Change is (or should be) an ever-present parameter in every B2B marketer’s strategy or plan, especially in lead generation telemarketing where recent fundamental shifts in the industry have been transforming its traditional role into more hybrid and dynamic functions as a working component in an increasingly integrated marketing mix. That’s why those who are directly engaged in or are somehow connected with B2B teleprospecting campaigns need to occasionally stop and think about the developments in relation to this lead generation tool.
This post looks at six new marketing and sales insights from Matt Bertuzzi of The Bridge Group, Inc., an inside sales consulting company, and discusses his ideas on the current state of lead generation telemarketing and other channels. Matt Bertuzzi’s observations are based on the findings outlined in the “2012 Lead Generation Metrics & Compensation Report” published by The Bridge Group which pulsed a total of 197 B2B companies on relevant inside sales issues, from which he makes note of the following interesting points:
1. Lead generation has matured. The art and science of B2B lead generation has tremendously grown and matured over the past few years. According to Matt Bertuzzi, lead generation has broken off from its more conventional function as a rudimentary “phone resource” to a vital component in today’s sales cycle with its changing focus toward identifying real opportunities.
2. Key decision-makers are becoming more elusive. Results from the above-mentioned study strongly indicate a trend toward lesser engagements with key decision-makers such as C-level executives in the lead generation process across various channels including phone and email. Many respondents noted increased contact with lower-level employees, hinting the necessity to adopt messaging strategies that address the new audience.
3. Quality rules over quantity. In direct contrast to the previously-prevalent priority given to quantity in lead generation, today’s campaigns are more concerned about what leads they send to the pipeline than how many they could pump through. As such, lead generation has taken on a more important role in both the marketing and sales efforts of many B2B-oriented companies.
4. Some basic issues remain the same. Despite the rapid and substantial changes in lead generation, a few fundamental issues are still very much a part of the campaign manager’s to-do list. One of these considerations is the need for working with top-quality marketing databases such as contact lists with genuine potential prospects.
5. Lead generation is leaning toward sales. The conventional view is that lead generation is primarily a marketing concern and, while it holds some level of validity, this perspective is increasingly coming under attack, especially in light of the above-mentioned research. Right now, there’s serious thought given to the integration of the lead generation process with the sales cycle or some combination of both marketing and sales.
6. There’s a new challenge in finding talents. Participants in The Bridge Group survey cited difficulty in finding and attracting lead generation talents, indicating changing expectations as one of the main factors.
These are a few of the key findings in the above-mentioned report that relate to lead generation and called calling. As you may have noticed, the general theme from most of the points mainly revolves around lead generation’s departure from its traditional role which had been purely for B2B appointment setting campaigns to more responsive and dynamic prospecting. In your own cold calling programs, how are you seeing this transformation?
