How to Assess Lead Generation Services To Better Business Results

by Celena Watson Technical writer

The whole idea behind using lead generation services is to capture good quality leads that can be converted into sales at a price that will generate profit. The goal is to fill the sales pipeline with qualified leads which will ensure that your company never encounters dry spell in terms of sales conversion. Successful lead generation requires a lot of effort and proper strategizing. There are number of service vendors out there in the market offering this valuable service. And the method of operation varies widely from one service provider to another. Sustained and successful B2B lead generation needs constant assessment and modification.

But how do you evaluate lead generation services? Let us discuss some of the ways which can tell us if the services are effective or not.

Examining the efficiency of lead generation services

The quality of leads generated is important. Check the service vendor’s reporting material and see if it is legible enough. See what the total contact touches per day are and if your service provider is consistent with the number. Use of technology and automation solution to streamline the lead generation process is a great idea, but it can never be a substitute for the actual procedure. You can use the latest technology to generate comprehensive data, but how that information is categorized and used is more important. This needs proper lead qualifying and nurturing that will ultimately help in closing maximum number of deals.

Having long list of prospects won’t suffice. You need more sales. There could be duplicates in the lists. Check the sources and find out if contact lists are accurate. It would mean sheer waste of time, effort and resources should the sales team busy itself in sorting out the clutter of qualified and unqualified leads. And finally your sales funnel will suffer. A good number of leads is always desirable, but more important is striking the balance between quantity and quality.

Companies today are relying a lot on social media to create brand awareness. It has become an important online advertising medium and companies are increasingly taking to tweeting with customers and posting comments on FaceBook. But is it actually helpful in terms of generating queries? If yes, how many of them actually convert into sales. Clarify all these things from the lead generation services vendor.

Communicating with your lead generation services vendor

It is important you regularly communicate with your service provider to make sure that they completely understand your goals and objectives. It would be great if they are open to suggestions. Lead capturing process requires constant tweaking if it is not yielding the anticipated results. Remember that one-size-fits-all approach will not work here.

Conclusion

Lead generation services are meant to acquire quality leads. The real value of this kind of service is in delivering qualified leads to the sales reps for conversion. A good lead generation services vendor should operate like an extension of your own company, helping you achieve your business goals in a cost effective manner.

Celena Watson - Passionate writer and blogger. I have written on many different topics which include inbound sales, lead management, lead nurturing, IT & services, inside sales support, demand generation and many more. For more info on go to online reputation management plan