We always say that, when it comes to lead generation and especially telemarketing, you’ll be guaranteed to never do business with a prospect that you don’t call. No time is perfect and the key is to generate impetus and momentum in your business if you want to unearth opportunities for growth. Successful business development requires both effort and consistency. It’s also important to recognise that every business has a defined gestation period before sales and profit begin to flow. That means, in essence, that your lead generation efforts should commence in advance of the time when you want or really need new sales. If you delay too long, it could be too late.
How often do you walk into a new business meeting and walk out with a substantial order there and then? It may happen but, sadly, it isn’t that frequent. Normally, there is a period of discussion and negotiation. The customer often needs more information. Sometimes a second or third visit is required. The decision can also involve multiple decision-makers. For larger ticket items, the investment and purchase order may require budget and board approval.
The main thing is to avoid putting things off until the time is just right. When is that? If sales opportunities and growth are concerns now, today is the time to take action. There is often a temptation to wait for everything to be in place to move forward. Sometimes, businesses feel the need to wait for the production of relevant literature or the completion of a new website. Whilst, of course, that helps and we’d encourage every business to have a fresh website, social presence and support materials to power the lead generation process, it’s also dangerous to delay and delay until everything is faultless.
Sadly, a large proportion of marketing collateral ends up in the bin. And, whilst we’d all love to think that prospects pore over our websites checking out each page, the reality may be somewhat different. By all means have a strong (campaign specific) landing page and a PDF pertinent to your business development activity. Make sure your LinkedIn and other social platforms aren’t bereft of information so that they portray you in a positive light compared to your competitors. But, don’t put everything on hold until all of the components are 100% lined up and ready to go. Your competitors are not waiting around. They are going after growth while you procrastinate. So, don’t let a lack of materials stop your momentum and impede the lead generation momentum.
Every organisation in every sector and market has its ups and downs. Things change and business evolves. That’s just how it is. So, don’t wait for the perfect market timing or for the stars to be in alignment. Want to know the best time to embark on lead generation? That time is now. Just make those calls. Get your business in a position to make things happen. Send those emails. Get out in the marketplace and be visible. You won’t regret it. You will certainly accelerate your new business development. At the same time, you will reduce the risk of finding your sales and profits dwindling through inactivity or activity that is way too late in the day to have any impact.
GSA helps businesses become more effective in their marketing and business development. We run outbound telemarketing campaigns into the UK, Europe and further afield. Also, with our experience, we provide telemarketing training to help sales teams improve their results. If you’d like to know more, give us a call.