequate resources and processes in place to ensure proper practices and professional business continuity.

First, many call centers vendors are fly by night operations. Do not be surprised when doing your due diligence to find that the sales guy is also the manager and telemarketer for your program. Ask about the structure and composition of the company you are researching. Here are a few excellent questions to ask to determine the quality of the company you are prospecting: How many members make up your management team? How many clients are you currently servicing? How many calling agents are currently representing your clients? What is included in your service? How are the agents compensated? How are the calling efforts monitored? Will the agents be working my program exclusively? You will uncover quickly the companies that are well organized, procedurally sound and equipped to make the best use of your marketing dollars.

Second, you can avoid many of these detriments by selecting a vendor with strong business continuity and quality assurances in place. Any telemarketing program is driven by the calling agents making the actual phone calls. Be sure when shopping for a third party vendor to ask about the agent selection process. You deserve to know who is representing your company, their work experience and why they are the best fit to represent your organization. All quality telemarketing firms should allow you the opportunity to meet and learn about the agents representing you. If they do not, consider this a red flag. The relationship and communication between agent, management and client heavily impacts performance. Top notch firms strengthen business continuity by paying agents on an hourly basis and rewarding them through incentives for quality results. After all, you want your telemarketer focused on delivering the right message and not wondering where their next paycheck is coming from.

Last but not least, the company you are investigating must have appropriate systems in place to effectively monitor your program. The best vendors out there have management software and give clients access to their program’s data and reports. Everyone wants results but credible firms want you to get those results with an explanation as to how they were achieved. Marketing is an ongoing learning process and not something that just happens. A call center’s ability to monitor activities, make revisions, and track efforts will ultimately paint a clear picture regarding your company’s successes.

Next time you decide to look for the assistance of a third party Telemarketing Company, realize that the right questions will get you the right answers. Whether you are an upstart or an established company, the key to success is finding a firm that focuses on agent talent, embraces a strong management team and provides modern day technologies to help track and build an adaptable and successful marketing program. I assure you that your return on investment and overall experience will be greatly improved by following these simple little steps in your selection process. Bottom line, avoid Pay for Performance plans. Contact us for more information. ]]> http://marketingsource.com/articles/telemarketing/avoid-using-call-centers-for-b2b-telemarketing.html http://marketingsource.com/articles/telemarketing/avoid-using-call-centers-for-b2b-telemarketing.html Wed, 01 May 2013 13:52:35 -0500
According to the US Department of Labor, there are over 2.5 million telemarketers, just in the US - and millions more overseas. Literally hundreds, if not thousands, of people in every city and town are available to make phone calls for you, many paid as little as minimum wage. Many will claim to be able to make effective B2B calls, and dominate the staffs of call centers with a bill rate of $15-$25/hour or so without being qualified to complete your project with the right results. After the federal Do Not Call rules came into existence, many of these brick and mortar call center sweat shops had to switch their focus to B2B, since B2C business dried up. One day they were setting appointments for home improvements, and the next day they were calling CEOs and business owners. But how is that possible? B2C and B2B skill sets are completely different.

Only professional B2B service providers understand what skills are necessary in a qualified B2B telemarketer. For example, while being able to establish rapport is important, in B2B it's even more important to be able to stimulate interest and to establish credibility within a short period of time. Business acumen is important, and, most of all, good questioning skills. Truly professional B2B service providers look for candidates who are experienced and really know how to handle a B2B call in the most professional manner. A much different animal than talking to consumers. One company asked of their candidates in an interview "You are assigned to get appointments with the CFOs of Fortune 100 companies, but call all of them without getting a lead. What do you do?" Over 90% of candidates said ask for another list," despite the fact that there are only 100 companies in the Fortune 100. There simply isn't another list. Burn through lists is the mentality of a B2C telemarketer who is using predictive dialers. This simply does not work in professional B2B telemarketing.The use of predictive dialers for B2B is highly unprofessional.

They found that after testing thousands of candidates, less than 5% of them actually knew the basic skills of B2B telemarketing. Most simply don't know how to make an effective sales call. They only knew how to read a script, and script reading is not something that gains results in B2B telemarketing. Add in factors like availability, fit and experience, and staffing a "brick and mortar" call center with qualified professionals becomes a statistical impossibility.

So when considering outsourcing B2B telemarketing, make sure the company you do business with truly specializes in B2B services and they have a high level of integrity and professionalism. After all they will be representing your business. Simply put, Call Centers are NOT the same as Professional Business Development firms. ]]> http://marketingsource.com/articles/telemarketing/b2b-telemarketing-in-a-bad-economy.html http://marketingsource.com/articles/telemarketing/b2b-telemarketing-in-a-bad-economy.html Wed, 01 May 2013 13:50:58 -0500
Here's the good news. Chances are your competitor is obsessing about the economy when he should be out proactively marketing. Now is the time to market your products and services. If you are marketing a product or service to another business, telemarketing is especially effective in a bad economy. However it must be done professionally and consistently. In better economic times, maybe you could afford a fluffy direct mail campaign, print advertisement, radio or TV spot. While these methods are ok for long term brand awareness, they typically don't produce quality results and short term ROI. What you need is a live human being capable of explaining your value proposition. You surely can't just throw your hands up in the air and stop marketing. This tactic will doom your business to failure. You have been handed a unique opportunity to capture the business that is out there because your presence is now more dominate than ever.

If history is any guide, even the worst economic conditions don't last forever. The economy will eventually recover and level off. This is the time to pick up some extra customers from your competitors. While they're cutting their marketing and sales budgets you can acquire their customers, and pick up business that will lead to significantly higher profits when the market returns. It doesn't have to cost you more than you're paying now. In fact, focusing on growth can be cheaper than hunkering down and waiting for everything to be like it was. When the economy is a little gloomy is the time to market your products and services. A professional B2B telemarketing company can help you secure market share at a unique time.

Don't become a statistic of businesses that quickly went under because they chose to stop marketing. Get out there, stay out there, and come out on top. ]]> http://marketingsource.com/articles/selling/sales-lead-generation/six-things-you-need-to-know-when-outsourcing-your-sales-lead-generation.html http://marketingsource.com/articles/selling/sales-lead-generation/six-things-you-need-to-know-when-outsourcing-your-sales-lead-generation.html Wed, 01 May 2013 13:48:26 -0500
Let's be honest. No one can truly guarantee results and predict outcomes. We recommend a trial campaign for accurate and profitable campaign planning and market benchmarking.

Call Centers are good for some campaigns. Your primary consideration should be how do you want your company represented…by poorly trained, high turnover, part-time college students or mature, business to business sales professionals solely dedicated to your campaign?

Pay per performance is a sure way to get low quality leads. While the risk factor may be appealing, it may end up costing you in the way your company is perceived. The best return on your investment is from marketing agents whose pay is based on quality not quantity. Avoid this option as there will be constant turnover, poor representation, and no business continuity.

Don’t get low balled. Many companies will give you very unrealistic expectations just to "hook" you in and get your money. You get what you pay for. As a rule of thumb, avoid companies who charge less than $25hr for services. These companies still have to make a profit. They hire low quality agents and a result it will be at your expense.

Choose a company who is honest in setting realistic expectations from the start.

There is nothing wrong with doing a small test, however avoid too small of a test or you will waste your money. Avoid any company that offers to do anything less than 40-50 calling hours. Less than this and its almost impossible to realistically assess if the program will work or not.

When you get right down to it…only three criteria really matter:

1. Performance
2. Professionalism
3. Return on investment

WARNING: if you want a full pipeline of hot sales leads or appointments carefully qualified to your specifications, then the following could be the most important information you'll ever read.

Here's why:

Your sales leads and appointments will convert to profits like never before and your pipeline will always be filled with prospects eager to buy.

Now, I know you're probably skeptical. That's normal and healthy. Let me give you three good reasons we can back up what we claim:

Three Reasons To Believe What I Say

Reason one: Grindstone, Inc. was founded in 2003 and managed by industry professionals with over forty years of successful business to business telemarketing experience and a solid understanding of what it takes to deliver "real", bottom line results to our clients.

Reason two: Our team of marketing agents are mature, experienced, successful business to business sales professionals with proven skills to get through the Gatekeeper and build rapport and trust with decision makers from "C" level down.

Reason three: Small businesses and big companies including American Express, Pitney Bowes, Zurich and NASA are enjoying results that have made us number one in client retention.

Here is a summary of the benefits you receive:

A sales pipeline full of carefully qualified leads
No more sales "peaks and valleys" - a very predictable, steady cash flow
Reduced hiring, training and management costs
A regular source of high quality leads is a great way to evaluate the performance of your sale team members
Your sales team's time is used presenting and closing - not prospecting
More presentations means more sales and more profits
Dramatically increased market penetration and discovery of new opportunities
Higher industry recognition and expanded markets
Collect competition and market data. Make intelligent marketing decisions and leap ahead of your competition
24/7 secure online access to real time performance and marketing data

Now, you're probably wondering how and why we can do all those things. Let me explain.

The Grindstone difference is our marketing agents. Our rigorous requirements, screening process and generous pay plan allows us to attract the best.

Our management relentlessly oversees each marketing agent's performance to be certain they are meeting or exceeding expectations.

We have created a team environment that, from top to bottom, is always looking for ways to improve our performance.

Our database can be customized to your specs to ask and gather the information you need and give it to you, real time in the form required.

Don't take my word for it. Here's what our customers say.

"We were apprehensive at first with this type of marketing. After some initial fine tuning, we were very happy with the results. Grindstone works with us closely to identify new markets and opportunities for revenue growth." - H. Bernstein, American Shows

"Grindstone shortened our sales cycle by quickly building up our sales pipeline with qualified leads. Our sales agents were able to spend more time closing sales and became more productive and motivated". - D. Bilbrey, DBC Systems

"We had shopped many companies before choosing Grindstone. We chose this company because of the high level of professionalism we experienced on the initial contact. Their management team gives valuable feedback and stays in constant communication with us. They have truly exceeded our expectations". J. Hamilton, EMsystems

Let's review what you need to consider before deciding on any sales lead generation company.

Let's be honest. No one can truly guarantee results and predict outcomes. We recommend a trial campaign for accurate and profitable campaign planning and market benchmarking.

Call Centers are good for some campaigns. Your primary consideration should be how do you want your company represented…by poorly trained, high turnover, part-time college students or mature, business to business sales professionals solely dedicated to your campaign?

Pay per performance is a sure way to get low quality leads. While the risk factor may be appealing, it may end up costing you in the way your company is perceived. The best return on your investment is from marketing agents whose pay is based on quality not quantity. Avoid this option as there will be constant turnover, poor representation, and no business continuity.

Don’t get low balled. Many companies will give you very unrealistic expectations just to "hook" you in and get your money. You get what you pay for. As a rule of thumb, avoid companies who charge less than $25hr for services. These companies still have to make a profit. They hire low quality agents and a result it will be at your expense.

Choose a company who is honest in setting realistic expectations from the start.

There is nothing wrong with doing a small test, however avoid too small of a test or you will waste your money. Avoid any company that offers to do anything less than 40-50 calling hours. Less than this and its almost impossible to realistically assess if the program will work or not.

When you get right down to it…only three criteria really matter:

1. Performance
2. Professionalism
3. Return on investment

In summary, here's what you get:

A full pipeline of quality sales leads qualified to your specifications.
Your sales team is super motivated by profitably presenting and closing to qualified prospects rather than prospecting.
Your company’s image, market penetration and message delivered by professionals.
Updated and cleaned database of prospects.
Unlimited scalability to expand your campaign quickly and react rapidly to market changes.
24/7 secure online access to real time performance and marketing data.
Quality control by an experienced management team.

Click below and...
...a business-to-business leads consultant will call to get a clear understanding of your requirements and expectations and put some numbers together with your help to see if working with us makes sense or not.

To your success,
Team Grindstone ]]> http://marketingsource.com/articles/telemarketing/what-to-consider-when-implementing-a-telemarketing-program-to-generate-nurture-and-qualify-sales-leads.html http://marketingsource.com/articles/telemarketing/what-to-consider-when-implementing-a-telemarketing-program-to-generate-nurture-and-qualify-sales-leads.html Wed, 01 May 2013 13:45:21 -0500 Telemarketing can be a cost-effective method for identifying and qualifying leads and then moving these prospects along the sales cycle. When companies are considering implementing telemarketing for leads, frequently the first two questions that come up are: “Should we set up a telemarketing team in-house or outsource it?” and “If we outsource, how do we find the right company?”

Can we do it ourselves?
“Doing it yourself,” that is, setting up a telemarketing team in-house, offers a number of benefits. Your call team is 100% dedicated to your project. Call reps are down the hall, rather than across town or across the country, and are behind the “firewall,” making it easy to access business systems like order history and inventory programs. In-house teams also make it easier to leverage your existing training programs and personnel.

However, before implementing a call center, you must also take into account all the marketing and sales responsibilities you already have. Effectively managing telemarketing in-house includes such factors as:

Hiring experienced personnel – You can’t put just anyone on the phone to represent your company. Training – Experienced call reps may have the requisite phone skills, but they still need to be trained about your company, its products, your industry, the lingo, etc.

Motivation – Call reps take a lot of rejection. Are you prepared to constantly motivate them verbally and with other incentives?

Supervision – In addition to the call reps themselves, you’ll also need to hire call team managers and supervisors who will not only supervise and coach the reps but also monitor daily and weekly call goals.

Facilities and equipment – Telemarketers require more than a phone at a desk crammed in the corner of a company’s basement. Savvy companies equip call reps with up-to-date PCs and large monitors; software specially designed for call centers including call queuing, efficient data entry and links to online information; ergonomic chairs, quality headsets, and a clean, quiet and professional working environment.

Technology – Today companies must integrate the phone, email and the Web in order to lower costs and improve lead quality.

Continuity – All businesses experience peaks and valleys — those times when sales leads are coming in fast and furious versus other times when nothing is happening. As a result, you often wind up staffing for the mid-point, being overstaffed for the valleys and understaffed for the peaks.

Should we outsource?
When should you outsource your telemarketing function? The scenarios can vary from company to company but in general, it makes sense to outsource for the following reasons:

Adding head count is not an option.
You’re already stretched too thin and cannot manage another team.
You have peaks and valleys in terms of when leads come in (ie: during trade show season).
You need to get up and running quickly.
You want to test new programs without negatively impacting your existing operations.

In-house telemarketing programs often fail because companies don’t plan appropriately, or fail to keep the telemarketing efforts focused on clear objectives. Others can’t get senior management onboard or don’t know how or don’t have the resources to measure the results. And many times, companies are surprised by the costs involved.

Depending on your specific telemarketing needs and resources, you may decide it’s better to outsource telemarketing to a third-party provider instead.

Finding the right telemarketing company
Telemarketing companies come in all shapes and sizes. Some companies fall under the category of “direct marketing” and offer a range of services, from lead generation to fulfillment. Others are more like “boiler room” operations where inexperienced, low-paid call reps are required to make hundreds of calls every day.

When researching vendors, due diligence upfront will pay off in the long run. When interviewing possible vendors, keep the following tips in mind:

Ask about experience – This encompasses a wide area, from how long the company has been in business to whether the company specializes in B-to-B sales lead generation. You don’t want a company that’s been selling to consumers by cold-calling at dinner time to take on representing your company and its high-tech products or services to senior business executives. To have the best chance of success, be sure the prospective call center has direct experience in your specific industry.

Get real numbers – If you’re looking for more qualified sales leads, ask how many leads a program should be expected to generate and the leads to sales ratio you can expect as well. Also ask how the vendor measures ROI.

Tour the facilities – Venture beyond the conference room and onto the production floor. Listen in on phone calls and look over the shoulders of people who enter data and fulfill information requests. Ask to meet account managers and call teams.

Get a written proposal – The proposal is an easy way to check the company’s understanding of your needs. It should include background on the company, its qualifications, a detailed program recommendation and the related fees. Keep in mind that the quality of the proposal and its attention to detail will often serve as a reflection of the vendor’s quality and attention to detail.

Review their technology – Ask prospective companies what they do to make telemarketing calls more efficient. Also ask to see reports on activity and results. Are they provided on-demand? And, does the company have experience and the know-how to integrate their systems with yours?

The bottom line: Whether done in-house or outsourced, business-to-business telemarketing can be an effective tactic for generating, nurturing and qualifying sales leads. ]]> http://marketingsource.com/articles/telemarketing/dont-make-sales-reps-schedule-appointments.html http://marketingsource.com/articles/telemarketing/dont-make-sales-reps-schedule-appointments.html Wed, 01 May 2013 13:32:18 -0500
A sales super achiever wants to meet with prospects, determine a fit, suggest solutions and close the deal. It feeds his competitive nature. It assuages the hunger to perform.

A sales super achiever hates making endless calls to find the right prospect with whom to meet. The process dampens the spirit and kills motivation. Those who think a salesman should be a prospector and sales genius can stop here. The paradigm shifted a few turns back.

In today’s sales world, an account rep must exploit strength–not work on weakness. Forget about a well-rounded rep, focus on a super star that closes the deal and brings home fists full of cash.

Appointment setting, telemarketing companies will set any sales staff on a course for success. Highly qualified sales appointments are scheduled with those who have an interest in your solution and have the ability to buy from you; appointments that are the result painstaking prospecting and hours of dialing.

A December 2007 MaSM study found that appointment setting firms can double the productivity of a sales staff because it can concentrate only on selling and not the mundane associated tasks. When qualified sales appointments are scheduled, closing ratios climb and cash flow improves.

Don’t make sales reps schedule their own sales appointments. They hate doing it and aren’t very good at it. Leave the job to professionals who love doing it and are good at it. Sales stars shine when selling. Let them sell!
]]> http://marketingsource.com/articles/search-engine-optimization/4-ways-to-increase-organic-traffic-to-your-websites-sites.html http://marketingsource.com/articles/search-engine-optimization/4-ways-to-increase-organic-traffic-to-your-websites-sites.html Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:57:57 -0500
1. Unique Content Every Day – I think most people that have been in organic search a while would agree that frequently posted, original content is the best strategy you can use to get more free traffic to your site or blog. If you look at sites like Mashable, the leading Social Media resource, they are posting 30-40 new articles a day to their site, which builds the site much larger every week and basically posts their new pages into Google search results in seconds. This is what you want to acheive with any site, that instant search results effect with your content. Think of how much more traffic you can generate with more pages of content. But content has to be written by someone, I usually suggest outsourcing your content production to people like Mommy Bloggers that you can approach and Facebook friends that want to write for extra money, at around $10-15 per article. If you can’t do the outsource thing, you just have to power out as much content on as many different subjects as possible, depending on what you are promoting with your sites or blogs. I’m pretty much a WordPress enthusiast, so consider making WordPress your content management platform of choice for ease of posting and they have wonderful free templates available.

2. Sharing Your Content – Sharing is the best way to increase the exposure of your site’s content, especially in this Social Networking day and age. There is so much opportunity to have other people you know or are connected to share your content with people they know. The more compelling a piece of content, the more likely it will get shared and shared again. Also, the more you share other peoples content, by doing things like: Liking their post, Sharing their post, commenting on their post, and retweeting their post, the more they will share your content. Kind of like Karma I supposed, but it really is true that the more you do that for other people the more they will do it for you, I know this from experience. Some of the best places to share your content are: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, LinkedIn Groups and Digg. There are other but these are my mainstays. I do submit to social bookmarking sites too like Delicious, Reddit, and Google Bookmarks, but there is some question as to how much this benefits your content, although I personally think it helps in the long run to build inbound links and get a few more rankings from their sites.

3. Keyword Research – Its important in planning a new site or blog that you know what keywords are the most popular for that niche. You can use the Google Keyword Tool to mine the most popular phrases and related popular phrases so you know what keywords to focus your site on and the content you will create. This will yield popular keywords and more obscure keywords, but at the end of the day you need to hit on everything with your content and pages over time. One important thing to remember is to be focused with your site on your core topic initially and then you can get more expansive in related keywords as you go along posting. Hitting on more obscure keywords in your page titles and content can pull organic rankings usually easier than more popular keywords with a newer site. Over time, as you hone your site into a powerhouse of content and good optimization you may rank well under your core keyword phrases, but this is a work in progress that has to be improved over time with good SEO strategies in place.

4. Link Building – I wanted to cover Link Building a little bit because it’s a mysterious topic for most affiliate marketers and there is a lot of information and misinformation out there about it. My stance on link building is it’s a worthy thing to work on for you sites within reason. Some of the best ways to build link in my opinion are: good blog comments, forum post frequency with signature in place (keep your posts great though), blogroll links you can trade other bloggers for, online press releases (which contain a couple hyperlinks in the text), and social bookmarking. All of these methods are free (except press releases) and worthwhile to do once you set-up a procedure for doing them. Like anything, what you put into it is what you get out of it with your link building, and it grows over time so you have to stick to it and the rankings will improve. I mean it can’t hurt really to build links in these ways. Don’t be obnoxious with it though as one piece of advice.

These are just some ways to improve your organic search rankings and get more free traffic. I tried to keep it practical, so let me know if you have any questions or would like to discuss anything. Feel free to comment! thx!
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